Morrissey has said he agreed to a “lucrative” The Smiths reunion tour next year, but claimed that Johnny Marr “ignored” the offer.
A statement posted to the singer’s official Morrissey Central website today (August 29) reads: “In June 2024 AEG Entertainment Group made a lucrative offer to both Morrissey and Marr to tour worldwide as ‘The Smiths’ throughout 2025.”
The update continued: “Morrissey said Yes to the offer; Marr ignored the offer.
“Morrissey undertakes a largely sold out tour of the USA in November. Marr continues to tour as a special guest to New Order.”
NME has contacted Marr’s representatives for comment. See a screenshot of Morrissey’s message in the post below.
Holy moly! Morrissey was up for a reunion with Johnny Marr, but Johnny said no. This is quite astounding. Statement from Moz attached. pic.twitter.com/5PHKbzycJh
— The Morrissey Mercury (@MorrisseyMerc) August 29, 2024
Morrissey’s statement comes after Marr responded to a fan’s call for The Smiths to return amid the huge Oasis reunion news this week.
The Smiths formed back in 1982 and released four studio albums: 1984’s ‘The Smiths’, 1985’s ‘Meat Is Murder’, 1986’s ‘The Queen Is Dead’ and 1987’s ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’.
Earlier this month, Morrissey said his former band’s popularity had not waned as it was all about “a refusal to surrender to enemy propaganda”. “The Smiths do not end,” the ex-frontman wrote.
In January, the soloist claimed that he had been “deleted” from the “essence” and history of The Smiths.
“But this cannot work because I invented the group name, the song-titles, the album titles, the artwork, the vocal melodies, and all of the lyrical sentiments came from my heart,” he continued.
“And so it’s a bit like saying Mick Jagger had nothing to do with the Stones.”
In early 2022, Marr opened up about his spat with Morrissey, saying that he felt he had to “defend [himself]”. It came after Morrissey asked the guitarist to stop mentioning him when giving interviews.
Writing in his 2016 memoir Set The Boy Free, Marr spoke about a meeting with Morrissey in 2008 where the pair discussed the possibility of reuniting The Smiths. “I was happy to see him – it was 10 years or more since we’d last met,” he recalled. “We caught up with personal news and family and reminisced a bit.”
Marr went on to remember how the “conversation turned to deeper things”, adding: “Suddenly we were talking about the possibility of the band reforming, and in that moment it seemed that with the right intention it could actually be done and might even be great.
“I would still work with the Cribs on our album, and Morrissey also had an album due out. We hung out for a while longer, and after even more orange juice (for me) and even more beer (for him) we hugged and said our goodbyes.”
He continued: “For four days it was a very real prospect. We would have to get someone new on drums [original drummer Mike Joyce sued Morrissey and Marr over royalties in 1996], but if The Smiths wanted to re-form it would make a hell of a lot of people very happy, and with all our experience we might even be better than before.”
But Marr revealed that “communication ended” between the two, and “things went back to how they were and how I expect they always will be”.
Additionally, Marr responded to Morrissey’s remarks about being pro-Brexit and being in favour of Nigel Farage in 2016 – adding that their differing political beliefs were yet another reason why a Smiths reunion was unlikely.
Following the EU Referendum, Morrissey faced backlash from many of his fans when he hailed the result as “magnificent” – and called Farage a “liberal educator”. Marr subsequently sought to distance himself from his former bandmate’s beliefs.
Last May saw Morrissey pay tribute to former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke following the news of his death.
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