The Smyths at the 100 Club

No gigs for 18 months and then two in a week!

This was the Smyths, the Smiths tribute act. I had seen them before, but took young Luka to this one, so I was keen that he would enjoy it. I was a little concerned that he would just see a bunch of obsessive old Smiths fans. I was even more concerned that he found a flyer for the gig saying it was over 18s only. However, my ticket clearly stated that under 16s needed to be accompanied by an adult, so I was all prepared for an argument.

But I need not have worried on either count. They didn't seek any form of ID. And the audience was enormously varied in age - from 16 to about 70 I would guess. A substantial part of the audience were not even alive when the Smiths were producing albums. And they were all so into the music.

Ostensibly, this tour was to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of The Queen is Dead album. Smyths gigs take the same format (in my experience) of playing the relevant album first, then a 20 minute break, followed by a sort of greatest hits collection in the second half. They didn't play the album in order. Apparently it doesn't work so well in order when played live. And that makes sense to me. Albums tend to have strongest tracks at the beginning. Live you would have best towards the end. And you want the tracks to go up and down in tempo when live.

But what strikes me most is how these gigs are so unlike the stereotype of the Smiths as a miserable band (no doubt due to Morrissey's lyrics and the song title "Heaven Knows I am Miserable Now" doesn't help). But actually seeing this lot live is an exuberant experience and they sound like a dance band. The crowd go nuts (and there are an enormous lot of real Smiths nerds of all ages) and it is just a very happy atmosphere.

They did a one song encore at the end of their two sets, of How Soon Is Now? This again sounded like a dance track, with the lead singer bouncing around like a young 'un. Which seems extraordinary to me as listening to it on CD it is the saddest, most angst ridden of bedsit songs about an unhappy self-absorbed and lonely young man. (Yes clearly Morrissey all over.)

You really do get so much more out of going to live gigs. And Luka really enjoyed it. Everyone there did. You couldn't help it. Fact.

An amusing side note to the gig (at least for me) concerned young Luka. Despite the gig (possibly) being restricted to over 18s (see above on mixed message age issues), he got chatted up by an attractive 17 year old girl from Fulham during the interval. Now one has to put this into context for a 16 year old boy from the suburbs of North London. Eliciting interest (without even trying) from a West London girl in the year above is I believe almost the adult equivalent of pulling a supermodel. So anyway, I left him some space for  the second half by edging towards the stage again. I have to say I never expected to act as wing-man for a lad over 40 years my junior!

At the end we regrouped. Now the thing is that Luka already has a very attractive girlfriend so while the attention was flattering it was not going to be reciprocated. Which he thought he might have conveyed subtly by singing along loudly and pointedly to her the verse of the song Hand in Glove which goes "And I'll probably never see you again". But she still waited for him on leaving and gave him her telephone number, which he has no intention of using.

As we walked away he said he felt a bit uncomfortable about that. Although I pointed out that the girl can't have got in too emotionally deep over a 20 minute conversation about A level subjects, so he shouldn't worry too much about letting her down! But the incident did tell me two things about my young friend which I should have realised anyway. First, that in the words of another Smiths song, he probably qualifies as a Handsome Devil, and more importantly, he really is a class act. And I am sure the young lady will get over it😃