The Smiths - The Headmaster Ritual - Live

The Smiths performing The Headmaster Ritual live in Madrid 1987

[@TheArticulatingAnoraksPodcast]

I often listen to The Smiths when my mind is filled with depression and confusion. After I finish listening to them it’s like a puzzle has been completed in my head and everything makes sense and seems okay. It’s magical what good music can do to you

[@flavioks5438]

It really does that’s the scary part

[@capgage1]

@@flavioks5438 I listened to the Smiths lots after my Mom passed, almost 4 years ago. I told people and they thought I was nuts for doing that (probably true to a certain extent...) What they did not understand is that it made me feel BETTER. I also lost my ability to play guitar temporarily. Physically, and also, the ability to play in my head. Played since 1980. But it came back. The more I listen to this too, the more it comes back. Especially mentally.

[@eileensianez6766]

Will I'm the other way around. Hehe

[@tenfourten8438]

@@eileensianez6766 lmao same

[@spensert4933]

Nobody is lonely when Smiths are in full effec5

[@hikemalliday6007]

Amazes me how full and good they sound with just 4 people.

[@bopshi]

perfection

[@Scrayfish0]

Pretty much all the best bands had three or three plus singer (Hendrix, Police, Cream, Smiths). It's all you need of the players are this great.

[@MarkHower-ne5zc]

The Jam too!​@@Scrayfish0

[@patriciacollier128]

Amazing 🎉

[@FeelGoodInspiration]

Just thinking that! And why came to listen to this version 😀

[@wayneashby7841]

The only time I’ve ever allowed yodelling to put shivers down my spine

[@chrischris7078]

same here

[@MBArkestra]

Man, they were such a tight band live. Long live the Smiths.

[@GnomeChomsky9999]

MBArkestra they're even tighter if you up playback to 1.25!

[@ariealfiyan2570]

Unfortunately The smiths r dead mate

[@bugsy1028]

MBArkestra yes

[@RK-kn1fg]

Oh yes indeed they certainly were extraordinarily close

[@eachampandmabel]

Beatles tight

[@tylerrigdon6795]

Marr’s chord choices in this song have incredibly complex harmonic relationships. Such a beautiful song, probably my favorite Smiths track for its transcending musical palate and Morrissey’s hilarious and biting lyrics.

[@__Patrick]

The off timing is the key.

[@aloysiusdevadander19]

​@@__Patrick Not exactly. It's in open E tuning, so the transition of chords are quick and easy. It's still in 4/4...

[@decaffeinatedafrican5997]

the fact that all of this was made from pent up rage for the manchester education system makes this even more amazing and brutal of a song.

[@ACMEpowersports]

The most original Indie rock band of all time. Never to be duplicated. And I’m one of the lucky US citizens to have seen them.

[@MrSmithct4]

The bass goes craaaazy in this, so tight

[@Keeleysound]

This was 1985. The Smiths didn't play any gigs in 1987 (their last live concert was Brixton Adacemy on Dec 12th 1986). Lovely post otherwise

[@bobbydazzler1780]

Keeley I saw them live at the Brixton Academy around that time. It could have been their last gig, too many years ago to be sure. I’ll tell you one thing, it was magical and they totally rocked out. All these years later it’s up there in my top ten live gigs and I’ve seen thousands since. Great great band.

[@curroprr]

right. este concierto fue en mayo de 1985, paseo de camoens, madrid, durante las fiestas de san isidro

[@EloyGijon67]

@@curroprr Yes, Parque del Oeste, qué putada no pude ir. Aun estoy llorando.

[@Checkofoto]

Andy Rourke & Mike Joyce deserve so much credit on this one

[@rangerwhite7091]

Please re unite and do a tour before i die. I'm 50 and remember buying all your albums I've not long left. Thankyou.....

[@essexboy5520]

Except for The Smith's getting back together. Moz and Joyce for one and Johnny doesn't like Morrisey's political views. 😔

[@TheWelwyn21]

No leave it in the past

[@WaluigiLebron]

Unfortunately never happening now RIP Andy Rourke

[@sosidecop64]

Missing the mid 80’s again. Good times.

[@JP-ne6dg]

Love this song- the riffs - bass- arrangement - Morrissey’s voice a unique instrument in itself - some of the best rock ever performed and recorded

[@TheDenzel2012]

Indeed these bass lines are incredible!

