W♥M

Rick Astley and Blossoms Perform The Smiths

Rick Astley and Blossoms Setlist This Charming Man What Difference Does It Make? Bigmouth Strikes Again Cemetry Gates Ask Hand in Glove Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others The Boy With the Thorn in His Side Girlfriend in a Coma Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now Panic William, It Was Really Nothing Barbarism Begins at Home Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want How Soon Is Now? There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Read More The Smiths Sad news earlier today as the world found out that Andy Rourke, former bassist for The Smiths, passed away at age 59 after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York. .…

The biggest thing that came out of Glastonbury 2023 was Rick Astley (and the backup band Blossoms) full greatest hits of The Smiths set. You can watch it on BBC’s iPlayer… but if you don’t live in the UK, you can preview some songs on YouTube.

As you can see, this is possibly the greatest Smiths set ever, and Astley, and company, really knocked it out of the park.

It’s really a shame that the actual Smiths could not reform, especially with the recent passing of bassist Andy Rourke earlier in May 2023

Apparently the special Smiths set by Rick Astley and Blossoms was a secret set. Original Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr was not pleased about the show, but that he “had no problem” with any cover bands or Rick Astley.

Responding to the reaction, Astley told NME: “I’ve never met Johnny Marr and I daresay our paths may never cross, but I get it. I don’t know how I’d feel about it if I was Johnny Marr. What can you say? It’s his work and his life, but it doesn’t seem like they’re ever getting back together – so there are either bands who go out there and do it, or… It’s a difficult one, but I did it from a place of absolute joy and love for those songs.”

The Last of the Famous International Playboys (2013)

As far as Smiths singer Morrissey is concerned, Rick and Steven actually met at a Top of the Pops show, and their photograph is on the cover of the 2013 reissue of The Last of the Famous International Playboys. Originally David Bowie and Morrissey was supposed to appear on the reissue, but Bowie has never forgiven Morrissey for cancelling his supporting act for Bowie’s 1996-1997 tour... so he did not grant permission.

Morrissey, for once in his life, actually was grateful, and gave his blessings, “Anything that generates interest in that tired old Smiths warhorse is testimony to the wallop it packed”.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Remembering Andy Rourke

The Smiths: Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before (signed by Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce, and Johnny Marr) Official Statement ANDREW MICHAEL ROURKE “ANDY ROURKE” Passed away at age 59 January 17, 1964 - May 19, 2023 MAY 19, 2023 (New York, NY) -- It is with deep sadness that we announce that Andy Rourke has passed away in the early hours today at age 59 in New York City at Memorial Sloan Kettering after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer. Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans. We request privacy at this sad time. Read More Andy Rourke First, this is indie dance club was celebrating its 14 Year Anniversary, and, second, guest DJ, Andy Rourke is the bassist of one of my favorite 80s band, The Smiths…. The Smiths Sad news earlier today as the world found out that Andy Rourke, former bassist for The Smiths, passed away at age 59 after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York. .…

The news of Andy Rourke’s death came to me suddenly on Friday. I had no idea the former The Smiths bassist was dying… but on retrospect, I should have seen it coming. Especially since I wrote about how Rourke and Johnny Marr came together to produce “Strong Forever” in Jan 2023. The two were friends since the age of 13, before joining The Smiths, and it was likely a dying man’s last request.

I’ve met Rourke before, at the first The Smiths Convention in Los Angeles in 1997. I have photos of Rourke and I, but this was before digital cameras, so the photos are in a photo album somewhere in my storage. I’ll have to dig for them at a later time and digitalize them for easier access.

What I can tell you is that they were nice when we met as fans, getting our albums and singles signed by them. I had them sign my “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”, one of the last official releases in the UK and Japan (The Smiths’ singles were rarely released in America). I would later meet Johnny Marr and had them sign the same single. One day I hope to see Morrissey and have him sign the sleeve…

So, here’s a trivia, Rourke continued to work with Morrissey after the Smiths broke up. He wrote two of my favorite B-Sides, “Get Off the Stage” and “Girl Least Likely To”… but he also wrote my least favorite Morrissey song, “Yes I Am Blind” (and deaf too apparently after hearing that song). You can’t blame Rourke entirely, as with these collaborations, he would compose the music and then Morrissey would then add his lyrics to it.

