Johnny Marr plays Smiths songs with orchestra in Manchester (December 7-8, 2023)

Surface posted the link in the original thread:

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want


Also:

How Soon Is Now?


Panic


There Is A Light That Never Goes Out


EDIT 4:24PM PT
link posted by Mozzer1980:

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me


Image from unknown Instagram source posted by Amy:

---

Related item:

• Factory International: "A night with The Johnny Marr Orchestra" (on December 7-8, 2023)

 

[Anderson Gingembre]

I'll try to post again and yes it was the same set both nights.

He also wore the same thing both nights. I think that was for the film continuity trying to blend the two shows into a single video production, which I am very excited about!

 

[Surface]

He also wore the same thing both nights. I think that was for the film continuity trying to blend the two shows into a single video production, which I am very excited about!

Good point, just watching Somewhere on You Tube, which was one of my favourites and completely different than the released version.

 

[Anonymous]

Was there on the first night and it was f***ing great. Although everyone just stood there as though they were dead. I hate that, but it seems to be what people are like at UK gigs now. Boring.

I tried to start a one-man moshpit during 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me', but no one else would join in, so it was a bit embarrassing.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Probably the complexity of piecing it all together. When I went to see the National in September at Alexander Palace they played 30 songs on the first night and 30 completely different songs on the 2nd night which is great if you went to both but frustrating if you went to one as I did.

That’s so uncool of them, what a way to stick it to those that couldn’t go both nights. Better to have a balanced and consistent set like Morrissey does.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

He also wore the same thing both nights. I think that was for the film continuity trying to blend the two shows into a single video production, which I am very excited about!

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

I'll try to post again and yes it was the same set both nights.

Able to see them now. I'm glad you took them. It looks like quite the setup.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

He also wore the same thing both nights. I think that was for the film continuity trying to blend the two shows into a single video production, which I am very excited about!

That sounds promising. There wouldn't have been so many cameras if this wasn't going to be turned into something in the future. Looking forward to it.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

I tried to start a one-man moshpit during 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me', but no one else would join in, so it was a bit embarrassing.

I guess you think you're amusing...

 

[Christopher Ranch]

Another rather good review from the Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...-orchestral-affair-pc7kwds2h?ts=1702281046867

It's behind a paywall, so here it is.

FIRST NIGHT | POP

Johnny Marr review — a grand, orchestral affair​

Factory International, Manchester

Mark Beaumont
Friday December 08 2023, 12.00pm GMT, The Times
Music

Johnny Marr perfoming at the new Factory International venue in Manchester
MATTHEW MCNULTY/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES
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★★★★☆
“The group’s changed a little since you last saw us,” said Johnny Marr, fronting a stage busier than an all-eras Sugababes reunion. For the “historic” first rock show at Manchester’s cavernous new venue Factory International, the ex-Smiths guitar legend recruited a 30-piece Johnny Marr Orchestra for that time-honoured exercise of proving that one’s puny little pop songs are the equal of any symphony. And as a guitarist of such grace and romance, who has constructed some of the most elegant songs of all time, Marr has better justification than most to Bach up his back catalogue.

There is a sensitive art to orchestrating rock, usually involving fully submitting the songs to the far grander classical scale. Recent, wholehearted endeavours by Peter Gabriel and the Mancunian band James have been masterclasses of the form. At first, though, Marr seemed happy simply to tack strings on to the back of his usual band arrangements, which left Armatopia and Day In Day Out feeling flat and over-polite, with band and orchestra reluctant to dominate the other. Swamped by the vast space — where a gigantic padded back wall served as a screen for surreal or stirring visuals — the strings were too shrill, the band but a smudge.


Gradually the set warmed, the orchestra bringing out an air of There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (one of the few Smiths songs that originally featured orchestration) in wistful solo Marr tunes such as New Town Velocity and Hi Hello, and transforming the recent single Somewhere into a symphonic showstopper. But it was only when he turned to Smiths tracks that Marr really grasped the grandeur at his disposal. Violins recreated the shimmer riff of How Soon Is Now?, adding Arabian touches as they built towards a coda accentuating the oppressive crush of loneliness. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me was stripped of its synthesised drama to become a graceful vehicle for Marr’s stratospheric soloing and Morrissey-ish croon. And Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want was simply spectacular, Marr’s delicate acoustic and plaintive melody mingling with keening strings.

By the final stretch, Marr was having fun with the format. Easy Money and Electronic’s Getting Away With It smacked of a Bond scene at Studio 54. Panic was packed with triumphal pomp and There Is a Light…, ending beneath a picture of the recently departed Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, provided a fittingly sweeping finale, its romantic vision of double-decker death prompting a Prom-closing singalong. He should string us along more often.
December 8, Factory International, Manchester, johnnymarr.com

 

[Anonymous]

Instead they are essentially doing versions of the same things separately, whilst not speaking. It's farcical. It's ego and stubbornness and stupidity and they both need to grow the f*** up.

I feel they are competing aganist each other, and it has become rather bitter.

 

[Surface]

I feel they are competing aganist each other, and it has become rather bitter.

