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LIVE REVIEW: Johnny Marr @ Castlefield Bowl, Manchester
- Alex Price
- Jul 11
- 2 min read
On a dreaded sunny day in Manchester, Johnny Marr took to the stage at Castlefield Bowl, for a homecoming gig as part of the Sounds of the City festival. Looking effortlessly cool as always, Marr strutted onto the stage adorning sunglasses and a denim jacket, wielding his trademark Fender Jaguar.
As he opened with the catchy Generate Generate, the usual tradition of train passengers waving from the bridge towering above began instantly, with one driver even bringing his locomotive to a complete halt to watch Marr from a birds eye view.
‘This is a nice spot for a concert, I think’, said Marr, as he looked out to the crowd fondly. He explained how it was on a walk near the venue with his girlfriend as a teenager he realised ditching education to pursue music was his wisest move, ‘I decided I wasn’t gonna go back to school, and we were gonna do some stuff’.
‘Stuff’ is perhaps a slight understatement for going on to co-found The Smiths and becoming one of the most influential guitarists of all time, but it demonstrated his grounded personality and sense of humour, as he went on to tease the crowd throughout.
Marr played a variety of Smiths classics as part of his 20 song setlist, along with his solo material throughout, including his new single, Spin. ‘Don’t worry, it’s not S***’, he reassured the crowd, and of course it wasn’t. It was refreshing to hear his own songs, showcasing his talent as both a composer and a performer.
Around halfway through Marr dialled back the momentum, stepping into the spotlight with an acoustic guitar, with an atmospheric performance of the sombre Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, which the crowd began singing back to him before he even had a chance to open his mouth.
Moments after he was back at it in full force with his jangly guitar, launching into an energetic rendition of the Getting Away With It, as a glistening mirrorball descended from the ceiling and the audience erupted.
A few songs later as Marr came towards the end of his set, as he graciously showed his appreciation to the crowd on his way out, ‘Thank you guys so much for coming out. Manchester Forever’.
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