11, 12 THE SMITHS, The Telephone Boxes, Warwick University Arts Centre and Reading University, Friday 2 and Thursday 22 February 1984

Two in a row from the Smiths, a jangly new band currently on the rise, featuring a charismatic vocalist in Morrissey. Stayed up at Warwick University in Coventry with old school friend Jennifer for the first gig, which featured both The Smiths and support The Telephone Boxes playing with conviction and meaning, fighting to create an audience for themselves. The Smiths, with Morrissey's stage presence and masses of gladioli thrown to and from the stage into the rabid and frenzied crowd (of course, I was one too!), won the day - just!

Reading, a couple of weeks later, was unfortunately a more fragmented affair. Following another committed and fun set from The Telephone Boxes (vocalist Peter D'Brickley sporting a white phone box t-shirt), The Smiths plied their trade in front of a more hostile crowd. This manifested itself in some spitting, which The Smiths took exception to, curtailing their set, then returning to warn Reading, "spitting is old hat". However, halfway through the subsequent "You've Got Everything Now", they exited for good when the noxious act was repeated, guitarist Johnny Marr's parting V-sign saying it all.

A shame, as this band have a lot of potential that they only showed in Warwick...