Live Report: Johnny Marr wows fans with all the hits in The Iveagh Gardens

Forgoing the occasional spat with Morrissey, Johnny Marr has been commendably gracious about The Smiths since leaving as a fresh-faced 23-year-old in 1987.

He rarely speaks about the band, preferring to protect its legacy and - crucially to those who have piled into the Iveagh Garden’s tonight - continue to play its music.

As he takes the stage, a huge cheer erupts from the crowd. The air is heavy and thick, carrying the baked-in warmth of a blistering afternoon, the falling sun peeking through the branches of the tall trees that guard the perimeter.

‘Generate! Generate!’ kicks off the show with dynamism. A simple guitar riff punches through a double-time drum beat and thrilling rhythm guitars. The energy infects the crowd; the group ahead of us dances with glee, albeit carefully so as not to spill their pints.

“Forget the set list, we’re just going to play the whole new album,” Marr jokes, to a roar of laughter. “Just fucking with ye, sorry. This is the new single. It’s called ‘Spin.’”

The teaser for his upcoming record goes down well. Similar to ‘Generate! Generate!’, the orchestration is dominated by poignant guitar and a double-time drumming. The track is a dynamic, danceable indie-rock tune, and the same group just ahead of us treat it as such, dancing along with less caution than before, now that their plastic cups are no longer full.

Johnny Marr at Iveagh Gardens on July 10, 2026. Copyright Peter O'Hanlon/hotpress.com

Infectious excitement sears through the crowd as the ubiquitous riff of ‘This Charming Man’ chimes out of the line arrays. It’s perhaps the best example of the unnerving separation between the vocals and the musical arrangement that has given The Smiths their distinct sound.

It's an absolute jubilation. Every lyric can be heard right through the grounds as arms bob up and down above the sea of heads.

The setlist is planned very well. Two subdued solo tracks serve as a hydration break of sorts. That gang in front squeeze-by apologetically to ‘reload’ at the bar. It’s much needed as three minutes of lively dancing and singing have tired out the crowd.

After making us dance, Marr decides that it’s time for us to cry. The sunset creates an emotional backdrop for the ethereal ‘Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want’.

No doubt Morrissey's unique voice is a large part of what made the Smiths’ sound so alluring, but Marr’s gentle, understated vocals give this track an intimate feel, blending into the arrangement rather than dominating it. This time, the jumping and dancing is swapped for hugging and the syncopated swaying of outstretched arms.

Energy is brought to the garden once again with two back-to-back Smiths anthems, ‘Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before’ and ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’.

While Morrissey and Robert Smith had a well-documented, career-spanning feud, Johnny Marr has publicly stated that he is a big fan of The Cure, citing them as an inspiration. These two tunes seem like they could be the 11th and 12th additions to The Cure's 1985 album Head On The Door.

‘Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before ’ has glistening, layered guitars anchored to a rhythmic baseline, reminiscent of that album's opener ‘Inbetween Days’, while ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ asserts itself with the pulsating, percussive strumming similar to ‘The Blood’.

The reaction to both songs is practically the same. Hardcore fans sing the entire songs by heart, while the rest join in for a mass sing-along in the choruses and jive through the sprightly verses.

From here, the hits keep rolling. ‘Easy Money' - with it's punchy guitar riff and driving bass drum - concludes a triad of dance anthems before the psychedelic hues of ‘How Soon is Now? subdue the arena.

Funnily enough, as the garden descends into complete darkness, it’s time for ‘There is a Light that Never Goes Out’. The dreamy, ethereal orchestration spearheaded by Marr’s guitar provides the backdrop for one last en masse sing-along.

He has an inept knowledge of just what the crowd wants, and the extra chorus goes down a treat.

Johnny Marr at Iveagh Gardens on July 10, 2026. Copyright Peter O'Hanlon/hotpress.com

The Manchester-born rocker has been lauded for his musical contributions far beyond the Smiths. He has brought his otherworldly guitar playing to The The, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Talking Heads and Pearl Jam. Yet it’s the jangly guitar riffs that he wrote in his teens and early twenties, as well as the melodies and lyrics crafted by a man he hasn't spoken to in eighteen years, that put the air in the lungs and smile on the faces of the crowd.

Maybe there is a light that never goes out.