I don't think the crowd disliked the music. I think they were in awe. A lot of early Smiths shows were packed out. People stared with their jaws open. How could you not?
After being a fan for around 3 years, I sometimes still look at them and think to myself, 'What is this? How is this possible?' So strange yet so intriguing. Love them
The way he beats the shit out of the air with those flowers almost makes me laugh - you can watch how they become fewer and fewer until he stands there with just one broken flower left. Priceless.
the significance of the flowers in this song is they start off beautiful and complete like his life, but as the song goes on they crumble to nothing.. Just like he states his life does
Listening to this song makes me think that Morrisey really defined a genre of his own, in finding a niche in music less explored. The shy guy letting it all loose. It such a raw style that it challenges you too look deeper.
Tough crowd. Did Morrissey or Marr give a fuck? Nope! I pissed myself when Marr held his guitar up like a rock god and smiled at the crowd "come on then!". Morrissey opens with "hello you little charmers" and finishes with "So there!!". Talk about confidence in your abilities!
Hardly anybody in this audience is summer 1983 could have understood who The Smiths were or what their musical direction was about. At that time, leading edge music in Britain had split between two rather dead-end genres, hardcore punk and "New Romantic" synth-pop. The Smiths brought about, among other things, a synthesis of these trends. I would say they were the single most influential band of the decade; hell, they probably single-handedly saved rock music.
According to Wikipedia this performance was when they had only released ‘Hand in Glove’ (Feb ‘83). The next single “This Charming Man” wasn’t issued until Oct ‘83…. So I guess it’s no wonder the crowd is silent as can be….
This is the Smiths for me, this song is powerful I love the bass, rourke doesn´t get the respect he deserves but he´s a great bassist . This song is exceptional just like the smiths. Original fresh raw direct song great style, I really love the smiths you got to love them , they invented a new style of music nobody will ever be like them !
@@decaffeinatedafrican5997 I don’t think that’s true at all, marr, Mike and Andy are all at the very least on speaking terms (like when Andy did a show with Johnny) but it’s moz that’s causing all the problems with his animosity towards Marr and the others and the others (especially marr) not wanting to work with him because of the way he acts nowadays (the racism and far-right rhetoric being what Marr takes issue with)
morrissey and marr were actually talking about a reunion show at one point but morrissey just up and ceased contact before anything concrete could be discussed. these words coming from Johnny himself
To jamesthain, I REALLY wish I was you. To be there and witness that, how awesome! Morrissey is amazing!!! My wife made Morrissey (The Smiths) one of my favorite bands in '91ish and I never let go. You lucky sob
"ive seen you smile but i never really heard you laugh!" Man, this is geniallity, its understanding! such normal things passes by, small thing, but arent they the most important ones?
but what you have to realise (and I am a smiths devotee through and through) is that times change and the beatles changed an era just like the smiths did as did Johnny Cash before etc etc. indeed the birth of a genius does go unnoticed.. yer gonna miss him when he's gone.....thats genius
Only 98% of Americans are "that way." The other 2% are fighting an uphill battle, but at least that keeps us thinner than the other 98%. Unrelated to previous comment: I'm new to the Smiths. I'd ask how I missed this, but I was about 2 at the time. Glad I'm hearing it now.
i saw them the next time they played the hacienda, oct 83, un-fucking believable still the best gig of my life, and i saw early roses too, by then manchester knew what it'd given birth to and the crowd were fucking on one!
@corky4742 I wish i was old enought that I could have seen them. I'm only 19. but I know 80s had the best music I think. I love the smiths and morrissey oh my.
The birth of genius often goes unnoticed....time has and will in the future show this band to be one (if not the most) of the most influencial bands in British Music...and before all you scousers start banging on about The Beatles...did they ever write lyrics like Moz...not too mention Marrs complex but clean licks...I think not !!
I have to agree. Classis bands are always considered in contemporary context by the latest generation. We can always take solace in the fact that these youngsters, not that I'm terribly old, are completely oblivious to the fact that their favorite bands were inspired by the very classics they so adamantly put down.
very complax tune with deep intention lyrics, only the narrow- minded could never get it :-) try listen once in your life - Moz is the best song- writer ever !!!
LOL
Morrissey:"Hello you little charmers we are the smiths!!!"
Crowd: Silence, awkward claps
🖤🖤
I would go insane honestly
I want a time travel machine just to go to Smiths' gigs 😭
Alejandra Barahona exactly I’m 14 and plan on going to a concert where he’s gonna perform because I don’t want him to die and not have seen him
Same
I saw the Smiths in September 1984. It was an amazing gig.