The two biggest “bass” songs in The Smiths library are “This Charming Man” (New York Mix) and “Barbarism Begins At Home” (especially hearing a live version). The former is a rare remix. You see, DJ François Kevorkian remixed the song in 1983 for the nightclubbers and was pressed for NY club DJs. Morrissey hated the song, and had the song pulled out of circulation, according to the Peepholism book by Jo Slee.

The remix, which featured really heavy emphasis on Andy Rourke’s bassline, was lost to obscurity. I actually didn’t discover the remix until the 1992 re-issue of “This Charming Man” single… and it was a song unlike any Smiths song! Again, it’s a very bass-y mix, and it was almost laughable that it’s the bassist’s song of choice when he DJed, live in person, at the 14th Anniversary of Transmission in 2015.

It’s sad to see that with Rourke’s death, there will never, truly be a Smiths reunion. Everyone knew it would never happen, but now with one of the band member dead, perhaps it’s time for the remaining three to bury the hatchet.

In the meantime, we’ll always have The Smiths’ music… and go ahead and put on that New York remix of “This Charming Man”, in honor of the great Andy Rourke.

Note: Tomorrow, May 22, is Morrissey’s birthday... “I've come to wish you an unhappy birthday.”

Mike Joyce’s statement:

I don’t think Andy realised just how good a bass player he was. I don’t think Andy ever really embraced just how momentous his contribution towards music is. I don’t think he ever grasped that and realised that. He was such a self-effacing character, he never saw himself as a great bass player because it was so effortless for him and so easy for him. He just put the bass on and magic would happen.

Johnny Marr’s statement:

Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans.

Morrissey’s statement:

Sometimes one of the most radical things you can do is to speak clearly. When someone dies, out come the usual blandishments … as if their death is there to be used. I’m not prepared to do this with Andy. I just hope … wherever Andy has gone … that he’s OK. He will never die as long as his music is heard. He didn’t ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else. His distinction was so terrific and unconventional and he proved it could be done. He was also very, very funny and very happy, and post-Smiths, he kept a steady identity - never any manufactured moves. I suppose, at the end of it all, we hope to feel that we were valued. Andy need not worry about that.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

R.I.P. Andy Rourke (The Smiths bassist)

Read more Musicians who died in 2023

R.I.P. ANDY ROURKE

Sad news earlier today as the world found out that Andy Rourke, former bassist for The Smiths, passed away at age 59 after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York.

As one-fourth of one of the most influential bands of the 1980’s, his bass lines were often very recognizable and along with drummer Mike Joyce provided the vital musical backbone to so many memorable hit songs. “He didn’t ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else,” Morrissey has posted in tribute on his own site.

Andrew Rourke was born in Manchester, England on Jan. 17, 1964, to an English father and Irish mother and would receive an acoustic guitar from his parents at age 7, that would help define the rest of his life. He would meet future guitarist and band mate Johnny Marr in school at age 11 to begin a life-long friendship that would first pay dividends after The Smiths formed in 1982 and Marr suggested his childhood friend after other bassists weren’t working out for the group.

The Smiths’ first Top 10 hit in the UK would be “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” and a meteoric rise to success, would follow soon after. But, as quick as the rise was, so was the fall, as Morrissey fired Rourke (famously via postcard), due to continuing drug use, but Rourke would soon rejoin until the group’s permanent disbanding in 1987.

Never paid as equal partners, Rourke and Joyce would soon after sue their former bandmates for a more favorable share of profits, with Rourke eventually settling out of court, while Joyce’s suit proceeded. Any bad feelings soon must have become bygones, as Rourke would guest on Morrissey solo tracks such as 1989’s “Interesting Drug” and “Last of the Famous International Playboys” from 1990.

Rourke would continue playing bass on albums from others, even touring with Badly Drawn Boy and co-forming Jetlag, which became D.A.R.K.,even calling the late Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries as a one-time member. After O'Riordan’s death, Rourke formed Blitz Vega with guitarist/vocalist Kav Sandhu to release a batch of singles including Nov. 2022's "Strong Forever" which featured (you guessed it), Johnny Marr as guest guitarist. He would also start a second career as a club DJ, which is when we saw him spin back in 2015 at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

“Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans. We request privacy at this sad time.”, the issued statement regarding his death reads in part.

