Mike Joyce - The Drums

“Told with humour and a sense of positivity that emanates from every page, this is the story that matches the music without the court cases and the mudslinging that has since risked tarnishing the band’s extraordinary career” * God is in the TV *“Affectionate, conspiratorial and funny, The Drums restores the joy to the Smiths story 4/5” * Mojo *“The insight Joyce brings to the table here delivered with love and affection is worth its weight in gold. Joyce captures that world and that time magically” * The Irish Examiner *“(Joyce) frames his memoir as a love story. Joyce’s memories of The Smiths ascent capture the strange energy of the time. The whole thing unspools like a black and white dream” * Uncut *“Plenty of tantalising revelations and astute observations … with a delightfully direct, easy to read and warm style, Joyce testifies to the astonishing greatness of the best four-piece guitar band to ever hail from these islands … A terrific read and wonderful reconnection to a lost world” * The Irish Times *“Where Moz’s memoir was high minded, Mike Joyce’s take is candid and piss takery, telling it straight with all the rat-a-tat directness of his fills. Insightful” * Classic Rock *“Stands apart from most rock memoirs in that it is remarkably lacking in ego. Scoured through with warmth and Mancunian wit. It reads like the wide eyed work of somebody who still can’t quite believe his luck that he ended up playing in his favourite band. Sharp, affable and full of stories” * The I-Paper *“(Joyce) revisits key moments with a fresh perspective balancing humour and vulnerability while capturing the emotional core his years with the band” * Louder than War *“If you need to be reminded of all the glorious, tremendous achievements of The Smiths, this is the book. A brilliant book” * Word In Your Ear *

Mike Joyce is an English drummer and a member of The Smiths between 1982-1987. Widely regarded as one of the most important British groups of the 20th century, all of their albums reached the Top Five in UK charts. Joyce continues to play drums and is a radio DJ in Manchester.