Smiths drummer sparks reunion rumours

  • 21/01/2018
Morrissey and Johnny Marr.
Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Photo credit: Getty

Three members of iconic 1980s band The Smiths have sparked rumours the band could be reuniting.

But it appears singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr - the pair who wrote the band's songs - won't be involved.

Drummer Mike Joyce shared an image on his Twitter page on Friday (UK time) that simply read "Rourke - Joyce - Gannon" with the date "Summer 2018".

Rourke is Andy Rourke, the band's bassist, and the fifth member is Crag Gannon, who joined the band briefly in 1986.

A full Smiths reunion has always been unlikely, with Morrissey once saying he'd rather eat his own testicles, "and that's saying something for a vegetarian".

"We are not friends, we don't see each other. Why on earth would we be on a stage together?" he told one interviewer.

Rourke and Joyce also fought a long-running legal battle with Morrissey and Marr over their share of the band's earnings, which they won.

Morrissey appealed the verdict, and lost.

The Smiths broke up in 1987, but their music has inspired bands as varied as Oasis, Arcade Fire and Deftones.

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