(The Smiths’ iconic guitarist is coming to Norfolk. Photo by Heiko DeWees
By Jim Roberts
How much money would it take for Johnny Marr and Stephen Patrick Morrissey to reunite and tour as The Smiths?
According to recent reports, $75 million wasn’t enough to get them back together.
Marr, the band’s guitarist, confirmed the news in June, saying in a podcast interview, “I just think the vibe’s not right. … It was an eye-watering amount of money, but also, I really like what I’m doing now, which makes it a lot easier. I like where I’m at. I still want to write the best song I’ve ever written. I want to be a better performer.”
Fans can judge for themselves when Marr brings his solo show to Norfolk on Sept. 23.
He’s promoting a live album that includes six of The Smiths’ hits from the 1980s: “This Charming Man,” “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” “Panic,” “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” and “How Soon Is Now?”
Setlists from his 2024 tour reveal that Marr is also wont to play “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” “The Headmaster Ritual” and “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.”
Mxdwn.com reviewed one of last year’s shows in Los Angeles, saying Marr left fans “in a starstruck haze.”
“Marr appeared on the stage and gave a performance that was nothing short of nostalgic,” Athena Flores wrote. “Sporting the same iconic hairstyle from his Smiths days and a dark green electric guitar, Marr showcased his riff skills and kicked off the show with his song ‘Sensory Street.’ … It was not long before Marr and his band treated the audience to a few songs from The Smiths, further rousing the already energetic crowd and intensifying the nostalgia. … It was the perfect integration of new and old.”
Heiko Dewees, who lives in Virginia Beach, saw Marr a week and a half after the L.A. show.
“I saw him in Washington, D.C.,” he said, “because I didn’t think he would ever come to Norfolk. The show was excellent. I never knew Johnny was such a dynamic performer.”
DeWees, a freelance photographer, took the photo accompanying this story. “He posed several times,” he recalled, “and I tried to capture how cool he seemed onstage.”
Dewees has also seen Morrissey twice, including his 2007 performance at the NorVa, where he played five Smiths songs, including “The Queen Is Dead,” “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side” and “Girlfriend in a Coma.”
“I have to say Johnny seems to make The Smiths songs less sad and gloomy,” he said. “His versions are a little more upbeat.”
Johnny Marr will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Norva in Norfolk. Community Witch will open. Tickets are $51.47, including fees. For more information, visit thenorva.com.