Andy Rourke with DJ Jake Rudh at First Avenue, Minneapolis MN 2015

John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

More Morrissey: Blitz Vega and The More You Ignore Me

Read More The Smiths I was excited to see that This Day Is Music is publishing The Smiths - The Day I Was There, a new book on the Manchester band. This book is more or less a collection of memories from various fans, compiled and edited by Richard Houghton. …

Blitz Vega
twitter.com/blitzvegamusic

I know I’m late to the party, but I just got around to hearing Blitz Vega’s “Strong Forever”, the November 2022 single from FutureSonic Records/CEN/The Orchard.

What is incredibly important about this single is that it features a team-up of Andy Rourke and Johnny Marr, a long time The Smiths reunion of some sort… a meeting that only took 35 years in the making. We all know that Morrissey has never forgiven the other band members (and in fact had an online spat with Marr a few years ago), so seeing Rourke and Marr together is good enough for me!

Andy explains: “We approached a few people to guest on the track and I asked Johnny, who very kindly recorded some guitars and sent them over. Johnny and I have remained friends, we’ve known each other since we were 13 years old. He’s my oldest and dearest friend and I feel our friendship gets stronger as time passes."

Hearing the song, it’s pretty good! Kind of powerful, but familiar and dance-able. I feel like this is a song you want to hear before a big battle or an intense workout. It’s very catchy.

Kav Blaggers from The Happy Mondays and Andy Rourke wrote the “Strong Forever” as a campaign song against discrimination in soccer.

You can purchase the single or preview it on Amazon.

Read More Morrissey As you know, I used to be a devoted The Smiths and Morrissey fan. Like many of you, I have grown up and may have been a little disenchanted by singer Morrissey’s beliefs and personality... but I still love the music .…

The More You Ignore Me (2018)
twitter.com/TMYIMFilm

When I first saw the title The More You Ignore Me, I simply thought it was Morrissey-related, as he had a big hit with that song, “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get”. Personally speaking, I don’t really love the song, but it’s popular song. Even Bill Nye the Science Guy parodied the song with Momentisey’s “The Faster You Push Me, the Further I Get” from Not That Bad Records.

Anyway, so, indeed, the film The More You Ignore Me, is a story about love, family, and 1980s rural England. The film starts with a mental mother and her daughter Alice. One day, she discovered The Smiths on television, playing “This Charming Man”, and instantly fell in love with Morrissey and his music.

I don’t really love drama, and probably wouldn’t have watched it if it wasn’t available for free via TenaaTV.

So if you’re into Morrissey and English humor (which is not funny to some people), check it out.

Description:

The More You Ignore Me is both a poignant and darkly funny coming-of-age story of dysfunctional family life in 1980 s rural England: Gina (Sheridan Smith) whose efforts to be a loving mother and wife are undermined by her declining mental health and her growing obsession with the local weatherman and Alice (Ella Hunt) her daughter, who struggles to relate to her mum. Written by, and starring, Jo Brand based on her critically acclaimed novel of the same name using all the insight gained during her years as a psychiatric health worker, The More You Ignore Me is set to the songs of The Smiths and also stars Mark Addy, Sally Phillips, Sheila Hancock, Tom Davis and Ricky Tomlinson and is directed by Keith English.

Read more Movies and Television.

The More You Ignore Me (2018)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

To the faithful departed: Dolores O'Riordan

Read More Andy Rourke Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke will be heading to Minneapolis next Saturday as a special guest to Minneapolis dance club Transmission's 14th Anniversary. …

With the unexpected passing of Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries on 15 January 2018 at the age of 46, countless fans have expressed their grief and many bands have quickly put together their tribute to the singer.

D.A.R.K.
darkofficial.com

One of Dolores O’Riordan’s side project was D.A.R.K. (formerly Jetlag), a trio featuring her vocals, Olé Koretsky, and The Smiths’ Andy Rourke. The trio released their debut album Science Agrees in 2016.

