Brilliant. He is brilliant. With nearly fifty years of guitar mastery behind him, Johnny Marr enjoys a rare privilege: at 62, he still has that engaging smile and buoyant voice, which he lends to both his modest hits and his unaging Smiths anthems, songs that have not lost a single bit of their power.

At X-Tra Zurich this Wednesday, he raises a whole new generation of Asmithionados, treating them with the same meticulous respect that a Steve Albini shows behind his console. The man has never hung up his coat: his solo flights are still guided by the same passion he carried for the Smiths. And when he plays Panic, This Charming Man, Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want, or Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before, you immediately understand why.

On tour, Johnny surrounds himself with longtime collaborators, and the result is spectacular: incredible riffs, technically demanding intros for the lead guitarist, and constant surprises. Walk Into the Sea, one of his most beautiful compositions, perfectly illustrates his attention to detail: delicate reliefs, polished musical motifs, and a rhythm from Call the Comet (2019) that rises over a powerful, almost sepulchral opening keyboard. Marr’s music is magnificent when it soars, and the repeated high notes at the end of his Fender Jaguar fretboard literally penetrate the skin and perception.

He also delights in decades-old electronic sounds that somehow remain more modern than the recycled ABBA, Bee Gees, or Cerrone tracks. And the fans? As Patrick Juvet might have said at the Palace or Studio 54: they are in Zurich, of course, from eight o’clock until the convincing entry of the Irish from The Clockworks, all the way to the end of the night, where Johnny spares neither effort nor energy, like a Zebulon freed from his guitar case.

The man plays to surprise his audience: he stretches bridges, extends beloved choruses, and carries us into suspended moments. Back in the ’80s, Marr’s sidekick had the voice, the swagger, and the flamboyant hip movement; Johnny possesses all that at once, but he does exactly what he wants because he holds the power of the guitar.

Easy Money recalls the Johnny of Modest Mouse: lively, precise, full of energy, and carried by melody. The Johnny of Passenger with Iggy Pop demonstrates a credible, smooth post-punk voice that sends shivers down your spine. His band, a trio of exceptionally talented musicians, are not studio sharks but people who embody Johnny’s pop with authenticity.

We love it. We love it even more. We love these Zurich fans who sing passionately and feel honored by this extraordinary Mancunian visitor. A highlight: Johnny sings Please, Please, Please holding his acoustic Martin guitar, an absolute beauty where every note reveals his mastery and the delicacy of his touch. Vibrato or distortion pedals never clutter the mix: here, simplicity reigns.

Smiths and Electronic fans got their fill, and the people of Zurich can count on his commitment: Johnny Marr will return, that is certain.

Johnny savors the moment, and so does the audience. And in this simple but profound communion, it becomes clear that sometimes magic comes down to just one man, a guitar, and the power of the songs he loves.

David Glaser

Special thanks to Martina Stadelmann