The Drums

by Mike Joyce

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 ‘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.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

Audible Audio

Published November 7, 2025

Reviews

[Adam Parrilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! I listened to “The Drums” on Spotify as it is only available in the U.S. as an e-book. Listening to Joyce adds wonderful heft to this story that’s heavily told between the years of 1983-1988.
It was interesting to hear the opinion of being in The Smiths from the man sat at the drum kit. Great insight and no catty b.s. in this one. HIGHLY recommended for any big time Smiths fan.

Most shocking fact: Madonna opened for The Smiths on New Year’s Eve 1983!

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

An undeniably positive take on an incredible rock and roll experience. Well written and structured. Easy to read and like for fans and newbies.

[Joe Stunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Morrissey and Marr considered one of the greatest song-writing duos in UK music history, and Andy Rourke recognised as one of the most innovative bass players of the last fifty years, Mike Joyce has often been considered the "Ringo" of the Smiths personnel - and not just because he plays the drums. Joyce was a perfunctory punk musician who became very capable and competent, and is perhaps best known as the man who successfully sued Morrissey and Marr for £1 million. Oh, and he also played on every Smiths record from the debut single to the final album.

It's therefore wise that "the drums" ends his memoir, The Drums, with the break-up of The Smiths, rather than soldiering on with tales of "what happened next" that might possibly have interested very few. There's a reasonably lengthy build-up to Mike joining the group - childhood reminisces and teenage years involved with two other bands - but once we arrive at the *real* destination, the memories become a fascinating traipse down Memory Lane for those of us who followed The Smiths from start to finish, and who've never quite gotten over the band's seemingly premature demise.

The whole book is, one assumes, ghost-written, with a casual, flighty tone, almost like a fan's recollections. This is precisely what Mike Joyce says he is: his band's BIGGEST fan. There isn't a great deal here that's monumental or revelatory, but it's a ton of fun to get the take of a man who was actually in that incredible and incredibly prolific band.

I found Johnny Marr's autobiography a disappointment, and only read it for the sections relating to The Smiths (his solo projects and other bands have never interested me), none of which said much at all. However, Joyce's book held my attention. In fact, I liked it a lot, and am even somewhat surprised by that. If you loved and love The Smiths, it should go without saying that you should of course invest in a copy.

[Bernard Laugen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Smiths are one of my all time favorite bands. I’ve read the two main biographies of the band, as well as both morrissey and Johnny’s books. To say I was excited for Mike’s story would be an understatement. If only, we could’ve heard Andy’s story too (rip). Mike’s book is more a collection of vignettes, rather than the full story. Apparently it was a decision he made to focus on the joy of the smiths rather than the salacious bits. His tone is casual and almost matter of fact, though he does convey his awe in how lucky he was to be a smith. I enjoyed his take on things, as he always seemed the “everyman” of the smiths. If I had a complaint, it would’ve been I wanted more. As a massive smiths fan, I would’ve loved several hundred more pages of his anecdotes and stories. In the end, while not a full and detailed version of Mike’s story with the smiths, it was an absolute joy to read. What a special band they were… and I think that’s one of the things mike conveys so well… his sense of wonder, luck, and joy at being the drummer of the smiths is palpable on every page.

[Yuri Cunha · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got this, after having read Moz’s and Marr’s autobiographies and a bunch of Smiths biographies, I thought it was going to be a rehash of what I already knew, a cash grab. And though it’s true that I knew most of what was told here, Joyce tells it as you’d hope an insider would. Also, he is so kind towards his bandmates, including Morrissey, who clearly did not share this courtesy in his Autobiography. This was a joy to listen as an audiobook. Joyce says he is a person who focuses on the positive side of things, and it shows. This is a comfy memoir I would highly recommend to Smiths fans.

[Richard Hakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have never described myself as a Smith fan but I did appreciate them. When the Morrissy book came out I did read it and again before I read this one. The best comments about Morrissy includes separating the art from the artist. Something about their story tells you they were doomed to break apart from the beginning. The whole issue about Mike and Andy's share of Royalties was miss handled. There are far to many opinions and too few facts to really have a opinion but it always strikes me that in an unbalanced relationship there will always be a rebalanced. Mike's story is readable but a little bit sanitised, I feel it was padded out a bit as it would be a chapter or two not a book.

[Anthony Faccenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an overwhelmingly positive take on one of my favorite bands. I listened to the audiobook, and I could listen to Joyce talk all day. It felt like a good friend telling a story. So personal and intimate. Joyce genuinely sounds enthusiastic about sharing his journey, and I loved how he repeatedly highlights his friendship with Andy Rourke. Joyce and Rourke were an integral part of the band’s success, and that really comes through here. He set out to write a positive book that doesn’t slight anyone, and he fully achieved that. A must-read for any fan of The Smiths.

[Colm Mccrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of Mike's life up to the end of The Smiths. I like that it ends there as there is no room for negativity in this story and you can read all about the court case elsewhere. Similar to Marr's book, Mike comes across as very likeable and unpretentious. Throughout he can't believe what he's got into and is thrilled to be in a band with three others with unbelievable talents. He always seems to want to ring his parents to share what has just happened. Loved it.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke certainly weren't "replaceable lawnmower parts" and contributed to The Smiths sound. Thankfully he glosses over the litigation (easily done when you win) and instead gives a positive fans-eye view of his time in the band. 3.5 stars for his measured narration of The Drums audiobook.

[Bustagroovy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. A must-read for any Smiths fan. And I most definitely recommend the audiobook read by Mike Joyce, available on Spotify.

I'm not too sure about the description saying this is the last of the band to release an autobiography. I can find almost nothing about Andy Rourke's alleged book "Within and Without The Smiths". Not even a cover pic. If anyone has any info please clue me in!

[J.P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strongly interesting quick read from Mike. It’s always great to hear stories about The Smiths from its members and Mike’s book is really engaging and enjoyable. The short length works to the book’s favour as everything presented is really interesting and it’s written about it in such a fun way. Essential reading for fans.

[Matt Grimley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable listen on the audiobook narrated by Mike. Loved hearing so many positive stories from someone who lived life in the best band ever. Mike's passion for this time and the band's legacy is lovely.

[Alex Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one and I can't wait to see the great man himself give a talk about it in March. Of the autobiographies I've read from former Smiths members this is my favourite, it has such a nice informal tone throughout and it's also fittingly dedicated to the legendary Andy Rourke

[Volker Sydow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful read. Reporting from the machine room of the must influentual British indi band of the 80ies. Plus a great coming of age story

[Katrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enthusiastic recount of his years as a drummer.

[Jonathan Percival · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. It was nice that he didn't just use the opportunity to get a dig in at Morrissey and really gave Rourke the recognition he deserves.