This was only played live by the smiths once, because the venue refused to move a piano off stage so they just took that as an opportunity to play this. I can't believe there is even a recording. Marr is a genius on guitar I can't believe he wrote this piano piece as well and Moz is Moz obviously. The audience should of been in tears but I'm fortunate this exists at all.
They only played it because there happened to be a piano on-stage and it couldn’t be moved. I don’t think the opportunity actually presented itself again.
@@mna-jones17642 It's a little strange - who on Earth would even think of screaming, yelping and whistling through a song such as "Asleep" ? Maybe they weren't really Smiths fans who'd just turned up at a famous band's gig and didn't realise what the song is about.
When I hear how completely disrespectful the crowd is here it makes you realise how so much great art is not appreciated in its time. Being too young (and on the other side of the world) when The Smiths were around, I didn't have the opportunity to see them live. I know for sure I wouldn't have been whooping and whistling like these idiots. I can only assume they were treating it like any other gig. "Oh who's playing in Inverness tonight? The Smiths. Sounds a bit dull but there is nothing else going on." These days they no doubt brag to anyone who will listen that they saw The Smiths and it was incredible and changed their life and all that. Whereas they probably spent most of their time at the bar or taking the piss.
I've known local, amateur musicians in my life who have all expressed hesitation playing slower, reflective songs like this live because of audiences like this. It's so disrespectful how people are pissing about, whistling non-stop, laughing, etc. Same thing happened when I saw Peter Hook and the Light and they played "The Eternal." I get the role of a performer ultimately is to entertain their audience, but if a performer is really surrendering themselves and being vulnerable, then just shut up and listen.
So wonderful this song is, I think "live" in the Smiths era is not the right decision. The whistling & laughing fans destroyed the song. Moz showed in the last years how this song should be presented live with an adult audience which is QUIET and can LISTEN.
Such a moving song. Thanks for sharing this. I bought the 12” of “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” from Woolworths in Devizes England back in 1985. Such a great B side from that 12”.I couldn’t stop playing it. The most moving songs ever.
I don’t think most people commenting understand that this is 1985 and the person recording this was not doing it on the best equipment The microphone is picking up the voices closest to it, and the actual concert sound will be lower. That’s why when you hear everyone cheer @3:24 it sounds so overwhelmingly loud. I assure you the actual concert drowned out the sound of the crowd That said, yea they could’ve shut up. I’ll never forget hearing Radiohead play “exit music for a film” in front of 50,000 people, and you could hear a pin drop. Saw them again somewhere else and the crowd wouldn’t be quiet and the experience wasn’t the same
