This recording of The Smiths in November 1984 at the SFX comes and goes online, but it seemed time to upload the 12″ vinyl for convenience sake, and perhaps for a nice nostalgic buzz for a few of you. While the sound recording isn’t the best, the crowd noises and singalongs are great too at times. This was a band on the ascent, and the crowd are loving every minute of it.
The most popular LP bootleg of these gigs is known as ‘Blue’, and the cover of the bootleg shows Elvis Presley. I don’t like it, so here’s a new one that feels a little more fitting. Brendan Behan was referenced by name on Morrissey’s last LP, World Peace is None Of Your Business, and an image of the Dublin writer appeared on screen during his 2014 show at the Point Theatre. Brendan is shown here in discussion with Lucian Freud at the Mansion House.
The bootleg includes the following tracks:
Side A:01 Reel Around The Fountain
02 Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
03 Rusholme Ruffians
04 This Charming Man
05 How Soon Is Now?
Side B: 06 Barbarism Begins At Home
07 I Want The One I Can’t Have
08 Miserable Lie
09 Hand In Glove
10 What Difference Does It Make?
The files are downloadable.
In May 1984, a journalist at the Irish Independent tried to give readers an idea of just what The Smiths were all about on the eve of their first SFX gigs, writing that:
The Smiths consist of a rather weird young gentleman named Morrissey on vocals, Johnny Marr on guitar and rhythm section,Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce on bass and drums respectively… There are some who see The Smiths as a sad throwback to the days of pretentiousness and drug induced senility. But The Smiths are a whole lot more than that.
Of course, the “rather weird young gentleman” went on to become quite important indeed, with his band achieving phenomenal success in their five short years together. By the time they returned to Dublin in November, they had built an enormous following.
Praise for the band came from the most unlikely quarters in Ireland during 1984. Sinn Féin newspaper An Phoblacht delighted in reporting Morrissey’s word after the Brighton bomb, when he claimed “the sorrow of the Brighton bombing is that she (Thatcher) escaped unscathed. The sorrow is that she’s still alive.” The paper noted that “Morrissey himself is perceived as some kind of guru of the disillusioned, dispossessed and disgusted youth of today.”
Morrissey’s connections to Dublin are well-documented, not least in his own memoir, Autobiography. Describing himself on stage in 2004 as being “ten parts Crumlin and ten parts Old Trafford”, he was by no means unique in The Smiths with such strong Irish heritage. Marr was born John Patrick Maher in 1963 to Kildare parents, and has always firmly described himself as “Mancunian Irish”. This week sees the release of his own long-awaited autobiography, Set The Boy Free.
Did you see The Smiths in Dublin at any of their gigs here? If so, be sure to leave a comment.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
There was a picture of Elvis on one if their sleeves – ‘Shoplifters of…’. I think. I would imagine the bootleggers took lazy/fanatical inspiration from this.
I was at both SFX gigs – I remember flowers being pulled from the gardens along the North Circular and an extraordinary mix of punters. I had (the arm of) Morrissey’s maternity shirt from the November gig. My friend caught it but by the time he landed it had been torn to pieces. It got lost somewhere along the line.
I recall the waft of fresh flowers over the humid body smell, Morrissey had a bunch of tulips in his back pocket which he threw into the audience along with his light blue floral shirt. Like you say, it got shredded, but I still have a piece of the sleeve!! I must have been beside your friend. I had the remains of a tulip also for a time, but it got mislaid.An unbelievable gig.
They also, I think, played the Buttery in Trinity, maybe as early as ’83 – from what I recall, they’d only released Hand In Glove at the time. I missed it, and I’ve never spoken to anyone who was there. Maybe it never happened?
It did happen, I was there. It wasn’t in the Buttery though, but in the Assembly Hall. It was a surreal atmosphere, I remember looking up at the band with all these huge portrait paintings hanging on the panelled walls all around them.Unforgettable!
I was there with my pal Laney, their number 1 fan, with a whole tree hanging from her back pocket. I was a mod but could still appreciate the all new sound . We saw Tracey Thorn in the crowd and got her autograph. She was humbled that we knew her as early days for them too. Still have the ticket stubb… Somewhere.
