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Meltdown Festival
Johnny Marr
Royal Festival Hall
★★★
Musician, guitarist, songwriter, singer, NME godlike genius, Johnny Marr has many strings to his bow and at a memorable Meltdown gig sprinkles his 19-strong set with songs from his long, illustrious career.
Opening with The Tracers from 2018 album Call the Comet, Marr’s immediately into full throttle getting the best from his guitar while behind him the band keep the rhythm and beat. The audience is however appreciative rather than adoring.
Then, as Marr launches into the opening of The Smiths’ Bigmouth Strikes Again, they jump to their feet as if welcoming an old friend. It’s the first of seven Smiths tracks that pepper the night.
Marr’s back up to date with third track Armatopia — touching on climate change and the end of the world — mixing classic guitar music with a good electro beat before taking the audience on a trio of tracks from Call the Comet. It’s accomplished, tight, but perhaps lacking a little spark.
Elsewhere he drops a couple of Electronic (the band not the genre) tracks, and there’s a good reception for a cover of A Certain Ratio’s Shack Up.
But the most rapt reception remains for The Smiths’ songs.
There’s a sweet version of Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want where Marr is joined by his son Nile on guitar, and as the immediately recognisable bars of How Soon Is Now ring out it’s surprising how good Marr makes Smiths songs sound.
Morrissey isn’t there, and frankly isn’t missed, as Marr had the tracks down to a T not just on guitar, but vocals too.
Final track of the night — There is a Light That Never Goes Out — sees the whole hall join in a mass singalong, the poignant and sad lyrics oddly lift the room and atmosphere and bring the show to a rapturous close, finally giving Marr the reception he deserves.
He leaves the stage to much applause and adoration.
It’s a good gig, but not a great one. For fans of Marr and the myriad bands he’s been in, it’s a virtuoso performance and there’s no mistaking his musicianship and star quality, but it took a bit too long to truly take off.
