While Morrissey leads a life of leisure in Rome and Johnny Marr beefs up Modest Mouse’s guitar corps, the Smiths are back on the new-release rack (sort of) with Rhino’s comprehensive double-disc singles anthology The Sound of the Smiths. Bassist Andy Rourke, meanwhile, bounces between hired-hand work (Pretenders, Badly Drawn Boy, Killing Joke) and Freebass, the bottom-heavy group he formed with New Order’s Peter Hook, the Stone Roses’ Mani and vocalist Gary Briggs. Rourke also moonlights as a DJ, both for Manchester’s XFM and on the road, where he sometimes partners up with ex-Smiths drummer Mike Joyce. He’s solo for this Meridian gig, but local turntablists FREDster and Damon Allen (Boys & Girls Club), plus Les Boom! and Shoe (Danceparc), should provide plenty of support. Shoplifters of the world, you know what to do.
This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2008.