[@jayspeed999]

I've been thinking about, where did Johnny Marr pull these chords, progressions and melodies from? Really sounded way different than anything else at that time. This music isn't getting old at all, it's just standing up on its own. Almost like it was created in the future...

[@thomasdonnelly3263]

@jayspeed999 There's an excellent video on KZbin with Marr explaining how he came up with this riff and he actually tuned the guitar to an E major chord (Open E tuning). He also tuned the guitar to open G tuning and several other unusual tunings for quite a few of The Smiths songs. As a guitarist myself I know how easy it is to get stuck in a rut when composing music in normal standard tuning and so therefore, by experimenting with these different tuning he would have found it easier to compose these very unconventional chord progressions and riffs. I believe Andy Rourke also tuned his bass differently for a lot of the songs also. The unusual tunings is a big part of why The Smiths sound so unique.

[@craiglewis6145]

@@thomasdonnelly3263 yes you're right. Rourke often had his bass tuned up by a tone :- F# B E A

[@camilofalco4095]

That's a great question...I myself think that he's one of the last great guitar players...unique tone and technique...I had read somewhere that he liked The Byrds a lot...I hear a lot of that in his playing and all that arpeggio stuff...on the other hand it's so him and personal...like I said one of the greats.

[@jeffbrown-hill7739]

I believe Marr used a lot of alternate tunings, that might be partly why his melodies sound so different from most other guitarist's.

[@craiglewis6145]

@@jeffbrown-hill7739 you're absolutely right. For example Headmaster Ritual the guitar is tuned to an E major chord when all the open strings are played. It would be impossible to play in standard tuning.

[@dichts]

My favorite The Smiths song ever!!! Sounds so vibrant and this chord progression is really out of this world!!!

[@CatherineNeal]

I love this band so much it hurts.

[@darlinjacq1552]

You are an amazingly blessed soul Ms Catherine.

[@WesleyWattley-xy4fg]

🥇 🇬🇧 🎸 🎶 🎅

[@toddbennett8819]

RIP Andy the best ever, love you 🙏

[@JosephBalestrieri-w6i]

For anyone who loves The Smiths / Johnny Marr / Headmaster Ritual- look for a Johnny Marr interview where he partially deconstructs this song in-studio… it’s transcendent.

[@mikenyny755]

If I had to choose a favourite Smith's track it would be this, and this performance is awesome.

[@oswing]

how soon is now? is my fave

[@rmacdlol]

money changes everything, how soon is now and that joke isn't funny anymore are my favs

[@Metal_Horror]

This has recently replaced "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" for my favorite. There are a few runners up that come very close though.

[@forestfairyxoxo]

just being one of those ones in the crowd... oh, my dream :c

[@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdied]

Okay Johnny, I mean, this is just….unreal. How you came up with all of this; fit it into one cohesive song, and remembered how to play it, every time, is a marvel. This is the best song I’ve ever heard. Since 1985, until this day in 2024.

[@ivanpayarldd]

I’ve seen him playing that combination of chords and arpeggi in lots of videos and still can’t fully assume or embrace how he got them. So powerful and haunting.

[@wenkwenkwenkwenk]

He was a century ahead. As inventive Morrissey was, Marr created a whole new wave / style of guitarists. As melodic as other guitarists were in the 50s-70/, Marr was the first to create jangle pop guitar

[@LiaM-sg8uw]

The difference between normies and us smiths heads is that normies find it "depressing" while for us, it's actually a source of hope when we're already depressed.

[@warma731]

it was in 1985. It was the biggest crowd before the Smiths ever played. A free open air concert in Paseo de Camoens for 200000 people. It was La Movida madrileña age.

[@paolo-n2000]

RIP - Andy Rourke!!!

[@WesleyWattley-xy4fg]

🥇

[@seelow12]

The Smiths are so great because of wonderful melodies with cutting and brutal lyrics...great mix

[@jonathansteadman7935]

Same 'education' I got in Hampshire, violence from pupils and teachers. Especially if you got the wooden blackboard rubber chucked at your head, or clouted round the back of the head. When younger people don't believe you I just point them to this song. I lived in Aldershot and Portsmouth but it was endemic no matter what part of the British Isles you lived. No wonder the 70s and 80s were violent at gigs.

[@frankezane583]

Yep remember all that violence from the teachers - blackboard rubbers, slippers, canes, books smashed upon the top of your head and fingers jabbed into your chest 😳. Also forced to have cold showers after rugby ! It was bad but least you didn’t get stabbed to death 😂😂 BTW it was a s@@t show in central Birmingham in the early 80’s

[@mcfife]

This one has been my favorite Smiths song from the day I first heard it, back in 1985.

