Smithdom

The Moses Gate

Friday, January 29.

SMITHDOM have become the most authentic tribute band to Morrissey and his former band-mates in the space of just two gigs.

Their claim is aided by their status as the closest thing to a Manchester-based Smiths act on the live circuit, with three-quarters of the band hailing from Bolton and singer Johnny Turner based in Glossop.

Smithdom’s attempt to play in Johnny’s picturesque home town on January 2 was wiped out by heavy snow, but the lads have made the most of their down time by honing their act further.

Aided by the best PA sound I have heard at the Moses Gate, Smithdom simply took their show up to another level with a well-worked gig in two sets.

In the opening set they kicked off with the iconic Sheila Take Bow and included classics Still Ill, Ask, Hand In Glove, Shoplifters of The World Unite, rounding off with the technically demanding, but brilliantly executed, How Soon is Now.

But the lads upped the anti after the break, starting with The Headmaster Ritual followed by nuggets of What Difference Does it Make, This Charming Man, Handsome Devil, Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, ending with I know It’s Over.

The inevitable encore consisted of Barbarism Begins At Home, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out and Bigmouth Strikes Again.

Once again, the Moses Gate was more or less rammed with Smiths fans, and one can only wonder what might happen if this band were ever to reunite.

I confidently predict that this band are going massive on the tribute circuit, mainly because they’ve done all the necessary homework. Alex Gaskell has Johnny Marr’s guitar parts off to a tee and in Turner they have a more than plausible Morrissey both visually and with his voice – the similarity is uncanny.