Unauthorised item in the bagging area

Tuesday 11 September 2012

I Spy The Smiths


These I-Spy books were popular in the 1960s and 70s, supposedly to keep children from being bored on long car journeys. You had to tick off things from each page. Harder or rarer spots were worth more points. If you completed a book I think you could write off somewhere for a certificate or something.

The Smiths split up twenty five years ago last month. I was reminded of this while reading one of The Vinyl Villain's The Smiths On British TV posts (Vicar In A Tutu here). Something else occurred to me. I think The Smiths may be the only band I could complete an I-Spy page for, having seen all four members in an everyday environment. I wondered about New Order and whilst not seeing Bernard or Hooky was probably worth more points at various times in Manchester's recent history, and I've seen Stephen a couple of times, I don't think I've ever spotted Gillian Gilbert. Similarly I've seen three of four Stone Roses out and about but I  never saw Reni. But maybe no-one did.

So, The Smiths. I bumped into Mike Joyce (almost literally) a few years ago at Broadheath retail park. Broadheath retail park is as dreary as it sounds, a huge car park surrounded by sheds containing DIY shops, cheap sports goods, a McDonalds and a Toys R Us. Mike was wheeling a trolley into a DIY store as I was exiting. Or maybe it was Sainsburys in Altrincham. It was somewhere just south of here anyway. 'Sorry' I mumbled. 'That's Mike Joyce' I whispered to  Mrs Swiss. This was not too long after his court case win and I noted he was wearing a new looking leather coat.

Andy Rourke is a Sale lad, grew up not too far from here. I've seen him in town at least once, Dry Bar I think. Not too many points for a bassist are there?

Johnny Marr? Again, spotted a couple of times, the most memorable being in the late 90s in a now defunct nightclub (can't remember it's name) on Oldham Street where we'd gone to see Andrew Weatherall dj. He was playing techno, one of my party wasn't getting it at all. Johnny Marr turned up in a floral shirt and stood with his party and wife Angie not far from us. Not much frugging from Mr and Mrs Marr I'm afraid but a good points total I think.

Morrissey, whatever you think of him, must bag the most points though especially as he hasn't lived in Manchester for years and is somewhat reclusive. For some reason I'd gone with Mrs Swiss and a few friends for an afternoon pint in The Railway in Hale village, just round the corner from where CJ and his cousin N were renting rooms in a house owned by another friend. The fact that we were afternoon drinking puts this somewhere between 1994 and 1998. We ordered and took our pints into the front room,where to our surprise the only occupants were Morrissey and a big bloke with a skinhead. Morrissey glanced in our direction but largely ignored us. One of my party attempted various bits of low level attention seeking to get a reaction from Moz (putting a cagoul on with the hood up and pulling the draw strings tight around his face, etc) while the rest of us attempted to play it cool. Morrissey ignored us, chatted to his friend and then swept out. That must be worth a good few points eh?

Obviously I'd like to make it clear these are all random encounters, and not stalking.

Please, Please, Please, Let Me get What I Want (Live USA 1986)

This is a cracking live version of Please, Please, Please from the Thank Your Lucky Stars bootleg.



17 comments:

Dirk said...

Quite a few points for those blighters, I must admit.

Then again I once watched a whole gig whilst standing right next to Naomi Yang out of Galaxie 500 for half an hour, which surely is worth one hundred points. Bearing in mind that that was back in 1990 - when Naomi still looked like a goddess (have a look here if you ain't got a clue what I'm talking about:

http://www.plexifilm.com/images/media/galaxiestill3.jpg

)- I may easily add another 500 points ... which makes me win by quite some distance, no question about that!

Artog said...

That must have been pretty weird seeing Morrissey, in a pub as well. Hardly the surroundings I'd expect. You'd think more chance in a bookshop, or possibly a tearoom. I saw Johnny Marr once while I racing through Piccadilly Station. I was never fanatically into the Smiths (at the same time acknowledging that they're possibly the best British band ever), but seeing Johnny Marr just standing there on the concourse, like a normal human being, was odd. Made me like him even more.

Swiss Adam said...

Seeing Morrissey in a very old fashioned suburban pub was very odd. Johnny Marr always comes across as a normal human being. Unusual for a bona fide musical legend.

davyh said...

You're onto something here.

How much will Big Chief I-Spy give me for Liam Gallagher in the Ship Inn, Mortlake calling my then one year old daughter a 'top kid' ?

Swiss Adam said...

I spied Liam in an Off Licence near Primrose Hill once. And Bonehead in Altrincham.

George said...

Quality post. I once asked The Fall (Mark E Smith not there) to buy me a pint, ca. 1994 in a bar Newcastle, because I had bought nearly all there albums. They didn't.

George said...

(Apologies for the dreadful spelling, "there", and a missing word, "in".)

Swiss Adam said...

I saw MES on the train to London with a carrier bag of lager. Bag full at Piccadilly & empty at Euston.

AW said...

while watching Urge Overkill (Who) at the garage in that London.I spied 2 blokes in very good Suits,
on getting closer i realised that there were 4 very well dressed gentlemen who turned out to be Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, Paul Simonon
& Topper Headon.
I was convinced that there was going to be a clash reunion, Alas it never happened but they all seemed to be having a good time

Mr A.N. said...

How many points for urinating over Damon Albarn's foot in 1990? And would there be more or less for similar now? Discuss.

dickvandyke said...

Great stuff. The more tediously tenuous the better.

Swiss Adam said...

Mr AN- while you were urinating on his desert boot I was urinating on yours. More points now I think than then. But you need to see the rest of Blur to complete. Urinating on them is worth a bonus. Especially if its the cheesemaker.

davyh said...

I have slept with Miki Berenyi out of Lush.











































Only kidding.

Dirk said...

Yeah, I know, Davy: she said you were no good though ...

davyh said...

Did he not scroll down or, what?

Swiss Adam said...

It's spotting ALL the members of a band in everyday situations that gets the points. Not one offs.

And AW won.

davyh said...

Quite rightly