Mike Joyce recalls the chaotic night when The Queen Is Dead tour hit Salford Maxwell Hall in July 1986. "It was terrifying," he admits, reflecting on his favorite Smiths gig. The venue was so crowded that people were crying and strangers were hugging each other. The show ended with a sense of delirium, even before Morrissey's iconic performance.
Joyce, the drummer for the band, has written a memoir, "The Drums," which celebrates the Smiths' incredible journey. He aims to focus on the majesty of their music, rather than dwelling on the negative aspects of their history. The book covers the period from the band's formation to their split in 1987.
Born into an Irish Catholic family in Manchester, Joyce grew up with a strong faith but also experienced a happy childhood filled with love. However, his life was not without its traumas. At six months old, he suffered internal bleeding after being hit by a car outside his house, which nearly took his life. The seizures faded after a year.
Joyce's journey to becoming the Smiths' drummer began when he saw John Maher's drumming for Buzzcocks live and became inspired to buy a kit. He even tracked down Pete Shelley's house once but was rejected by the frontman. After an audition, Joyce joined the Smiths as they prepared for their Top of the Pops appearance.
Before the band took the stage, Joyce had taken some mushrooms before his audition, which left him in a state of hallucination. The dynamics of the band were already established: Marr as the MD and Morrissey as the enigmatic Steven from Stretford. Although Joyce struggled to describe Morrissey in his book, he acknowledges that the singer was "fucking great" and "very funny." Their relationship was unusual, with a distance between them.
Joyce praises Marr's productivity, particularly his ability to come up with new material while having a spliff in his "jim-jams." He also highlights Morrissey's unique songwriting style, which combined gruesome, handsome, vile, and charming elements. Andy Rourke joined the band later as the bassist, who Joyce affectionately writes about.
The band's popularity led to some tensions, including a meeting with their accountant where they discovered that only Morrissey and Marr had signed the contract, leaving Joyce and Rourke out of the loop. Joyce refused to take a pay cut from 25% to 15%, which was suggested by Rough Trade employee Martha Defoe on Morrissey's behalf.
The situation escalated into a court case in 1996, with Judge John Weeks ruling in Joyce's favor after a seven-day hearing. He was awarded £1 million, citing that Morrissey and Marr were "devious, truculent and unreliable." The case caused a schism within the Smiths fanbase, with some treading Joyce on social media.
In recent years, there have been rumors of a possible Smiths reunion tour, but Joyce doubts he would have been asked to join due to his role in the court case. More recently, Morrissey announced that he wanted to sell his business interests in the band, inviting potential buyers to send an email. When asked if he wishes Morrissey ill, Joyce responds, "I don't," acknowledging that it's confusing.
Despite everything, Joyce remains proud of his time with the Smiths. "I was in the coolest, best British band that's ever been. In my life, I definitely rolled a seven."
Joyce, the drummer for the band, has written a memoir, "The Drums," which celebrates the Smiths' incredible journey. He aims to focus on the majesty of their music, rather than dwelling on the negative aspects of their history. The book covers the period from the band's formation to their split in 1987.
Born into an Irish Catholic family in Manchester, Joyce grew up with a strong faith but also experienced a happy childhood filled with love. However, his life was not without its traumas. At six months old, he suffered internal bleeding after being hit by a car outside his house, which nearly took his life. The seizures faded after a year.
Joyce's journey to becoming the Smiths' drummer began when he saw John Maher's drumming for Buzzcocks live and became inspired to buy a kit. He even tracked down Pete Shelley's house once but was rejected by the frontman. After an audition, Joyce joined the Smiths as they prepared for their Top of the Pops appearance.
Before the band took the stage, Joyce had taken some mushrooms before his audition, which left him in a state of hallucination. The dynamics of the band were already established: Marr as the MD and Morrissey as the enigmatic Steven from Stretford. Although Joyce struggled to describe Morrissey in his book, he acknowledges that the singer was "fucking great" and "very funny." Their relationship was unusual, with a distance between them.
Joyce praises Marr's productivity, particularly his ability to come up with new material while having a spliff in his "jim-jams." He also highlights Morrissey's unique songwriting style, which combined gruesome, handsome, vile, and charming elements. Andy Rourke joined the band later as the bassist, who Joyce affectionately writes about.
The band's popularity led to some tensions, including a meeting with their accountant where they discovered that only Morrissey and Marr had signed the contract, leaving Joyce and Rourke out of the loop. Joyce refused to take a pay cut from 25% to 15%, which was suggested by Rough Trade employee Martha Defoe on Morrissey's behalf.
The situation escalated into a court case in 1996, with Judge John Weeks ruling in Joyce's favor after a seven-day hearing. He was awarded £1 million, citing that Morrissey and Marr were "devious, truculent and unreliable." The case caused a schism within the Smiths fanbase, with some treading Joyce on social media.
In recent years, there have been rumors of a possible Smiths reunion tour, but Joyce doubts he would have been asked to join due to his role in the court case. More recently, Morrissey announced that he wanted to sell his business interests in the band, inviting potential buyers to send an email. When asked if he wishes Morrissey ill, Joyce responds, "I don't," acknowledging that it's confusing.
Despite everything, Joyce remains proud of his time with the Smiths. "I was in the coolest, best British band that's ever been. In my life, I definitely rolled a seven."
like what even happened during the audition?? and wow £1 million is insane! Joyce seems like such a cool guy tho, he's got this chill vibe going on about the whole situation 
i'm glad he's focusing on the music instead of dwelling on the negative stuff 
can we get an update on that rumored reunion tour tho? 
he talks about how Morrissey was "fucking great" and "very funny", but also super enigmatic, which is wild considering their complicated relationship 
and it's crazy to think about how much tension came with being part of that band, like when they went to court over the contract 
i mean, he can be both, but Joyce is right on point saying his songwriting style's all over the place 
it's like, what even is that? 
and yeah, maybe Morrissey was "fucking great" 
but also kinda toxic 
don't get me wrong, i love the Smiths & all, but come on, Joyce's got some major points about how they weren't always a super nice band to work with 
and btw, £1 million is still just straight-up insane 
and gives us some insight into his time with the Smiths 
like who wouldn't want to be in one of the coolest British bands ever?! 
but mike joyce's actual book sounds way more intresting than morrisseys btw he dos hav some crazy stories like how he got almost killed as a lil kid & how he saw buzzcocks live 4 the 1st time lol 
. As a parent, it's hard to see our kids go through struggles and come out stronger on the other side 
. For Mike, it was tough growing up with a near-death experience at 6 months old 
, but he turned that into fuel for his passion for music. I love how he's focusing on the Smiths' incredible music journey rather than dwelling on the negative aspects 
. Mike Joyce, you're an inspiration 
.
and then he had seizures for a year... but like what's even worse is the drama with Morrissey and Marr after the band broke up 
they were super unfair to him and left him out of the loop on their contract 
it's crazy how he ended up in court and won £1 million 
i wonder if they'll ever get back together tho?
And can you even imagine having to track down Pete Shelley's house and get rejected? 
.