Photos by Raven Divito @rockinshots
Review by Jennie Book @jenniebookphotography

Johnny Marr with opener James hit the Warfield Theater in San Francisco on September 23, 2024 and both bands were fully embraced with open arms by a sold out crowd ready to sing at the top of their lungs to songs both old and new.

James took the stage first with Tim Booth front and center of his 9-piece band, which included tambourines (and silly me thought one tambourinist was just going to be in a Happy Mondays Bez role until he picked up his trumpet and wailed on it) and the whole ensemble was tight as a drum as Booth’s vocals filled the hall and he danced with abandon. The Warfield was packed for James, and was having its own little Madchester renaissance of fifty year old dads in bucket hats with teenaged kids beside them, and it’s always great to see the passing of the torch for the love of a band to the next generation.

James went through an extensive set spanning the years, with favorites like “Say Something,” “Laid,” and “Come Home.” (I was hoping for “Sit Down,” but just as with Paul Weller not playing “You Do Something To Me” on night one of the Fillmore this week, we don’t always get what our ears want.) The crowd went bonkers for “Laid,” and even the fellow next to me talking with his date about his upcoming knee replacement was hopping around during it in glee. It was a great set and left fans in the crowd super excited when they left the stage.

Johnny Marr and his three bandmates came out next in front of a giant “Johnny Marr” banner to big whoops of applause, with fans happy to be representing in their new merch booth “Johnny Fuckin Marr” t-shirts. They quickly launched into “Sensory Street” which was followed by The Smiths’ “Panic,” and just like that we were all transported to The Hacienda circa 1984.

Johnny Marr is a great musician with a great voice, a voice that’s fairly reminiscent of his former bandmate and litigial adversary Morrissey, and was right at home singing “Panic,” “This Charming Man,” “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” and the rest of the Smiths tracks in the set. One unexpected and welcome song addition was “Get The Message,” a song from supergroup Electronic that Marr was in with Bernard Sumner, Neil Tennant, and Chris Lowe in the early 90s, and a rarity to hear live (has it even been played live since Electronic opened for Depeche Mode in the 90s?)

Marr didn’t talk too much, except before the fourth song he called out, “Let’s have some fun! Thanks for coming out!” And then later said, “Anyone got any requests?” Someone in the crowd called out “Fly Like an Eagle,” and he said, “Sorry, don’t do that one anymore!” He let his guitar do the talking, and to watch a true seasoned musician perform is always a special event.

The evening ended with “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” a favorite of angsty teenagers and angsty GenXers everywhere, and it’s still a genius piece of songwriting and melody. For a great time check out Rick Astley covering it at Glastonbury 2023 on YouTube.

For fans of James and Johnny Marr, and really of the 80s Manchester genre as a whole, this tour is a no-miss. For all the latest news and tour information check out www.johnnymarr.com.