Johnny Marr announces two concerts in Manchester with 30-piece orchestra

Johnny Marr has announced two concerts in Manchester, where he’ll be backed by a 30-piece orchestra.

• READ MORE: Johnny Marr on his “expansive” ‘Fever Dreams’ project and hopes to rejoin Modest Mouse

The former Smiths guitarist will mark his first 10 years as a solo artist with a two-night residency at the Factory International’s new venue Aviva Studios on December 7 and 8.

Led by conductor Fiona Brice, the orchestra has been assembled by Marr specifically for the two-night billing; and is composed of musicians from across the North.

Tickets go on general sale this Friday (September 15) here.

“I’ve had two experiences of playing with an orchestra – Hans Zimmer, obviously, and also with Pet Shop Boys – but to actually sing in front of an orchestra playing my own work, that’s a first. You can’t help feeling a little bit emotional,” said Marr.

He continued: “It’s been really enjoyable working on the arrangements. I’ve been doing a lot of pre-orchestration work, and some of the songs have taken on a sort of highly pumped symphonic feel.”

Later this month Marr will also join BBC 6 Music as the station’s latest Artist in Residence, presenting eight new shows broadcast from next Monday (September 18) to Thursday (September 21) and the following Monday (25) to Thursday (28) from 9pm-10pm BST.

Through each episode, he will explore the songs that have shaped specific periods of his life. He’ll also take a deep dive into the inspiration behind various riffs during his time in The Smiths, demonstrate his deep love of Chic, and share advice for anyone about how to play the guitar.

Meanwhile, Marr was recently joined by The Charlatans‘ Tim Burgess for a cover of Electronic‘s ‘Getting Away With It’ at Halifax’s Piece Hall.

The performance was the latest in a series of recent on-stage collaborations with Marr previously joined onstage by Gaz Coombes to perform The Smiths‘ classic ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ at Lakefest 2023.

Another link-up came when The Cult’s Billy Duffy joined Marr on stage to play tracks by The Smiths and Depeche Mode.

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