On December 12, 1986, The Smiths unknowingly played their last show at Brixton Academy. Two years later, Morrissey debuted as a solo artist with a show on December 22, 1988, at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. This show was the final nail in the coffin of The Smiths as a band, the unofficially official end of an era for diehard fans.
Morrissey released his debut solo album, Viva Hate, in March 1988. The December show marked his first solo outing, despite bringing on three of his former bandmates for the backing band. Bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce joined Morrissey on stage, making the show seem like a tribute to The Smiths. This surely felt promising to fans who hoped the band would carry on in some shape or form. Johnny Marr didn’t join them, as he had officially cut ties in 1987. But, with the addition of touring guitarist Craig Gannon, it must have seemed like The Smiths would somehow soldier on.
However, Morrissey soon felt burdened by the constant reminders of his old band. Rourke, Joyce, and Gannon backed him on the 1989 singles “Interesting Drug” and “The Last of the International Playboys”. But shortly after, he parted ways with them once more.
“The unhappy past descends upon me each time I hear their voices,” Morrissey wrote in his 2013 memoir. “And I decide to not invite them to any further recording sessions.”
Morrissey’s First Solo Show Marked the Official End of The Smiths Two Years Later
Morrissey’s first solo show ushered in a new era for the former frontman and for fans themselves. He would go on to create a successful career as a solo artist, despite less-than-savory political opinions and an unfortunate habit of canceling shows at the last minute. But despite only performing three Smiths songs at that December 1988 concert, it served more as a farewell to the jangly post-punk icons than a solo debut.
One thing is for sure, though, and that’s the undeniable fact that the show was mobbed with fans. That had a lot to do with the fact that The Smiths had just broken up. Fans were desperate to see any crumb of their favorite band. But it was also because anyone wearing a Morrissey or Smiths t-shirt got into the show for free.
According to accounts from both a Morrissey fan site and Rolling Stone, the line outside Civic Hall was swamped. Only about half of the crowd that showed up made it inside. Then, during the show, fans swarmed the stage like they were storming the beaches at Normandy. This wasn’t technically unusual for a Smiths show, but here it became almost unmanageable. Multiple times, Morrissey had his introductions cut off or missed lines due to the mayhem of the enthusiastic crowd. This is illustrated in the bootleg concert video, which circulated around May 2013.
The setlist, meanwhile, featured Smiths tracks that had never been played live before. An interesting choice for a solo debut. Those songs were “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”, “Death At One’s Elbow”, and “Sweet and Tender Hooligan” as the encore. All released in 1987, they’d never been performed live with Johnny Marr in the band.
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The post On This Day in 1988, a Chance to Watch Morrissey’s First Solo Show for Free Led to a Mob in the Concert Venue appeared first on VICE.