"Hello you little charmers" =p love it !!!!
yeahh
How do you do? We're the Smiths!
absolutely adore Morrissey=)
"so there!"
that's so sweet
Andy's bass lines are always amazing... One of the most underrated bassist of all time
i agree!!! he is amazing. needs more recognition.
even though they are sublime, they were written by the great johnny marr who also taught him how to play the bass
Alsmith224 similarly andy used to teach johnny guitar riffs & theyd have jam sessions together!!
I'm almost 100% sure johnny didn't write the basslines
Mr. Technique yeah he did, he wrote all the music, that's why Andy was technically a session musician and why the lawsuit happened
I don't think the crowd disliked the music. I think they were in awe. A lot of early Smiths shows were packed out. People stared with their jaws open. How could you not?
After being a fan for around 3 years, I sometimes still look at them and think to myself, 'What is this? How is this possible?'
So strange yet so intriguing. Love them
see what 4 minutes of moz does to flowers
This is my favourite Smiths song. The Smiths are by far the best band in the last 50 years.
The way he beats the shit out of the air with those flowers almost makes me laugh - you can watch how they become fewer and fewer until he stands there with just one broken flower left. Priceless.
the significance of the flowers in this song is they start off beautiful and complete like his life, but as the song goes on they crumble to nothing.. Just like he states his life does
''Flowers are wonderful things, they don't harm anybody, they don't say anything rude, and they don't burp.'' Morrissey once said.
Listening to this song makes me think that Morrisey really defined a genre of his own, in finding a niche in music less explored. The shy guy letting it all loose. It such a raw style that it challenges you too look deeper.
that voice could bring world peace
This is got to be one of the first performances
To have to introduce the band like that I agree!
@Harrison Gent Their first ever gig was at The Ritz in Manchester in October 1982.... This is at The Hacienda in 1983.....
@Harrison Gent Really? who is your dad
the sound is still so rough and young. Brilliant!
Truly one of my favourite Smiths songs. Moz & Marr - greatest songwriting partnership of all time.
to be on stage with flowers is the best thing ever
He's a baby here!
"Hello you little charmers..."
They are so good at live perfomances. I wish that someday they will gather on stage once again.
Tough crowd. Did Morrissey or Marr give a fuck? Nope! I pissed myself when Marr held his guitar up like a rock god and smiled at the crowd "come on then!". Morrissey opens with "hello you little charmers" and finishes with "So there!!". Talk about confidence in your abilities!
My anthem in life.
same
I love The Smiths
Morrissey looked absolutely gorgeous during this era...I love it. [And amazing song]
I love The Smiths,
they are the best live band i've seen.
The only crowd that could care less than MOZ is singing! Everyone looks like they are waiting for the subway!
This is a very early show, the smiths still had to make a name for them selves.
This was before The Smiths were famous
Hardly anybody in this audience is summer 1983 could have understood who The Smiths were or what their musical direction was about. At that time, leading edge music in Britain had split between two rather dead-end genres, hardcore punk and "New Romantic" synth-pop. The Smiths brought about, among other things, a synthesis of these trends.
I would say they were the single most influential band of the decade; hell, they probably single-handedly saved rock music.
I love this video. it's so raw, and the flowers are a nice touch.
According to Wikipedia this performance was when they had only released ‘Hand in Glove’ (Feb ‘83). The next single “This Charming Man” wasn’t issued until Oct ‘83…. So I guess it’s no wonder the crowd is silent as can be….
i love them so much 😭
This is the Smiths for me, this song is powerful I love the bass, rourke doesn´t get the respect he deserves but he´s a great bassist . This song is exceptional just like the smiths. Original fresh raw direct song great style, I really love the smiths you got to love them , they invented a new style of music nobody will ever be like them !
the live performance sounds exactly the same as the studio recording, amazing
So punk in the early days, life long fan.
I was there too! Hired by Rough Trade to drive three people up from London for the gig.
Tell us more, please!
the smiths are one of the best things to happen to music ever
jesus christ, i saw them in october of the same year it changed my life morrissey and marr i owe u everything!
I love the smiths😍
Such nostalgia and I didn't even see this when it was new but only new to me!
They were so awesome live, very close to the recorded versions.
My all-time favorite Smiths song!
It's strange; Morrissey is a god and yet a Smiths reunion is an impossible miracle.
both morrissey and marr still have respect for each other, it's the other bandmates they have a problem with.
@@decaffeinatedafrican5997 I don’t think that’s true at all, marr, Mike and Andy are all at the very least on speaking terms (like when Andy did a show with Johnny) but it’s moz that’s causing all the problems with his animosity towards Marr and the others and the others (especially marr) not wanting to work with him because of the way he acts nowadays (the racism and far-right rhetoric being what Marr takes issue with)
morrissey and marr were actually talking about a reunion show at one point but morrissey just up and ceased contact before anything concrete could be discussed. these words coming from Johnny himself
I’ll never stop loving the smiths
To jamesthain, I REALLY wish I was you. To be there and witness that, how awesome! Morrissey is amazing!!! My wife made Morrissey (The Smiths) one of my favorite bands in '91ish and I never let go. You lucky sob
I love the bass lines !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"you little charmer" is in the lyrics of their 1st single "Hands in glove"
LightBox7, thank you, thank you, thank you for this vid!!! Excellent!
