The fractured comments from the ex-members of The Smiths just keep on coming. And the latest perspective on what’s going on (and if a reunion is on or off) just came from the band’s drummer Mike Joyce.
While the spat between vocalist Morrisey and guitarist Marr is still ongoing, it’s easy to forget that drummer Joyce had beef with the pair of them, having sued his band members for missing royalties back in 1996 – a case that produced a £1m damages victory for Joyce.
However, Joyce, in an interview with NME, has revealed the glimmers of a reconciliation – at least with Marr.
Joyce was in conversation to continue awareness of his crowdfunding efforts to have a mural of Smiths bassist Andy Rourke – who died of pancreatic cancer in 2023 – painted in Manchester by esteemed street artist Akse.
Having hit its £15,500 target within a week, the fund has continued, with signed albums up for grabs with all additional funds going to the Pancreatic Cancer Action charity UK.
At the time of writing the fund stands at £23,514 with work on the mural on the side of The Wheatsheaf pub on Oak Street in Manchester now having commenced.
However, with Morrisey, Marr and all things Smiths being a hot topic at the present, inevitably the conversation turned to Joyce’s relationship with his other former band members.
“I’d seen Johnny at Manchester City games and we’d keep it civil, but there’d be no conversation,” said Joyce. “I knew Johnny was going to be at Andy’s service and I thought: ‘This isn’t about me or Johnny, it’s nothing other than Andy’.
"With that in mind, I was quite comfortable about seeing Johnny. It wasn’t tough when I saw him, it was just unusual, as I hadn’t spoken properly to Johnny for years and years. But we had a good chat there.”
And the pair met again soon afterwards in a meeting engineered by none other than Noel Gallagher.
Having been invited to appear pitch side alongside the Oasis mainstay at a Manchester City game, Gallagher surprised Joyce by appearing with Marr in tow… “As Noel came out, I saw he had Johnny with him,” said Joyce.
“I told Johnny: ‘Alright, mate, we’ll have to stop meeting like this’. After not seeing each other in such a long time, the second one was just funny. We’ve said to keep it civil about things and businesslike in business. That’ll do for me.”
However, when lightly grilled as to what all this kissing and making up may lead to, Joyce is swift to reign in hopes of a proper reunion.
“Other people will have other ideas but, as far as I’m concerned, with Andy not being here, it’s impossible to have a reunion of The Smiths. But Morrissey and Marr together? Obviously I read those back-and-forth statements and I’m surprised they didn’t get that together earlier – that they’d have done something 10 or 15 years ago, whenever. The ownership of The Smiths’ name, going out as The Smiths with a different rhythm section? So be it.”
And on the topic of the recent Morrisey and Marr back-and-forth, Joyce says: “I felt it was a little bit unsavoury. If it was me involved in something like that, I’d contact management, or the representative or the solicitors, or go direct to the individual, rather than put out statements online.
“It just felt as though there was a little element of wanting to treat it like a divorce, wanting to get people on their side. But everyone to their own. I’m not the oracle. I’m not telling either party: ‘You should be doing it like this’.
"I’m not saying I’m right, just saying how I would have done it. It wouldn’t then have become a public spat. A private spat, that’s fine. Go through the machinations of ‘You said this, but you wanted me to do that’, without a public forum.”
Meanwhile, the drummer has nothing but praise for fellow Mancunians Oasis, who’ve buried the hatchet and who ARE going out on tour in 2025: “I’m hoping I might be able to blag a ticket to see them next year, but I know everyone else who ever lived is hoping that too.
"I’d love to see them, and maybe I’ll try for a gig further afield, outside the UK,” said Joyce.