Rourke said, “I am heartbroken and devastated by the news of the sudden and unexpected passing of Dolores. I have truly enjoyed the years we spent together and feel privileged to call her a close friend. It was a bonus to work with her in our band D.A.R.K. and witness firsthand her breathtaking and unique talent. I will miss her terribly. I send my love and condolences to her family and loved ones.”

Olé Koretsky adds, “My friend, partner, and the love of my life is gone. My heart is broken and it is beyond repair. Dolores is beautiful. Her art is beautiful. Her family is beautiful. The energy she continues to radiate is undeniable. I am lost. I miss her so much. I will continue to stumble around this planet for some time knowing well there's no real place for me here now.”

Read More Dolores O'Riordan Dolores O'Riordan (ex-frontswoman of the Cranberries) has a new album out in May '07, called Are You Listening?. Her record company, Santuary, decided to release her …

BAD WOLVES
facebook.com/badwolvesofficial

New York rock band Bad Wolves said Dolores O’Riordan was set to record her vocals for their cover “Zombie”, but upon hearing the tragic news, the band decided to release their version of “Zombie” in her memory.

The band (singer Tommy Vext, drummer John Boecklin, guitarist Chris Cain, guitarist Doc Coyle, and bassist Kyle Konkiel) announced that proceeds of the song will go directly to O’Riordan’s three children. You can buy the single at Amazon and iTunes.

“It was the greatest honor to know she liked our version and wanted to sing on it,” says Bad Wolves singer Tommy Vext. “We’re deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Dolores and by the fact that she’s leaving behind three children so we are donating the proceeds from the song to her kids.”

“It’s such a powerful song and the themes are still so relevant, we wanted to release it in her memory,” he continues. “The original lyrics include the line ‘It’s the same old theme Since nineteen-sixteen. In your head, in your head, they’re still fighting’. It’s a reference to the IRA bombings during the Irish Rebellion. We changed that lyric to say ‘2018’ and she was really excited about that because the nations may have changed but we’re still fighting the same battles today. Humanity is still fighting to assert itself despite all the conflicts.”

Read More The Cranberries Other songs in the movie you might be able to pick out is Faye Wong's very faithful Chinese version of the Cranberries' song "Dreams". Faye Wong (王菲) recorded two version of the "Dreams" …

REIGEN
reigenmusic.com

You know, this cover of The Cranberries’ song “Dreams” was sent to me before the death of Dolores O’Riordan. The cover is by NYC based falsetto-king Reigen.

Instead of a faithful cover, Reigen decided to make it his own with new wave, disco, and electronica.

Reigen explained, “My friends Thommy and Cedric asked me to do this song for their wedding and I never thought I’d be sharing it more widely, but they were so sweet about it and here we are... this is a celebration of the love that is all around us.”

Of course, after hearing about O’Riordan’s passing, Reigen wrote, “There will never be another one like Dolores- I am so shocked and saddened by this news. A voice and an artistry that will live forever.”

Hear his version of “Dreams” on soundcloud.com.

Read More The Cranberries To the faithful departed, Irish singer Dolores O'Riordan, of The Cranberries, has died at the age of 46. The last time we heard from the band was that they had released a unique collection …

AMERA
ameramusic.com

Los Angeles live electronic dance music (EDM) group Amera (stylized as AMERA) has recently released their new drum & bass version of The Cranberries’ classic hit song “Zombie”. The track was recorded in tribute to Dolores O'Riordan and her musical legacy.

The EDM trio (singer Brooke Adams, synth Mikael Oganes, and guitarist Donovan Butez) actually prefer to perform with live instruments instead of using pre-recorded beats.

Amera’s self-titled EP was released in August 2017.

