Footage of a rare gig Morrissey performed with The Smiths after he left the band to go solo has emerged online.
The gig took place at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on December 22, 1988. An Uncut feature from 1998 uploaded to Morrissey-Solo.com fills in the background to the show. “Exactly 365 days after he’d last worked with them, Morrissey (or rather his lawyer) phoned Marr, Joyce and Rourke and suggested a gig. The result was a triumphant experience for all concerned, with feverish members of the audience gaining admission with a Smiths or Morrissey T-Shirt.
“The band played the material they’d recorded with Morrissey a year earlier (such as ‘The Last Of The Famous International Playboys’) and a handful of Smiths songs never played live. However, the backstage environment brought the curious occasion of a group whose entire membership was suing the singer. According to Joyce, ‘It wasn’t mentioned’.”
Opening with ‘Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before’, the 40-minute long set includes Morrissey solo tracks such as ‘Suedehead’ and ‘Sister I’m A Poet’ as well as The Smiths’ ‘Sweet And Tender Hooligan’. The gig was announced on John Peel’s radio show with only fans wearing a Smiths or Morrissey T-shirt allowed entrance. Johnny Marr did not perform on the night, replaced on guitar instead by Craig Gannon.
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