Tag: The Smiths
-
Mike Joyce on The Smiths, Morrissey’s Christmas Card List, and the 1983 BBC Session
Backstory: The Smiths at the brink of national attention When the members of The Smiths first started turning heads in Manchester and beyond, the energy of their live shows and the stark charisma of vocalist Morrissey began drawing attention from national circles. The band’s drummer, Mike Joyce, was a core rhythmic driver of their early…
-
The Smiths’ Mike Joyce: I’m Not on Morrissey’s Christmas Card List
Introduction: A Glimpse Behind The Smiths’ early rise In November 1983, a 20-year-old drummer sat under pink studio lights at the BBC Television Centre, a formative moment in the rise of The Smiths. Mike Joyce, still fresh from his punk roots, was part of a band that would soon become one of the defining acts…
-
I took mushrooms before my audition: Mike Joyce recalls wild Smiths gigs, Marr’s antics, and Morrissey’s genius
Reliving the wild days In a palatial suite at a Manchester hotel, Mike Joyce sits with the calm, seasoned air of a drummer who has spent decades translating chaos into rhythm. He’s recalling the period that defined a generation: the Smiths, the Queen Is Dead tour, and the Salford Maxwell Hall show that still flickers…
-
I took mushrooms before my audition: Mike Joyce on wild Smiths gigs, Marr’s jim-jams and Morrissey’s genius
Introduction: A drummer’s eye on a legendary band Mike Joyce, the steady heartbeat behind the Smiths during their most influential years, sits in a palatial suite at Manchester’s Stock Exchange hotel. The light is soft, the air is calm, yet the memories he’s about to share crackle with the electricity of a band that defined…