So like Morrissey to love a bouquet to death
Simply awesome!
"ive seen you smile
but i never really heard you laugh!"
Man, this is geniallity, its understanding! such normal things passes by, small thing, but arent they the most important ones?
this is one of my fav smiths tunes thanks x
Sorry for being a pain, but this is class, It's not weak because I keep returning to it.Thank you light box.
"did I ever tell you, by the way, I never did like your face..." :D :D :D
Great upload thank you... and...
Thanks Moz!
great band one of the best
great tune ty 4 posting
An early and rare footage - thanx !
This is on my 1 first birthday. Who'd have know that they would be my favourite band of all time.
the crowd obviously didnt know what they were witnessing.....the birth of the best `english` band ever by a million miles
Yes. And as a southerner, I also acknowledge this is such a uniquely northern band. Brilliant precisely bacuse of that imo.
I wish I was born in this time.
Babies don't goto concerts
You would have been happier if you had been . Trust me. xxxx
how i wish i could go back, just for one night
Morrissey really shows off his range in this song - I hear as many as five distinct notes in there.
Hah. And yet it works. He does show much more of a range on The Queen is Dead and Strangeways.
💐
and what a terrible mess i've made of my life
That's was makes this song. The dissonance up to the breakdown and the fact it seems to fall into place with the chorus.
PERRRFFECCT song for the one u luv taking everyddamnthing...Including your Morrissey and Smiths CDs!
My dad was at that concert
cool! can you tell what was it like?
My dad said it was CRAZY and he got to croud serf he was 19 at the time and he got to touch morrissey
And meet morrissey
Yeah, "I wanna hold your hand" has nothing on "Hand in Glove".
but what you have to realise (and I am a smiths devotee through and through) is that times change and the beatles changed an era just like the smiths did as did Johnny Cash before etc etc. indeed the birth of a genius does go unnoticed.. yer gonna miss him when he's gone.....thats genius
what an amazing song, how were they so good?
this charming man........you are so right man!
Historical moment for the audience..could (and should !! ) have been there ( I was 15)
That’s me at the front dark grey shirt first time I saw the Smiths
Ohhhh what a terrible mess I've made of my liiife ♪♩♫
Don't get us wrong. ;) I'm from Holland, I'm 16 and The Smiths are my favourite band.
Osvaldo in 2020 as soon as the introduction comes on(🎸): that's perfect sound, perfect 80s VHS sound. F*ck high quality 2020 sound. 😃👌🏻😍😋❤🖤❤🖤❤❤❤❤❤
Only 98% of Americans are "that way." The other 2% are fighting an uphill battle, but at least that keeps us thinner than the other 98%.
Unrelated to previous comment: I'm new to the Smiths. I'd ask how I missed this, but I was about 2 at the time. Glad I'm hearing it now.
Morrissey ALWAYS had flowers in is hands(given by the fans) while performing !
i saw them the next time they played the hacienda, oct 83, un-fucking believable still the best gig of my life, and i saw early roses too, by then manchester knew what it'd given birth to and the crowd were fucking on one!
Absolutely Mike !!
Hello you little charmers, we are the smiths, how do you do? AHH SO FCUKFIN GOOD.
@corky4742 I wish i was old enought that I could have seen them. I'm only 19. but I know 80s had the best music I think. I love the smiths and morrissey oh my.
best band ever
so punk rock because he destroyed the flowers.
Brilliant so there!
witness the roar of the crowd... lol
Johnny Marr! You are to cool!
The birth of genius often goes unnoticed....time has and will in the future show this band to be one (if not the most) of the most influencial bands in British Music...and before all you scousers start banging on about The Beatles...did they ever write lyrics like Moz...not too mention Marrs complex but clean licks...I think not !!
i was there :-)
increible!
I like this bass line better. This particular version is my #1 favorite Smiths song.
NICE!
So there!
the smiths
I have to agree. Classis bands are always considered in contemporary context by the latest generation. We can always take solace in the fact that these youngsters, not that I'm terribly old, are completely oblivious to the fact that their favorite bands were inspired by the very classics they so adamantly put down.
very complax tune with deep intention lyrics, only the narrow- minded could never get it :-) try listen once in your life - Moz is the best song- writer ever !!!
Gentle with the flowers now...gentle...
The hacienda and the smiths. Perfect.
The coolest band ever...in the history of the world......what a mess I made of my life......
I think love was there.
Sounds great after all this time
🖤🖤
king
So true.