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Mike Joyce - The Drums

A Times Book of the Year 2025

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Mike Joyce - The Drums

By: Mike Joyce
Narrated by: Mike Joyce
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A Times, Resident and Rough Trade Book of the Year

Longlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize 2026

‘A warm and engaging memoir’ Guardian

‘A beautifully told odyssey’ Daily Express

‘A brilliant book’ Mark Ellen, Word in Your Ear

The long overdue reflection of life in The Smiths from their legendary drummer.

As a band, the Smiths need no introduction. Formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1987, all four of their studio albums reached the top five in the UK charts. They are widely lauded as one of the most influential groups of all time.

Mike is the last member of the band to release their autobiography and this is his no-holds-barred story of what it was like to play the drums in the Smiths. Throughout his honest and witty reflections, Mike answers the question he and bassist Andy Rourke used to often ask each other: ‘Where did it all go right?’

A lot of the Smiths’ past is already canonised. Rather than retelling those well-documented iconic moments, in The Drums, Mike conveys ‘the feeling’ of his time in the band. His off-piste, frank and witty perspective allows him to re-contextualise fan favourite moments through a beautifully vulnerable, human insight into his life.

The written history of the Smiths is not missing an encyclopedic account of everything that happened over the years; but Mike’s honest, entertaining and deeply human memoir is what Smiths fans have been waiting for. This book truly conveys what it felt like to be a member of the Smiths.

In The Drums, Mike Joyce finally gives us the perspective of the self-confessed biggest Smiths fan in the world who from the start was just some lad from the suburbs of Fallowfield who played the drums. Entertainment & Celebrities Music Thought-Provoking Witty
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Read brilliantly by Mike. Some great stories of wonderful times back in the day. Took me right back to growing up in Manchester and experiencing some of those events for myself. Thanks Mike.

Great insight

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Great stuff. Bit disappointed nothing on his later work. Especially with the much missed Gwilo.

Top fella

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What more can I say? Well written and read, Mike was there and made it happen

Brilliant book

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I really enjoyed it. I am from Salford and I have played the bass guitar all of my grown up life. The Smiths are, imho, the best of an amazing selection of bands that emerged post punk in the Manchester and Salford area. They were all the soundtrack to my teenage years but The Smiths stood out due to everything Mike describes so well in this book. To me the sound that they all created - guitar, bass, drums and vocals - will forever be unique. It was lovely to hear Mike narrate in his Manc accent as well, and it spirited me right back home. His love for Andy Rourke is evident throughout the book and it is a fitting tribute to him also.

Funny, poignant and fascinating

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Quite an interesting listen but having listened to a lot of other biographies at this stage I would’ve preferred to hear more about the recording and writing process.

OK, but not enough music detail

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