Fact #159526
When:
Short story:
When The Smiths play at the University of Warwick, Coventry, England, UK, Europe, their personal assistant Ollie May quits. That evening, the set is cut short because vocalist Morrissey is falling ill.
Full article:
Johnny Marr (guitarist, The Smiths) : Ollie was another school friend of mine who'd come in to be our roadie from the start. He did everything on his own but, as the band became more successful, he found he really wasn't enjoying it any more.
Grant Cunliffe (sound engineer) : Ollie had been used to setting up the gear, having a spliff and watching the band … I don't think he knew the importance of a soundcheck. There was less time to have a chat with Morrissey or a laugh with the lads … I felt Ollie was being squeezed out.
Johnny Marr : It had just got too big for Ollie, so I got another friend, Phil Powell, to be my guitar tech, and the tour went ahead.
Hugh Fielder (journalist, Sounds) : To see that tour in context, you have to realise that the Top Three albums at this time were Van Halen, Whitesnake and Simple Minds. A little quintessentially British band singing intelligent pop songs was completely against the prevailing trends, so the buzz on The Smiths was getting huge just then. Sounds had planned to do an On The Road feature, but it was blown out because Morrissey fell sick and they cancelled gigs early in the tour.
(Source : not known)
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Grant Cunliffe (sound engineer) : Ollie had been used to setting up the gear, having a spliff and watching the band … I don't think he knew the importance of a soundcheck. There was less time to have a chat with Morrissey or a laugh with the lads … I felt Ollie was being squeezed out.
Johnny Marr : It had just got too big for Ollie, so I got another friend, Phil Powell, to be my guitar tech, and the tour went ahead.
Hugh Fielder (journalist, Sounds) : To see that tour in context, you have to realise that the Top Three albums at this time were Van Halen, Whitesnake and Simple Minds. A little quintessentially British band singing intelligent pop songs was completely against the prevailing trends, so the buzz on The Smiths was getting huge just then. Sounds had planned to do an On The Road feature, but it was blown out because Morrissey fell sick and they cancelled gigs early in the tour.
(Source : not known)