The Smiths – The Venue

here is the info file from Dime

The Smiths, The Venue, Victoria, London 15 September 1983 *Audience Master*

An audience master, recorded by Josef

Lineage:

Sony TCS 300 > TDK AD-C90 > JVC KD-D30 deck > Sony TA-F245R amp > inbuilt

16 bit iMac soundcard > Peak 2LE > FLAC 6

01. Handsome Devil

02. You’ve Got Everything Now

03. These things take time

04. This Charming Man

05. Reel Around The Fountain

06. Miserable lie

07. Still Ill

08. I Don’t Owe You Anything

09. Hand In Glove

10. What Difference Does It Make?

11. Accept Yourself

12. Hand In Glove

13. Handsome Devil

Copies of this have had some circulation – I did a few tapes back in the 80s and (initially) four silver CDs about four years ago. As a result it was available to buy from passionsjustlikemine for a while, but i asked for it to be withdrawn from sale. You can have it for nothing, but please do not re-distribute elsewhere.

This was the second time I’d seen the Smiths and i was amazed at how popular they’d suddenly become. I knew they were good – and now half of London seemed to know as well. There was a certain air of expectation. The stage was carpeted in flowers, whereas before Morrissey had thrashed a single bunch around. It was clear that they were going to be a very big band indeed. There one and only single of the time was left until late in the set and their soon-to-be follow up, TCM, was debuted at this gig – note the polite applause after the song. This was a much longer set than first time i’d seen them and they even did an encore. For the encore there was a stage invasion and everyone seemed to know to expect it. Anyway, if you want to know what those early gigs were like, then join me down the front of the stage back in September 1983. You’re standing about four rows back, just a little to the right hand side as you face the stage. You can almost smell the flowers. Enjoy.