News January 23, 2018

The Smiths’ Andy Rourke denies involvement in upcoming orchestral gigs

On Saturday, we reported how fans of The Smiths were eagerly awaiting news of an upcoming collaboration with some of the group’s former members following a cryptic image shared on Facebook. Now, fans are struggling to understand just what is going on after the bassist Andy Rourke has denied any involvement in the project.

A few days ago, The Smiths’ drummer Mike Joyce shared an image to Facebook which indicated an upcoming collaborative effort from members of the group. Soon after, it was revealed that the project in question was a series of orchestral performances of tunes by The Smiths.

“To have been there the first time round and seen it first hand, and to still be such a big fan of The Smiths today, I am both thrilled and excited to be involved in Classically Smiths,” Andy Rourke was quoted as saying in the press release. “I’m really proud of the band’s work, and being able to present those songs again in this particular production format promises to be a real gift for audiences everywhere.”

However, as Rolling Stone report, not only did Rourke never say that, but he has also denied any involvement in the project whatsoever. “I am deeply saddened that during the week of the death of my dear friend Dolores O’Riordan, that false statements are made on my behalf,” Rourke told Rolling Stone.

“At no time did I give my consent for anyone in connection with this Classically Smiths project to act on my behalf or my name and nothing was ever confirmed, approved or contracted by me or my team.”

Following the release of the press package, Andy Rourke’s representatives contacted Rolling Stone to clarify matters, stating that, “At no point in time did Andy Rourke agree to participate or otherwise license or authorize the use of his name, likeness or any personal quotes in any manner in connection with this Classically Smiths project.”

“The parties involved were advised of this on multiple occasions prior to them going to press. A press conference and press release were scheduled and serviced to the media without Andy Rourke’s or his team’s knowledge or approval,” they continued. “Any quotes by Andy Rourke that were attributed in any press materials in regards to the Classically Smiths project were not provided, authorized or otherwise approved by him or his representatives.”

At this stage, no further comments have been made by Mike Joyce, or “fifth-Smith” Craig Gannon, all of which are reportedly involved in the project. At this stage, tickets to the UK performances of Classically Smiths are still set to go on sale on Friday, but it’s not clear if this is set to change soon.