No Regrets

Yesterday's post was about The Jam, a band I never got to see live as I was too young. Today's post is about a band that I adore who I could have/should have seen live but for some unknown reason didn't. 

It is June 1983 and I am under my covers, headphones in (as I shared a bedroom with my older brother), listening to John Peel. I can't recall what he played that night, with the exclusion of one band. That night he played What Difference Does It Make, Reel Around The Fountain, Miserable Lie and Handsome Devil. I had never heard anything like The Smiths before and this first Peel session was a game changer. Next day at school it was the main talking point for all the like minded souls who had been listening to Peel the night before. I had found my new band to obsess over, as I had done previously with The Specials and The Jam. Suddenly, The Smiths were everywhere - TV shows, radio, the music weeklies. The Smiths were now the most important band around. 

I was still a tad too young to get into over 18's venues in '85 but by the time they hit The Barrowland for the final time I was already going to see bands live on a regular basis. To this day I have no idea why I didn't go - for years it was always a regret, but nowadays I prefer to focus on how fortunate I have been to have seen all the wonderful bands I have seen. I have seen Morrissey and Marr many times over the years and it is always a joy to hear those Smiths tunes played live. 

Those early sessions captured the essence of the band and tend to be what I listen to when I put The Smiths on. This year saw the 40th anniversary of Hatful Of Hollow, which includes tarcks from that Peel session. Although technically a compilation there is a reason why this album holds such a special place in the hearts of Smiths fans. It is a glorious record that is so much more than just another compilation.