Johnny Marr has come out to deny the claims made by former bandmate Morrissey that he now controls “100%” of the rights to The Smiths trademark and intellectual property.
In case you missed it, earlier this week Morrissey came out with a statement detailing how Marr had recently obtained “100% trademark rights/intellectual property” and can now tour without him.
Fans were already enjoying drumming up suggestions for singers who could take the iconic frontman’s place on stage but don’t get too carried away, as the former lead guitarist has already come out to refute the allegations.
As per a lengthy statement on his social media accounts, Marr not only rubbishes the rumours that any temporary singer or plans to tour are on the cards but explains that ownership of The Smiths right is still shared with Morrissey – he just simply hasn’t signed a document yet.
A spokesperson for Marr writes: “In 2018, following an attempt by a third party to use the Smiths’ name – and upon discovery that the trademark was not owned by the band – Marr reached out to Morrissey, via his representatives, to work together in protecting the Smiths’ name.
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“A failure to respond led Marr to register the trademark himself. It was subsequently agreed with Morrissey’s lawyers that this trademark was held for the mutual benefit of Morrissey and Marr.
As a gesture of goodwill, in January 2024, Marr signed an assignment of joint ownership to Morrissey. Execution of this document still requires Morrissey to sign.”
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Responding personally via his representation, the 60-year-old added: “To prevent third parties from profiting from the band’s name, it was left to me to protect the legacy. This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former bandmates.”
He also cleared up more claims made by Morrissey, who said the pair had both been met with a potential and ‘lucrative’ deal to tour together as The Smiths once again, to which Marr has now clarified: “I didn’t ignore the offer; I said no.” At the risk of pointing out the obvious by the way…
hate to break it to Morrissey but Marr has been doing this for years already https://t.co/FL6cGGTZO4
So no, while it might have been registered by Marr and his team, he doesn’t own all of the rights to The Smiths; in actuality, it looks as though the Manchester music legend took steps to make sure that both he and Morrissey maintained shared ownership.
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Presuming this response clears up all the speculation surrounding the trademark, the 65-year-old could seemingly have avoided all of this by simply giving his signature and completing the document.
Put it this way, if you were somehow holding out hope for an Oasis AND a Smiths reunion, we wouldn’t hold our breaths…
Chase and Status are coming to Co-op Live on their massive UK arena tour
Danny Jones
Drum and bass giants Chase and Status are officially coming back to Manchester, announcing a massive gig at Co-op Live as part of their huge new tour.
Set to play a series of massive arena dates all over the UK, the kings of all things dance and electronic were only in Manchester this past March for a sell-out show at O2 Victoria Warehouse but they’re already confirmed they’ll be coming back next spring for more.
Not only will this be Chase and Status’ Co-op Live debut but they’ll be the first big act from within the EDM space to play the state-of-the-art arena which has already crossed some frankly gigantic names.
With recent releases like ‘Badadan’, the ‘Gunfinger (Salute)’ collab with IRAH and the latest single with Stormzy ‘BACKBONE’ – an unreal banger and return to their D’n’B roots – we’re more excited than ever to get our raving shoes on.
The London-born and bred duo, real names Saul Milton and Will Kennard, are arguably one of the most influential electronic artists to come out of the UK in the past two decades.
Even in speaking with fellow industry veterans like DJ Fabio, he described them as a “staple” of the scene who have helped bring electronic dance music back to the forefront and get “drum and bass tracks back in the top 40.”
With that in mind, the UK’s largest music-first indoor entertainment arena frankly just isn’t ready for the calibre of live performance these lot are about to drop but we have pure blind faith that it’ll be one of the gigs of the entire year.
Kicking off the huge 2025 tour in Glasgow before coming to Co-op Live on 1 May, with other noteworthy shows including the O2 in London, as well as Birmingham and Cardiff’s Utilita Arenas, these tickets are going to absolutely fly.
Chase & Status have today announced a major UK arena tour, coming to Co-op Live on 1 May 2025https://t.co/fzU6sqRZkU@CoopUK Members get first in line access to tickets
If any of you were at that Victoria Warehouse then you already know how much Chase and Status shows go off, so we won’t dilly-dally any longer.
Pre-sale for official Co-op Members goes live at 10am on Tuesday, 24 September, with general admission available from the same time the following Thursday (Thurs, 26 Sep).
You can be ready to grab yours HERE and if you don’t think we’re ready to fight you over them until we’re left ‘Blk & Blu’, then you’ve got another thing coming.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/The Manc Group
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The Bridgewater Hall is hosting a free dementia-friendly music festival this week
Thomas Melia
A festival which is all about being dementia-friendly is happening at a renowned Manchester music venue this week.
The So Many Beauties Festival – which is presented by and titled after charity organisation, So Many Beauties – has been curated for the Bridgewater Hall, and will see 30 organisations, all of which offer support to people living with dementia across Greater Manchester, descend on the international concert venue for the special music event.
So Many Beauties was founded in 2016 with the goal of championing creativity and helping to make people living with dementia’s voices be heard.
Throughout the duration of the festival, visitors can enjoy many interactive opportunities.
There’ll be live performances, workshops, arts activities, and more – with the event even having support and advice provided by professional organisations who work in dementia care.
The main aim of this musical experience is to use music to better connections, creativity, and wellbeing for people living with dementia.
Visitors can try their hand at screen printing festival tote bags and making themselves a lovely flower crown, while there are also workshops and performances giving people the chance to sing, dance, and make their own music, or just sit back and enjoy some great live shows from professional musicians.
There’ll even be a showcase of new music composed by people living with dementia on the day too.
Speaking ahead of the event this week, Andrew Nesbitt, who is the Community Engagement Manager at The Bridgewater Hall, said: “Showcasing and celebrating the amazing creativity and music of dementia groups from across Greater Manchester is really special for us.
“We can’t wait to welcome So Many Beauties and the hundreds of participants, performers and festival-goers to The Bridgewater Hall”