I don't see that at all, I think they're just getting on with what they enjoy doing. I go and see both and Morrissey in Manchester last year was fab and Johnny in Manchester last week was fab.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't see that at all, I think they're just getting on with what they enjoy doing. I go and see both and Morrissey in Manchester last year was fab and Johnny in Manchester last week was fab.

It is not a Morrissey vs Marr thing at all. I just don't find Johnny Marr to be a very good singer, lyricist, or front man. In fact, I think his singing is taking away from his guitar work in a big way. Personally, I think Morrissey's band has much better musicians and play Smiths songs way better than Johnny Marr. Besides, Morrissey created all the vocal melodies not Marr and this is what you hear and remember. In other words you whistle Morrissey's tunes which are his vocal melodies that he created. I just don't see anything at at all from Johnny Marr since leaving the Smiths unless you count a few New Order redo songs. But, Marr is doing his own thing and seems to be very successful at it so kudos to Marr in that sense, but I just don't find anything about Johnny Marr intriguing since his last Smiths song in the 80's.

 

[Surface]

It is not a Morrissey vs Marr thing at all. I just don't find Johnny Marr to be a very good singer, lyricist, or front man. In fact, I think his singing is taking away from his guitar work in a big way. Personally, I think Morrissey's band has much better musicians and play Smiths songs way better than Johnny Marr. Besides, Morrissey created all the vocal melodies not Marr and this is what you hear and remember. In other words you whistle Morrissey's tunes which are his vocal melodies that he created. I just don't see anything at at all from Johnny Marr since leaving the Smiths unless you count a few New Order redo songs. But, Marr is doing his own thing and seems to be very successful at it so kudos to Marr in that sense, but I just don't find anything about Johnny Marr intriguing since his last Smiths song in the 80's.

Ak ok.

 

[Jamie]

I feel they are competing aganist each other, and it has become rather bitter.

I think that is projection, from you and other fans - especially the ones who want it to be so. They're two men in their early sixties living their lives on their own terms and presenting material from their past through the prisms of their choice.

 

[Dennis More]

I feel they are competing aganist each other, and it has become rather bitter.

If they are competing against each other, there is a clear winner at this point. Johnny is using his competitiveness to create bigger things of great quality and Morrissey is trying to make the biggest mess possible out of his career.

 

[Thewlis]

If they are competing against each other, there is a clear winner at this point. Johnny is using his competitiveness to create bigger things of great quality and Morrissey is trying to make the biggest mess possible out of his career.

That’s a matter of personal opinion, which is fine, but Moz obviously still is much bigger worldwide star than Johnny and always will be.

But who knows, maybe there is still some sort of competitiveness. There definitely was in the early days between Moz solo and Electronic.

 

[anonymous]

That’s a matter of personal opinion, which is fine, but Moz obviously still is much bigger worldwide star than Johnny and always will be.

But who knows, maybe there is still some sort of competitiveness. There definitely was in the early days between Moz solo and Electronic.

I think you mean Moz is a worldwide pariah.

 

[js138]

Sounds dreadful. Something quite embarrassing and smug about these shows.

The Andy tribute angle defintely leaves me puzzled. While I think its great that he honors Andy, I also think its kinda cheap and low hanging fruit that lets Marr continue to build up his "He's the good smith" facade. I know they mended fences in the end and probably prior, but Andy also sued Johnny as well. It was no seceret that Andy struggled financially through the years and for Johnny to come off like Andy was one of the most important people in his life, I found it odd he never had a place in any of Johnny's bands.

Obviously no one really knows the reason, but I feel like Johnny in hindsight is playing up his post-smiths relationship with Andy in some ways for PR reasons.

 

[anonymous]

The Andy tribute angle defintely leaves me puzzled. While I think its great that he honors Andy, I also think its kinda cheap and low hanging fruit that lets Marr continue to build up his "He's the good smith" facade. I know they mended fences in the end and probably prior, but Andy also sued Johnny as well. It was no seceret that Andy struggled financially through the years and for Johnny to come off like Andy was one of the most important people in his life, I found it odd he never had a place in any of Johnny's bands.

Obviously no one really knows the reason, but I feel like Johnny in hindsight is playing up his post-smiths relationship with Andy in some ways for PR reasons.

Oh do shut up. Johnny and Andy were great friends despite the lawsuits. Andy deserves the tribute and Morrissey is certainly not bothering.

 

[Starlight 999]

The Andy tribute angle defintely leaves me puzzled. While I think its great that he honors Andy, I also think its kinda cheap and low hanging fruit that lets Marr continue to build up his "He's the good smith" facade. I know they mended fences in the end and probably prior, but Andy also sued Johnny as well. It was no seceret that Andy struggled financially through the years and for Johnny to come off like Andy was one of the most important people in his life, I found it odd he never had a place in any of Johnny's bands.

Obviously no one really knows the reason, but I feel like Johnny in hindsight is playing up his post-smiths relationship with Andy in some ways for PR reasons.

This is about 6 months before Andy passed away and the public didn't know he was terminally ill. Johnny invited Andy to play at Madison Square Garden so he could have that experience of playing there. I think that was a very sweet gesture, don't you?