[@kikidee3204]

Smith's saved my life xxx😱

[@lavitroladeldiablo]

Now this is a true bass line...now this a true bass player. Long live to Andy Rourke.

[@WesleyWattley-xy4fg]

🥇

[@zexnynex777]

The Radiohead cover is sick af too. You can tell they are real fans and not just playing a song.

[@patriciofernandez2711]

I'm not English and I didn't go to a violent boarding school, but this still has me pissed off at that barbaric education system. Morrissey's anger sounds first hand.

[@toddbiondolillo]

Always been one of my favorite bass lines

[@herbyverstink]

we are lucky to have the smiths' collection of tunes

[@DefaultName-yw6sr]

This discipline is sorely needed again.

[@modmutha8608]

Loved them from DAY 1!!!

[@MrMusicbyMartin]

As someone educated in the 70s and 80s in the north west of England, so much of this song rings true.

[@nostromoorozco3243]

me muero por los smiths. son la banda de mi vida son increíbles. son lo último de la pura música independiente. no tengo no encuentro las palabras adecuadas para tanta belleza. son estratosféricos.

[@bangmateo7481]

Los unicos.

[@av9109]

Brilliant upload thanks but the date is 1985 the smiths had no live performance's in 1987 just a mimed tv appearance in Italy which was to be there last.

[@jesssee9629]

Oh what I would do to be able to go back in time and experience this

[@MegaHariboboy]

As much as I love the Smiths and this song in particular, it was the intro and the layering of the acoustic and electric guitar that Johnny Marr did that made it such a magical song. I feel like in the live performance, it just loses that edge it has on the studio version...

[@Ghoulies]

Agreed. Not to say this is bad. It just works less well live, than the songs that they performed on The Tube, for instance.

[@simonedgbaston]

MegaHariboboy They were never brilliant musician's especially live,but their music is unusual because of the studio techniques used by Johnny & Morrissey has added the magic with his vocal lines which make them extraordinarily wonderful for a band who lasted only a few years. Morrissey has worked with much better bands since, especially since the edition of Boz & his best band are his current band who are astonishing 😀

[@acornhead285]

"They were never brilliant musician's especially live" . Either you're a complete virtuouso, or you have never tried to learn a Smiths song...

[@olivermorrow8417]

“They were never brilliant musicians” you’re a bin lid son get to bed haha

[@collapsingspace]

Listen to radioheads version

[@mohdsuffian7819]

timeless indie rock song! 👍

[@alanpina272]

Its beautiful!

[@EloyGijon67]

It was in 85, in Parque del Oeste in Madrid. I still regret I couldn't go... it was a free concert even.

[@__Patrick]

RIP Andy Rourke. One of the most influential bassists and unsung musicians of the 1980s. His bass riffs were just as sound defining as Marr’s jangle pop guitar riffs or Morrissey vocals and lyrics.

[@FireypepperCP]

This is incredible

[@jeangomez3947]

descanse en Paz Andy :(

[@janetbuxton4876]

Omg what a night ,my first time seeing Morrissey ,was transfixed .. ❤

[@ellysantos4087]

Sem sombras de dúvida essa foi uma das bandas mais importantes da década de 80.

[@danielanderson796]

Mike is underrated

[@djcsessions674]

The gated reverb on the snare is great

[@2010welshy]

Brilliant track!!😎👍🏻

[@albertounited]

Tal como dice Keith Moss, The Smiths nunca tocó en vivo en 1987. Su último concierto fue en el Brixton academy, el 12 de diciembre de 1986, y agrego otro dato: La última vez que estuvieron juntos en un escenario, fue en el festival de san remo, Italia. (1987). Allí tocaron con playback y aquella presentación se transmitió el 25 de mayo de dicho año.

[@curroprr]

este concierto fue en mayo de 1985, paseo de camoens, madrid, durante las fiestas de san isidro

[@user-yn6zo4wp5b]

Been listening to this band since 1984. Love the chords on this one. M/Marr wrote the soundtrack to my youth and still remains golden today. Thank you 🙏

[@johnhestich458]

This was thee song that hooked me . Lead off track to a truly fab LP

[@heleciamarie]

I really love that guitar sound . I just do 😝

[@EzidioAlvesPereira]

Bons tempos que só voltam quando ouvimos esses clássicos,saudades dos anos oitenta,uma época que meu irmão estava vivo!