You can hear the cover of “Zombie” at Soundcloud.com.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Transmission, feat. Andy Rourke at First Avenue (21 Mar 2015)

About Transmission DJ Jake Rudh hosts the long-running weekly Minneapolis-based post-punk, new wave and indie dance night Transmission every Wednesday night at Club Jäger, and every Thursday night at 10pm on 89.3 The Current. Read More DJ Jake Rudh Between bands, DJ Jake Rudh played a selection of 70s and 80s ska music videos (Madness, Specials, etc), and opening up the show was … The Smiths Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke will be heading to Minneapolis next Saturday as a special guest to Minneapolis dance club Transmission's 14th Anniversary. …

We don't normally cover dance clubs, but there were two key things about the Transmission show last Saturday (March 21st), that I felt were important enough for us to pay attention. First, this is indie dance club was celebrating its 14 Year Anniversary, and, second, guest DJ, Andy Rourke is the bassist of one of my favorite 80s band, The Smiths.

Just to give you a little background, I used to live in California, and semi-regularly attended two Britpop dance clubs: Popscene in San Francisco and Café Bleu in Los Angeles. Unlike going to concerts or seeing a movie, going to a dance club was more of a talking and being social and dancing with our friends... plus it was really fun to hear some of our favorite songs being played over the speakers.

Dancers

Turnout to this Saturday event was very, very good, with the main dance floor generally full, as you can see from the photos. Everyone we ran into were generally smiling, drinking, being social, and having a good time.

If you have attended any Transmission shows (or seen a UK band live), chances are, you will already be familiar with DJ Jake Rudh's music tastes, but he will play to the crowd. For the Transmission audience, the majority of music were of that alternative 80s/90s era, like Talking Heads, The Cure, Run DMC, New Order, Billy Idol, Beastie Boys, Beck, and, of course, The Smiths. However, once in a while, he'll throw in a curve ball, like Franz Ferdinand, MGMT, or MIA.

The special DJ guest of honor, Andy Rourke took over spinning at midnight. The introduction was a video of Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr introducing Rourke, taken from their appearance together in Brooklyn, New York, last May 3, 2013. With that quick intro, Rourke blasted The Clash's "London Calling"... indicating what's to come on his playlist.

Unlike Rudh's music video set, Rourke's setup did not feature any music videos. Instead, some generic driving footage (and later some early 80s film/documentary) were shown on the projection screen.

The majority of Rourke's playlist is what you would expect at a Transmission show, which is to say mostly British music (The Rolling Stones, Stereo MCs, The Beatles, Blondie, Echo and the Bunnymen), but occasional throwing in some American stuff, such as The Breeders, The Dandy Warhols. The oddest Rourke song choice was probably First Edition's "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", featuring a young Kenny Rogers on vocals. I really love 'Condition', even wrote an extensive Cover Lover article, where you can hear Supergrass' version.

Jake Rudh and Andy Rourke

I also got the biggest kick out of hearing the New York Mix of The Smiths' "This Charming Man", because in that song, it's all about the bass. I would say that Rourke may be biased, being the bassist and all, if it wasn't for the fact that it is actually a good mix/remix. According to Jo Slee, from her Peepholism book, the New York mix was quickly pulled out of circulation in 1984, because Morrissey loathed it. I actually didn't get a hold of the song until it was later reissued by WEA in the guise of This Charming Man Japanese EP. Even in 1992, it was still a relatively rare song.

Other oddities included Primal Scream and Kate Moss' cover of "Some Velvet Morning", a remix of Mark Ronson's Smiths cover "Stop Me", and an old T.Rex song, "Telegram Sam".

I grew up in the 80s and 90s, so many of these songs are familiar to me. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, bring your old friends to Club Jäger this Wednesday night.

Andy Rourke is currently on his DJ Tour, heading over to The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa, on March 26th, and to the Bunkhouse in Las Vegas on March 27th.

Transmission at First Avenue, Minneapolis (21 Mar 2015)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis Reminders: March 21, 2015

Read More The Smiths Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke will be heading to Minneapolis next Saturday as a special guest to Minneapolis dance club Transmission's 14th Anniversary. … DJ Jake Rudh Between bands, DJ Jake Rudh played a selection of 70s and 80s ska music videos (Madness, Specials, etc), and opening up the show was …

TRANSMISSION
jakerudh.com

Sure, we've already mentioned that Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke was coming to Minneapolis, tomorrow, March 21st, as part of dance club Transmission's 14th Anniversary at First Avenue ... but I thought I'd remind you guys.

