Smiths poster article
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Smiths – Morrissey and Marr poster.
By JP Webber, Music on Posters editor.
The one time epitome of Indie (alternative) rock bands, The Smiths certainly had a sound and image all of their own. When they became well known and their singles started getting into the charts their TV appearances certainly caused some consternation. This was mainly due to Morrissey’s rather unusual flower arranging technique whereby he would have a bunch of daffodils poking out from his rear end while singing lyrics like Heaven knows I’m miserable now in his classic depressed drawl.
At the time you either loved them or hated them and they certainly caused many heated debates in my circles. One thing that no-one argued about however was that Morrissey voice and Marr’s complex and melodic guitar were what gave the band their unique sound. It’s not surprising therefore to find these two on a poster, though I must admit to being surprised that they agreed to pose in such a curious way.
Morrissey always sounded as though he’d never been cuddled by anyone in his life, let alone his lead guitarist. There may have been a suggestion of the slightly camp about The Smiths, but there was definitely nothing gay about them, so the poster must be getting at something else. I get the feeling that it’s an attempt at laddishness that hasn’t quite come off. Their lyrics often sent things up, so maybe it’s a send up of laddishness that hasn’t quite come off. Whatever they were trying to do, I just wish he’d left out the daffodils.
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