Like many of the more subtle aspects of Johnny Marr, all the bits that aren’t to do with his guitar playing, his influence on women and feminism has kind of got missed. He was generally considered to be the ‘laddish’ one in The Smiths. It was the way many men justified being fans of the band. But by all accounts that definition is a very simple one. Here’s a man who can wield an iron, sew on a button and pierce your mate’s ears. You might say that some of this is the natural consequence of punk; the DIY approach that said that anyone could do anything, regardless of gender. One look at Viv Albertine’s autobiography will tell you otherwise. A self-confessed fashion fan, Johnny took his style influences from women as well as men. Most notable of these is the
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Johnny Marr talks spiritedly about growing up in era when the gender roles were more fluid. Perry girls – an interesting case of a man being influenced by a woman who was influenced by a man! The androgynous style liberated early female mods, allowing them to have a more sexually relaxed style, whilst the men were prettifying themselves with eyeliner and mascara. Johnny Marr talks spiritedly about growing up in era when the gender roles were more fluid. It’s a freedom that younger generations haven’t had the luxury of experiencing. As many of his contemporaries have moved out of the limelight