[@gsgacc]

Fantastic performance, gig and song. Have seen Moz from Paris Birmingham and all over Europe, but never seen The Smiths. Mind you I am Dutch, then just 14-15. What did I know.

[@gary_payton]

My God they look so young and I feel so old

[@Zaba_the_Dogling]

The crowd loved them

[@residentepapi13]

esta debe ser mi cancion preferida de the smiths, por mas molesto o triste que este solo tengo que oirla y ya todo se resuelve

[@13thRaven]

I couldn't pick my favorite smith's song if I tried! I listened to every album front to back with joy every time. Just brilliant 😊

[@mateogavela6143]

I love johnny marr´s guitars!!

[@slice1928]

damn this is a good song

[@ibero667]

Este magnífico concierto fue en Madrid. ❤

[@kurtdeyoung2608]

I'm a big fan ❤

[@gentillygirl545]

Love. Saw them 1982 at the Saenger Theatre!! Fucking rocked!!!!

[@hboneflash]

Thanks!

[@eileensianez6766]

The first time I ever heard The Smiths I think I was 17 or 18 was it 1977 or something? It was on KROQ Los Angeles.Richard Blade was the D.J. loved that station.I was all like.....Whoa when I heard "How Soon Is Now". and it was all downhill for me and The Smiths from then on! Oh yeah....

[@ricardosampaio4056]

1987

[@danthemaninfierno]

RIP Andy

[@MarkHower-ne5zc]

So fine!!

[@lorddraconian6026]

2023 💐

[@modmutha8608]

He sings my experience of school to a tee

[@nushitrecords]

R.I.P. Andy

[@buzzozma4780]

Brilliant

[@Mushy72]

Blessed 🍀

[@FAUSTHEBASS]

Live in Madrid 🇪🇦😎🎼💪

[@honneymachadodelimamachado239]

Yes baby rock and roll the smits

[@ronaldcalvo8456]

What a tight, tight mf band- tight!

[@spensert4933]

Marr's finest hour.

[@tiohidan9444]

banda lendaria

[@Mgtowfreedom]

Fuckin brilliant Ingenious music

[@agustogarotowlr6785]

MI BANDA FAVORITA. TEMÓN DE MEAT IS MURDER

[@RolandDuke]

Holy Christ look at that crowd!!!

[@josesanchez-os7zr]

Live in Madrid, May 1985.

[@Scarfmefatherwore]

Smiths had there last gig in late 86 mate

[@tonybones2822]

This is actually a better recording than the studio version.

[@BulletproofFaces]

Man, just about every sound engineer back in the 80s really knew how to ruin a snare tone.

[@jstample]

One of the first things I noticed when they started playing was the *huge* gate on there

[@paolonatalini4184]

Great

[@johnandkate1000]

And all night x

[@_afxc]

RIP ANDY ROURKE

[@patrickdoval]

Cool video !

[@stephaniecunha3552]

Tão legal o estilo anos 80

[@bispomanoelangelo8783]

Concordo plenamente! Musicalmente fiquei parado nessa década kkkkk.

[@sonicgrub]

Saw them on this their last tour. epic

[@13StJimmy]

I feel like I’m watching this at 1.5 speed 😂

[@Freedomfighter76239]

That’s what makes this version of the song so good;)

[@8BitAtari]

My grade 7 experience 1985.

[@cuogh9302]

Esto fue en el 85. En el marco de su gira para Meat is Murder

[@andrewcassey8235]

I was a little rough there with my last post. Apologies. I'm really a nice, nice man. Hard to tell from that post, though. Bloody hell...I wasn't even drunk when I wrote it. Gotta check my Karma. Again, sorry.

[@mifjuz]

Andrew Cassey my friend please don’t worry about it! It was a little funny to tell you the truth, and, you were right! So, no hard feelings here mate. Kindly regards.

[@ahmaquindi]

omg did i really see an apology on the internet? wow!

[@Blank_Frank]

@@ahmaquindi We're under a Smiths video, anything can happen !

[@johnnys-left-earring]

mike joyce looking fine af here

[@mblumenstein1]

Wrong date. The band played no gigs in 87. Otherwise, brilliant. Thanks for sharing.

[@decaffeinatedafrican5997]

i want to go home, i don't want to stay, give up life as a bad mistake

[@raulgonzalezart6006]

Morrissey for live ❤

[@lowend]

RIP Andy Rourke

[@paulorocom87]

Cine vida, best