Overview

The long overdue reflection of life in The Smiths from their legendary drummer. As a band, the Smiths need no introduction. Formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1987, all four of their studio albums reached the top five in the UK charts. They are widely lauded as one of the most influential groups of all time. Mike is the last member of the band to release their autobiography and this is his no-holds-barred story of what it was like to play the drums in the Smiths. Throughout his honest and witty reflections, Mike answers the question he and bassist Andy Rourke used to often ask each other: ‘Where did it all go right?’ A lot of the Smiths’ past is already canonised. Rather than retelling those well-documented iconic moments, in The Drums, Mike conveys ‘the feeling’ of his time in the band. His off-piste, frank and witty perspective allows him to re-contextualise fan favourite moments through a beautifully vulnerable, human insight into his life. The written history of the Smiths is not missing an encyclopedic account of everything that happened over the years; but Mike’s honest, entertaining and deeply human memoir is what Smiths fans have been waiting for. This book truly conveys what it felt like to be a member of the Smiths. In The Drums, Mike Joyce finally gives us the perspective of the self-confessed biggest Smiths fan in the world who from the start was just some lad from the suburbs of Fallowfield who played the drums.

Full Product Details

9781917923231

Table of Contents

Reviews

“Stands apart from most rock memoirs in that it is remarkably lacking in ego. Scoured through with warmth and Mancunian wit. It reads like the wide eyed work of somebody who still can't quite believe his luck that he ended up playing in his favourite band. Sharp, affable and full of stories” —The I-Paper “(Joyce's) new memoir casts his band's mid 80's mastery as miraculous and life affirming” —Mojo “(Joyce) revisits key moments with a fresh perspective balancing humour and vulnerability while capturing the emotional core his years with the band” —Louder than War

Author Information

Mike Joyce is an English drummer and a member of The Smiths between 1982-1987. Widely regarded as one of the most important British groups of the 20th century, all of their albums reached the Top Five in UK charts. Joyce continues to play drums and is a radio DJ in Manchester.

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