NME: "Mike Joyce on ending his feud with Johnny Marr, The Smiths’ reunion row and a mural for Andy Rourke" (October 4, 2024)

“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.”

Mike Joyce on ending his feud with Johnny Marr, The Smiths' reunion row and a mural for Andy Rourke

Mike Joyce on the “unsavoury” feud between Morrissey and Marr, his highlights of his time with The Smiths, the chances of a reunion, and remembering Andy Rourke

www.nme.com

 

[SuedeMoz]

Brilliant article - thanks for sharing

 

[Surface]

What a great article, the Peter Shelley mural he mentions is fabulous.

 

[manfields]

statements?

“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.

He's right that it should have been kept in private, because they do act like a divorced couple. However, I love trainwrecks and I'm fascinated by their relationship, so I enjoyed their spat

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Mike always comes across as amiable, with a lot of common sense and a deep love for The Smiths (and Morrissey). I don’t know all the ins and outs of the litigation, and I’m sure Morrissey was right to some extent, but I think it’s obvious that Mike isn’t a bad person. When I was a young Moz fanatic, I thought he was the devil, just because Moz told us he was, but thankfully you get older and wiser (well, some do).

 

[The Irish Hare]

This is why I come here, an article worth reading, which is balanced and warmly nostalgic. His affection for Andy is very obvious as is his admiration for all his former bandmates. It is good to see in print that he sued both Morrissey and Marr in the infamous court case as generally Morrissey is the only one emphasised. It's nice also that he doesn't feel the need to apologise for mentioning Morrissey and can talk about him as a person rather than a media manufactured monster. He's not trying to gain the NPC vote of popularity by playing the game. Very refreshing.

 

[Uncleskinny]

A Matter Of Opinion is supposed to sound just like this...

 

[rivum]

that's a great article.
i never thought about mike and johnny being the rhythm section but, now that i think about it, that actually makes a lot of sense. mike's playing is a compliment to johnny. the nice thing about that is it gives andy a lot of room to create some interesting, melodic lines to compliment what mike and johnny are doing. i guess i never really understood why i loved andy's lines so much but now that i know this i have an even greater appreciation of them.

 

[Thewlis]

Mike is a great guy. One of the first to stand up for Morrissey when the media backlash started:

https://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/mike-joyce-on-the-smiths-morrissey-allegations-sam-delaneys-news-thing.142246/

 

[JerryCan]

that's a great article.
i never thought about mike and johnny being the rhythm section but, now that i think about it, that actually makes a lot of sense...

Yes I've often noticed on the old Smiths vids it seems to be Johnny and Mike connecting most on stage, not just for a cue in a song.

 

[manfields]

I'm gonna get hate for this, but part of me feels that his standing up for Morrissey all these years seems more about him than about moz. I don't know, it comes out as insincere to me

 

[Anonymous]

I'm gonna get hate for this, but part of me feels that his standing up for Morrissey all these years seems more about him than about moz. I don't know, it comes out as insincere to me

Yes, Mike is an opportunist with a smiling face.

 

[BookishBoy]

Mike always comes across as amiable, with a lot of common sense and a deep love for The Smiths (and Morrissey). I don’t know all the ins and outs of the litigation, and I’m sure Morrissey was right to some extent, but I think it’s obvious that Mike isn’t a bad person. When I was a young Moz fanatic, I thought he was the devil, just because Moz told us he was, but thankfully you get older and wiser (well, some do).

never applies to me!

 

[SteveWS]

Colder and wider, perhaps.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

A Matter Of Opinion is supposed to sound just like this...

can’t get no satisfaction?

 

[Ste Wriggers]

Over the last year, with all this he said she said moz/marr bollocks...I've decided andy rourke and Mike Joyce are my favourite Smiths members!

 

[Cornflakes]

Over the last year, with all this he said she said moz/marr bollocks...I've decided andy rourke and Mike Joyce are my favourite Smiths members!

Perhaps they will do a "just bass and drums" reissue series.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

never applies to me!

Ha! Hence the “some do”.

 

[The Wild Turkey]

A great article would be the auditin'
of the funds for the Andy mural.

 

[Surface]

Update from Mike and a example how the press twist things.