In the wake of widespread clamour around the reunion of fellow Manchester rock stalwarts Oasis, legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has made his feelings very clear about the prospect of a reunion with former bandmate Morrissey. In a post on X, the guitarist used just one image to shoot down any hopes fans might have for a Smiths reconciliation, posting a picture of Reform Party leader Nigel Farage to equate Morrissey with the divisive right wing MP.
Marr’s oblique messaging is clearer in light of his previous quip from 2019 that no Smiths reunion is on the horizon due to Morrissey’s record of anti-immigration comments and accusations against him of racism, which led Marr to joke that any such reunion would feature “Nigel Farage on guitar”.
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) August 26, 2024
Marr and Morrissey’s ongoing feud has been well publicised for years, with the guitarist having left the band just prior to the release of what would prove the final Smiths album, Strangeways, Here We Come, in 1987. Marr has repeatedly called Morrissey out for his political views, telling Exclaim! Magazine in 2022 that while in the popular band, “we never fell out over politics, but we probably would now.” While fronting the Smiths Morrissey became an outspoken proponent of views typically considered with the political left, including vegetarianism, republicanism, and anti-Thatcherism. However, in later life the singer has come to endorse far right parties and spark accusations of racism.
Nigel Farage on guitar
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) November 6, 2019
The tension between the former bandmates reached new heights in 2021 when Morrissey accused the creators of The Simpsons of “hatred” and “complete ignorance” after a character partially based on him was depicted as a meat-eating, overweight xenophobe. The following year, Morrissey published an open letter to Marr, urging him to stop using his name as “clickbait.” Morrissey lamented that while they had once helped each other become who they are today, they had not been in contact for 35 years and Marr should stop blaming him for everything from a tsunami to “the dribble on your grandma’s chin.”
The songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr was the driving force behind The Smiths, a band that became a cornerstone of British guitar music in the 1980s. After Marr’s departure from the band, however, reports suggested that Marr was frustrated with Morrissey’s reluctance to evolve, while Morrissey was equally annoyed by Marr’s involvement with other musical projects.
Marr’s opposition to a Smiths reunion is not the only obstacle, however. Andy Rourke, the band’s bassist, passed away on May 19, 2023, at the age of 59 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Known for his melodic and funk-inspired bass lines, Rourke’s contributions were integral to the band’s iconic sound, playing a prominent role on all four Smiths studio albums. At the time of Rourke’s death, Marr described him as a “kind and beautiful soul” and a “supremely gifted musician.”