Details of the First Avenue event:

TRANSMISSION and DJ JAKE RUDH
with ANDY ROURKE of THE SMITHS
Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 9:00pm
$8.00 advance / $10.00 door / 18+

Presented by: 89.3 The Current, City Pages and Electric Fetus

If you miss tomorrow's event, you can always catch Transmission every Wednesday night at Club Jäger, or tune in every Thursday at 10pm on The 89.3 Current.

Read More Helado Negro On tour with Sinkane is Helado Negro (which means "Black Ice" in English), the stagename for Roberto Carlos Lange. He is currently touring in support of his new album ... Lætitia Sadier Lætitia Sadier came to the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, last night, in support of her latest album, Silencio, out now via Drag City. For those not familiar with Sadier, she is, or rather was, the main singer of Stereolab … Liquid Music We've seen some Liquid Music shows before and raved about their ability the world of classical music to a much broader audience, usually through very unique presentations. …

HELADO NEGRO
heladonegro.squarespace.com

Wondering what Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier was doing a last-minute singing/instore performance at the Treehouse in Minneapolis today (March 20th)? That is because she is appearing in the Helado Negro's "Island Universe Story" show at the Ordway Concert Hall for March 21st, 2015, in St Paul. We've already mentioned the show earlier in January, so just a reminder that the show is tomorrow. We'll report back on the show... and also on the re-opened Ordway venue as well.

Helado Negro writes:

Laetitia Sadier will be performing a new collaborative song with Helado Negro along with performing new versions of other songs. She produces music under her own name and plays in Monade and Stereolab. She will be singing and producing other mellifluous mouth sounds for the performance March 21st in Saint Paul,MN!

Details of tomorrow's show:

Helado Negro: Island Universe Story
Sat, Mar 21, 2015 8:00 pm
Ordway Concert Hall

Part of the SPCO’s boundary-defying Liquid Music Series, this program features the groundbreaking music of Helado Negro. “Among the musicians currently redefining Latino culture worldwide,” (NPR) Helado Negro’s work synthesizes the Latin influences of his upbringing, his experience with various rock outfits, modern electronic beats, and work with progressive classical composers. Special guests include Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab), Adron, Mikael Jorgenson (Wilco), Jan St. Werner (Mouse on Mars) and more.
Tickets $15

Featured Artists: Helado Negro / Adron / Mikael Jorgensen / Jason Trammell / Minneapolis Music Company / Trey Pollard / Jason Ajemian / Lætitia Sadier

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Registered Historical Facts: Marr Feels You, Transmission, and Morrissey's Still Ill

Read more The Smiths/Morrissey: Registered Historical Facts.

Read More Johnny Marr Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr (one of the subject in a recent W♥M Podcast) recently performed "Easy Money" from his latest Playland (Warner Music Group) on The Tonight Show Starring …

JOHNNY MARR
johnny-marr.com

Legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr recently dropped his cover of Depeche Mode's "I Feel You" on his soundcloud.com/officialjohnnymarr. It's only been two days but it's already racked over 35k plays.

Want to own the track? Look for it at this year's Record Store Day as a limited edition 7". B-Sides include live versions of The Smiths' "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want", which Marr has played on his last tour.

Speaking of tour, Marr recently joined Noel Gallagher on stage at his Manchester show on March 9th, to play "Ballad of the Mighty I" as the encore.

Additional detail of the performance via nme.com:

The pair performed 'Ballad Of The Mighty I' together during the encore, a single which features on Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' second album, the recently released 'Chasing Yesterday'. Marr plays guitar on the album version, but this is the first time the pair have performed the track together in public. Gallagher has called it one of his best songs, thanks to Marr's contribution.

In October 2014 Gallagher joined Marr on stage at London's O2 Academy Brixton to play The Smiths' 'How Soon Is Now', as well as a cover of Iggy Pop's 'Lust For Life'.

Read More The Smiths You know I'm a huge Smiths fan (yes, that's me, the one that touched Johnny Marr....) and wanted to mention that bassist Andy Rourke has a DJ gig at EastVillageRadio.com today (that's today, Tuesday, March 2nd at Noon ET). … DJ Jake Rudh Between bands, DJ Jake Rudh played a selection of 70s and 80s ska music videos (Madness, Specials, etc), and opening up the show was …

ANDY ROURKE
andyrourke.com

Autographs!

Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke will be heading to Minneapolis next Saturday as a special guest to Minneapolis dance club Transmission's 14th Anniversary. As a longtime Smiths (and Britpop) fan, I can tell you that DJ Jake Rudh is also a fan and will play classic British music at his club.

Anyway, I was lucky enough to have met everyone in the Smiths (except for Morrissey, as he's rarely seen outside of a concert). We met Marr at Twin Town Guitars in Minneapolis in 2013 and Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce at the Smiths Convention in 1997. If you met Marr last year, here's your chance to meet Rourke - mark March 21st on your calendar.

Details of the First Avenue event:

TRANSMISSION and DJ JAKE RUDH
with ANDY ROURKE of THE SMITHS
Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 9:00pm
$8.00 advance / $10.00 door / 18+

Presented by: 89.3 The Current, City Pages and Electric Fetus

Andy Rourke DJ dates:

Mar 21 First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 26 The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa, California
Mar 27 The Bunkhouse in Las Vegas, Nevada

Read More Morrissey Morrissey at Club Stodola in Warsaw, Poland, on November 19th. Morrissey walked off stage after only 25 minutes. The official Live Nation statement reads "one of the .…

MORRISSEY
true-to-you.net

At the 11th hour, Morrissey cancelled his March 10th show in Tilburg. Look, I totally understand being sick and ill, but you would think Morrissey would have known he was unwell the night before or morning of?

Morbidly, I'm glad to have another date to cancellation list (currently up to 230 cancelled dates). This is the first 2015 cancelled date... and the venue 013's second time the show has been postponed.

The saddest part? Fans found out about the cancellation at the last minute... even the venue had no idea - as seen by the stage setup shown on their instagram.

013poppodium writes:

We regret to inform you that Morrissey is forced to cancel tonight's appearance in 013, Tilburg. Our stage crew, as well as Morrissey's touring party were already setting up stage and all requirements for tonight's show when we were informed by management that Morrissey is unable to perform tonight due to flu. At the moment we are trying to re-schedule the date for later this month and will advise all ticket holders as soon as possible.

Well, third time's the charm.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

News: Andy Rourke, Sia, and Gogol Bordello

The Smiths - Handsome Devil

The Smiths

This is just a quickie, since many of these things are time-sensitive:

DJ N-D
www.andyrourke.info

You know I'm a huge Smiths fan (yes, that's me, the one that touched Johnny Marr....) and wanted to mention that bassist Andy Rourke has a DJ gig at EastVillageRadio.com today (that's today, Tuesday, March 2^nd at Noon ET). That's 11am in Minneapolis ? The press release was also confusing, it lists "Premieres Tuesday, March 3".

Here's the thing with online internet radio - it shouldn't be hard. East Village Radio has eight options, which looks like a fail to me. It woudn't hurt to just have a "play" button? Ideally, I would like one play button and eight "advance" options if I find that the standard 64k is too low quality, I can upgrade (especially if I have a higher bandwidth).

Anyway, unfortunately, I am not home to listen to the show (yes, like most people, I'm at work...) and it doesn't look like this radio station offers archive options.  EDIT: I am told an archive of this show is located at www.eastvillageradio.com.

Incidentally: the best bass-ey Smiths song (besides from the bass remix of "This Charming Man") is "Barbarism Begins At Home". WOW, love that bassline.

Sia - Buttons

SEEYA SIA*
siamusic.net ♥ myspace.com/siamusic

Yes, I'm officially available for covering shows. I will be at the Fine Line on April 24^th, adoring the child-like person that is called Sia. Come say hi, I'm friendly!

Destiny

I've watched the Sia DVD, and I LOVE "Buttons" done live with the neon stuff, so I'm quite excited and anticipating such things on her upcoming North American tour.

Oooh, I think she'll be doing some Zero Seven songs on her live set?  I hope so, I can't wait.