I was 17, clumsy and shy when I… went to this gig 🙂 What a show, amazing experience. I couldn’t persuade any of my mates to go so I was on my own. I remember lads snogging against the back wall, blood in the sinks and the amazing backlights for Barbarism. Listening to it now, it sounds so good – close to tears, thanks for the memory 🙂
I was 12 and living in the down the country when this gig happened. I wasn’t allowed to go. Still Ragin’ about that – After seeing Morrissey on TOTPS in 1983 I was fascinated by this fabulous creature from Manchester.
I was there, an icy Dublin evening..my abiding memory is following the show, us then hundreds of kids outside, stripped to the waist trying to cool from the heat generated inside..steam rising from exhausted bodies..majic days..feel privileged to have been young then..
I was there with three friends at the second night. Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt were stood to our left. Fairly early on between songs Morrissey declared ‘this is much better than last night!’. The Smiths were brilliant that night. I saw then two years later at the Kilburn National in London and they had lost all subtlety, now a five piece they were like a tank powering through the songs. By the end of the 80s me and my three friends had all left Ireland for good.
YES YES, myself and my friend Elaine were at the SFX when the Smiths played in 1984. It was brilliant but before the gig started, we stood outside the SFX to listen to the sound check, some roadie came out and we asked him could we meet Morrissey quickly. We did not think he would ask but he went in and out came Morrissey with him!! Morrissey was extremely shy and looked sallow skinned with a tweed jacket. We just wished him luck with the gig and gave him kiss on the cheek!! We were gob smacked, could not believe what happened and returned to the gig that night!! Ohhh exciting times indeed!!
Is that Brendan Behan on the right? Who’s on the left?
Lucien Freud! At the Mansion House. An absolutely brilliant photo. Given Behan’s mentioned on the last Moz album I ran with it.
I have the ticket still(framed with all my ticket stubs from this era)This was the first proper gig I went to.What a baptism of fire that was. James played support to The Smiths and the ticket price was £6.50 Tuesday November 13th 1984
I have the ticket stub (framed with other gig tickets from that era) James played support to The Smiths on Tuesday November 13th 1984 ticket cost £6.50.This is the first gig I ever went to.I’m still ill (a fan!) Good times
I was there on the second night with my friend, Geoff Cooper. We had only just turned 15. His mother dropped us off!! Not being a seasoned gig-goer, at that stage, we were at the front but I fainted with the heat just before The Smiths came on – recovered in time though. Bouncers thought me and my pal were on drugs, but all we’d had was too much ice cream!! Ha, ha – the innocence. James were amazing too. Got lost on the way home and ended up walking half the way. Eventually got a bus after what seemed like ages on a really cold night. Great memories. Easily the best Smiths/Morrissey gig I’ve ever been to. They were hungry and so keen to impress – truly amazing set. They all played out of their skin.
This is a recording of the 2nd night Nov 13th. They played 8 more songs that night! http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/live/smiths-g841113.htm Had written to the Smiths (not just Morrissey) after we saw them in May, Morrissey wrote back telling me they would be back in November, and that he gets all the attention because he’s the tallest. He also included 2 promo posters for Hand in Glove and Heaven Knows… singles!
Great gig, as was the one earlier in the year. The next time they played in the National Stadium lacked that SFX energy
I was there on 13th. My first gig on SFX. Also my first time drinking vodka. Had a naggin walking up Gardiner Street. The crowd were singing “Reel around the Fountain” before and after James played. Morrissey was not talkative but he did get big cheer when he said “You’re a lot better than last night”. I caught Morrisey’s shirt and ended up with a small strip after people tore at it and even bit my hand to get some of it. An amazing gig. Have the ticket and the small strip of Mozza’s shirt framed on my desk.
Me and my sister Rita travelled over from London to see The Smiths on their Irish tour in November 1984. We were on the same boat from Holyhead as The Smiths! We went to the two SFX gigs in November, as well as Waterford, Limerick and Galway.
I was at the November 84 Smiths gig at The SFX… Morrissey and his tree branch!!