Tour Setlist without Smiths songs

smithsman

Junior Member
If Morrissey was to announce that his upcoming tour will not have any Smiths songs in the playlist would it stop you from going to the show.

Personally it would not stop me as I think Morrissey has enough of his own classics to support a tour and why should he sing Smiths songs if the only benefactor in royalties is Mike (Judas) Joyce.
 
Mike Joyce shouldn't get any performance royalties for Morrissey covering Smiths songs, as he didn't co-write any of them. Johnny Marr should be due a cut for composer royalties, but that's it.

Anyway - back to your point - personally I would welcome it. Of course, I love all those old Smiths songs, but in recent years Morrissey seems to have been leaning more and more heavily on the old back catalogue. Where once we might get a couple of Smiths songs, now it's not uncommon to get 5, 6, or 7. He has more than enough great songs in his own collection to fill out a 70 minute set.
 
As far as I know, no royalties need to be paid for songs played live. Even if a show gets released, royalties will be paid to songwriters Morrissey and Marr, not Mike Joyce.

Stéphane
 
I have long desired that he would do this, so long as it was a representative sample and not just singles. He has become so committed to proving to the world that there is no difference between the Smiths and his solo career (which is, frankly, absurd) that it is past the point of no return. Johnny hitting the road with a clutch of Smiths classics no doubt ensured his commitment to performing Smiths songs. I think it would be a bold statement of purpose to revert to his early solo career credo of no - or minimal (1-2) - Smiths songs per concert. It would certainly remove some negative focus from his band and diminish the pigeonholing he gets from some as a nostalgia act. But the reality is that most concertgoers want to hear the classics.
 
I would prefer no Smiths songs. It's just not the same anymore. However, give me Southpaw Grammar or Maladjusted anyday.
 
saying that though for the younger morrissey/smiths fans who never got the chance to see the smiths would surely love to see mozza perform a couple of the smiths classic. like i said smiths or no smiths we will be there!!!
 
I wouldn't mind it at all. I'm much more interested in him dusting off solo-era gems in concert than Smiths tunes.

I liked it better when he did only 1-2 Smiths songs per tour. I believe once he did a show with NINE Smiths songs. On the 2007 Greatest Hits tour, I think. About seven too many.
 
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Sadly, removing Smiths songs would just mean more songs from Quarry/Ringleader/Refusal and/or covers added to the setlist.
 
I'd still go if he decided not to sing any Smiths songs, there's dozens of tracks from his solo back catalogue that would sound ace if played live, sadly these are criminally overlooked as he always opts for the classics. I'd love to hear these live:

Alsatian Cousin
Girl Least Likely To
Will Never Marry
Piccaddily Palare
Our Frank
Sister I'm A Poet
Swallow On My Neck
Glamourous Glue
Tomorrow
Billy Budd
Whatever Happens, I Love You (that'd sound amazing live)
The Operation
Maladjusted
Come Back To Camden
You Know I Couldn't Last
The Youngest Was The Most Loved
Something Is Squeezing My Skull
When Last I Spoke To Carol
My Dearest Love
Art Hounds

And a few other interchangeable ones chucked in for good measure.
 
If Morrissey was to announce that his upcoming tour will not have any Smiths songs in the playlist would it stop you from going to the show.

Personally it would not stop me as I think Morrissey has enough of his own classics to support a tour and why should he sing Smiths songs if the only benefactor in royalties is Mike (Judas) Joyce.

I would love to hear the entire Southpaw played. And yes, I would still go see him if he didn’t do Smiths tunes. I'm sure. :rolleyes:
 
morrissey has plenty of his own classics!! smiths or no smiths songs i will be there!!

Morrissey doesn't have any of his own classics. The music to all his songs was written and played by someone else. When he was with Marr, this songwriting team had a name (The Smiths).
Since then, when he's been with Armstrong, Whyte, Tobias, Nevin, Boorer etc the team was simple called 'Morrissey'.
He's sung songs written by probably around 10 people. Why simply decide to stop performing the ones written by one of these people i.e. Marr.
MORRISSEY HAS NEVER BEEN A SOLO ACT!
 
Sorrow Will Come In The End (Aphex Twin remix)
Our Frank
Kid's A Looker (x 2)
Dagenham Dave
Roy's Keane
The Operation (drum solo only, repeated 10 times)

encores:

Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep
Son Of My Father
Sugar Baby Love
Shang-A-Lang
 
Morrissey doesn't have any of his own classics. The music to all his songs was written and played by someone else. When he was with Marr, this songwriting team had a name (The Smiths).
Since then, when he's been with Armstrong, Whyte, Tobias, Nevin, Boorer etc the team was simple called 'Morrissey'.
He's sung songs written by probably around 10 people. Why simply decide to stop performing the ones written by one of these people i.e. Marr.
MORRISSEY HAS NEVER BEEN A SOLO ACT!

All Smiths and Morrissey solo songs which were not covers have vocal melodies composed solely by S.P. Morrissey.

In pop music, that's the whole kit and kaboodle.
 
Sorry for the confusion with Mike Joyce royalties.

I know he does not get royalties from live shows but he would get royalties from any Smiths albums that have been sold on the back of these concerts thus lining Mike Joyce's pockets
(Not sure if it is only records sold in UK though)
 
I have long desired that he would do this, so long as it was a representative sample and not just singles. He has become so committed to proving to the world that there is no difference between the Smiths and his solo career (which is, frankly, absurd) that it is past the point of no return. Johnny hitting the road with a clutch of Smiths classics no doubt ensured his commitment to performing Smiths songs. I think it would be a bold statement of purpose to revert to his early solo career credo of no - or minimal (1-2) - Smiths songs per concert. It would certainly remove some negative focus from his band and diminish the pigeonholing he gets from some as a nostalgia act. But the reality is that most concertgoers want to hear the classics.

I have heard Johnny live and the problem with the Smiths songs for the two of them are
Morrissey sounds better but instrumental poor and Johnny vocals poor but instrumental as near to Smiths as you would get.

I am not criticising the Morrissey band as they were not the ones who played the Smiths songs originally, but I think the Morrissey band would be tighter playing what they are comfortable with (Morrissey songs).
 
If I was offered five or six of my favourite Smiths songs or, say, Ambitious Outsiders, I'd take Ambitious Outsiders.
 
Sorrow Will Come In The End (Aphex Twin remix)
Our Frank
Kid's A Looker (x 2)
Dagenham Dave
Roy's Keane
The Operation (drum solo only, repeated 10 times)

encores:

Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep
Son Of My Father
Sugar Baby Love
Shang-A-Lang

Sounds amazing, Morrissey proving he is as uncompromising as ever. You forgot Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3
 
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