Her tour dates:

Apr 10 2010 Commodore Vancouver, BC Apr 12 2010 Market Seattle, Washington Apr 13 2010 Wonder Ballroom Portland, Oregon Apr 14 2010 Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA Apr 17 2010 Coachella Festival Palm Springs, CA Apr 19 2010 House of Blues San Diego, California Apr 20 2010 The Marquee Phoenix, Arizona Apr 22 2010 Gothic Theatre Denver, Colorado Apr 24 2010 Fine Line Minneapolis, Minnesota Apr 25 2010 Vic Chicago Apr 26 2010 St. Andrews Detroit, Michigan Apr 28 2010 Phoenix Toronto, Ontario Apr 30 2010 Club Soda Montreal, Quebec May 1 2010 HOB Boston, Massachusetts

May 2 2010 TLA Philadelphia, Pennsylvania May 4 2010 9:30 Club Washington, Washington DC May 6 2010 Terminal 5 New York, New York May 8 2010 Rams Head Annapolis, Maryland May 12 2010 Falkoner Theatre Copenhagen May 15 2010 L’Aéronef Lille May 16 2010 Ancienne Belgique Brussels May 17 2010 MCV Utrecht May 18 2010 Olympia Paris May 20 2010 Astra Berlin May 21 2010 Große Freiheit 36 Hamburg May 23 2010 Muffathalle Munich May 24 2010 Theaterhaus Stuttgart May 25 2010 Gloria Cologne May 27 2010 Roundhouse - SOLD OUT London

* Seeya soon!

Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple

Gogol Bordello

GO, GO, GOGOL! or GOOGLE GOGOL!
gogolbordello.com ♥ www.myspace.com/gogolbordello

New album (Trans-Continental Hustle), touring dates, all the detail are on their announcement, courtesy of sonymusic.com.

Off topic: but I saw a movie called Everything Is Illuminated, that stars the singer from Gogol.  I think this was before he was more known for being in this band. I guess, like Flea in Suburbia?

Anyway, having only seen music video footage, this looks like an amazing band to see live. Unfortunately, they're also quite popular, so expect very packed (if not sold out) shows. They are, incidentally, playing two dates in Minneapolis at First Avenue on April 24^th and 25^th.

Here's the full touring schedule.

Tues Mar, 9 Filmore New York @ Irving Plaza Sun Mar, 28 Fremantle, AUS West Roots Blues Tue Mar, 30 Melbourne, AUS Billboard Wed Mar, 31 Sydney, AUS The Metro Fri Apr, 2 Brisbane, AUS The HiFi Sun Apr, 4 Byron Bay, AUS Byron Bay Blues Fest Mon Apr, 5 Byron Bay, AUS Byron Bay Blues Fest Sun Apr, 18 Montreal, QC Metropolis Tue Apr, 20 Toronto, ON Sound Academy Wed Apr, 21 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Fri Apr, 23 Chicago, IL Congress Sat Apr, 24 Minneapolis, MN First Ave Sun Apr, 25 Minneapolis, MN First Ave Wed Apr, 28 Boston, MA House of Blues Thu Apr, 29 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live Fri Apr, 30 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live Sat May, 1 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Fri May, 7 London, UK Hammersmith Apolo # Sat May, 8 Manchester, UK Academy

Sun May, 9 Glasgow, UK Academy Mon May, 10 Norwich, UK UEA Tue May, 11 Birmingham, UK Academy Fri May, 14 Bulligny/Nancy, FR JDM Fest Sat May, 15 Longirod, CH Longirock Sun May, 16 Karlsruhe, GER Tollhaus Tue May, 18 Paris, FR Elysee Montmartre Wed May, 19 Toulouse, FR Le Bikini Fri May, 21 Madrid, SP La Riviera Sat May, 22 Barcelona, SP Razzmatazz Mon May, 24 Bologna, IT Estragoon Tue May, 25 Milan, IT Alcatraz Wed May, 26 Zurich, CH Xtra Thu May, 27 Wien, AT Gasometer Tue Jun, 1 Amsterdam, NL Paradiso Wed Jun, 2 Hamburg, GER Docks Thu Jun, 3 Berlin, GER Astra/Columbia Halle Fri Jun, 4 Nuremburg, GER Rock im Park Sun Jun, 6 Nurburgring, GER Rock am Ring

 03/02/2010 10:54:20 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com