Johnny Marr, a legendary guitarist known for his work in bands like The Smiths, The The, and Modest Mouse, has been fully embracing his role as a frontman in his solo career for the past decade. Marr’s decision to merge his talents as a guitarist and singer was not about him wanting to be a solo star, but was driven by his own creative desires. Marr recently spoke about this ahead of two homecoming shows leading the Johnny Marr Orchestra at Manchester’s Factory International.
The band was formed around Marr’s idea that they would play in art galleries, the romantic idealistic vision was driven by his need to tap into Manchester’s musical heart. He said that he could have had a band that lived in different countries but formed a band in Manchester because it is a great place to run a band. Marr’s music-making today has evolved to be the grown-up version of what he was doing as a teenager, and he still holds Manchester to be an important location for his musical career.
Marr grew up in a time where “loads of people were in bands, and getting love bites, and riding choppers,” where he moved from the inner city to Wythenshawe, a social housing estate on the edge of Manchester. It was in Wythenshawe where he met Billy Duffy, who would go on to The Cult. Both went on to have successful musical careers, creating memories that became precious as they got to a certain stage in their life where people start disappearing.
While Marr has played with numerous bands, including providing guitar for musical greats like Neil Tennant and Noel Gallagher, he has most often appeared under his own name since 2011. The move was not driven by him wanting to be in the spotlight, but he did turn to John Lee Hooker for inspiration when he first started fronting the band, with Hooker’s quote having a lasting impact on him.
Marr is set to perform with the Johnny Marr Orchestra at Manchester’s Factory International on December 7th and 8th. Marr’s journey from growing up in Wythenshawe to becoming a legend in the music industry has been an incredible one, and Manchester remains a deeply influential place in his music-making
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More