The Smiths will not pull an Oasis (meaning: stop fighting and tour again)

Just in case you thought there was something in the air that could reunite brothers-in-arms, that could heal decades-old wounds, that could make it about the music again—well, think twice. The Oasis comeback is a one-off event, and frankly, someone should be assigned to carefully keep the Gallagher brothers apart for the next year so that they don’t go back to fighting and cancel their “Live ’25” concerts. Anyway, whatever goodwill Liam and Noel managed to find does not exist between Morrissey and Johnny Marr.

Proving that the market is really keen on reviving Manchester-based alt-rock acts right now, Morrissey revealed on his website that earlier this year, he and Marr were offered a “lucrative” deal to tour as The Smiths in 2025 by AEG Entertainment Group. “Morrissey said Yes to the offer; Marr ignored the offer,” the statement—under the title “War Is Old, Art Is Young“—claimed. The brief message ends with the petty note that “Morrissey undertakes a largely sold out tour of the USA in November. Marr continues to tour as a special guest to New Order.”

A Smiths tour wouldn’t be precisely the same as the Oasis reunion, because Smiths basis Andy Rourke died in 2023. Marr and Morrissey were the driving creative force behind the band, though, and seeing them onstage together would obviously sell tickets. That said, the gulf between the pair only seems to have grown in the years since their breakup in 1987. Marr previously said that the band “never fell out over politics, but we probably would now” as Morrissey has become more conservative. In response to a fan who tweeted “If Oasis can do it The Smiths can too (I’m delusional),” Marr simply responded with a photo of controversial right-wing Brexit party co-founder Nigel Farage. So, it’s no big surprise that Marr would ignore the offer.

Frankly, it’s surprising Morrissey would say yes to the offer. There’s a whole section of The Smiths’ Wikipedia page dedicated to the group saying they would never, ever reunite for any amount of money. Morrissey once famously declared that “I would rather eat my own testicles than reform The Smiths.” It’s unclear why he would agree to the reunion now. As to why he publicized agreeing to the reunion now, it’s clearly a response to Oasis and an opportunity to get a dig in at Marr. Hey, if Liam and Noel Gallagher aren’t making public jabs at each other anymore, might as well hand the baton to Marr and Morrissey.