Morrissey says Johnny Marr turned down “lucrative offer” for Smiths reunion tour
While Oasis shocked the music world by reuniting, it doesn’t seem that The Smiths will be following suit. Though, according to Morrissey, he’s not the one keeping that from happening.
In a statement on his Morrissey Central website, Moz writes, “In June 2024 AEG Entertainment Group made a lucrative offer to both Morrissey and [guitarist Johnny] Marr to tour worldwide as ‘The Smiths’ throughout 2025.”
He adds, “Morrissey said Yes to the offer; Marr ignored the offer.”
Perhaps giving insight into why Marr might not want to reunite with his former bandmate, Morrissey decided to get a dig in at him with the conclusion of his statement, which reads, “Morrissey undertakes a largely sold out tour of the USA in November. Marr continues to tour as a special guest to New Order.”
Marr played a one-off show with New Order on Aug. 24. He launches a U.S. co-headlining tour with James in September.
Another reason Marr may not be interested in reuniting with Morrissey could be their political differences. In response to a fan asking on social media if The Smiths could follow Oasis in reuniting, Marr posted a photo of English politician Nigel Farage, presumably in reference to the right-wing beliefs Morrissey has expressed.
The Smiths were active from just 1982 to 1987, but the four albums they released during their short run were highly influential on future indie rock bands. Marr and Morrissey have remained estranged since The Smiths broke up, and bassist Andy Rourke died in 2023.
As for the band that’s actually reuniting, Oasis has added three additional dates to their comeback tour, which launches in July 2025 in the U.K. The shows will mark the famously feuding Noel and Liam Gallagher‘s first live performances together since Oasis broke up in 2009.
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