
On this day in 1982, The Smiths made their live debut at the Ritz in Manchester, England.
As a support act for Blue Rondo à la Turk during a student music and fashion show called An Evening of Pure Pleasure, The Smiths performed three songs: “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”, “Suffer Little Children”, and “Handsome Devil”. Morrissey chose dramatic entrance music—Klaus Nomi’s rendition of Henry Purcell’s “The Cold Song”—before James Maker announced the band in French: ‘J’ai l’honneur de vous introduire The Smiths. Je crois qu’ils vont faire BOUM ici — et je suis certain que leur musique vous sera fascinant.”

Bassist Dale Hibbert, who helped the band record early demos, felt discomfort with the direction Morrissey and Johnny Marr were taking. He was unhappy with the overall vibe and aesthetic that Morrissey, in particular, was presenting. This included Moz’s flamboyant persona and ambiguous, “gay” aesthetic. Meanwhile, Hibbert’s musical style also didn’t quite fit with what Morrissey and Marr were aiming for. Shortly after their debut gig, Hibbert was replaced by Andy Rourke, an old schoolfriend of Marr, who quickly became the permanent bassist and integral part of The Smiths’ signature sound.
The gig marked a crucial moment for The Smiths, as it was the beginning of their live performances and helped establish their early presence in the Manchester music scene. The Smiths went on to achieve significant success, far outshining many of the acts they opened for, including Blue Rondo à la Turk (not long after the gig at The Ritz, BRaT fractured, some of the members found the soon-to-be-chartbound group Matt Bianco).

Hey, did you attend Morrissey’s second Jakarta gig in 2016? I did (along with the previous one, in 2012). I didn’t really enjoy his second concert. He really exhibited his ultra grumpy side—he wasn’t as charming. That’s why I didn’t buy a ticket to his third show (which was cancelled). I’m not as huge a Morrissey fan as I once was.
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Featured image via Ross Marino/Getty Image.