Johnny Marr

On July 17, 2026, Johnny Marr brings his finely tuned guitar craft to Roma Summer Fest at Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome. Born in Manchester in 1963, Marr first came to prominence in the early 1980s as guitarist and co-writer with the Smiths, shaping a bright, agile and melodic style built on ringing arpeggios, counter-melodies and a keen rhythmic sense drawn from post-punk, British pop and 60s rock. After the Smiths split in 1987, he moved fluidly between bands and collaborations: The The, then Electronic with Bernard Sumner, and later stints with Modest Mouse and The Cribs, widening the palette toward more direct indie rock while keeping his harmonic precision intact.

Since the 2010s his solo work has taken center stage with The Messenger (2013), Playland (2014), Call the Comet (2018) and Fever Dreams Pts 1–4 (2022). These records consolidate a clear, forward style that threads alternative rock, electric pop touches and discreet synth textures, always anchored by concise writing and guitar motifs that drive the songs. On stage, that language translates into tight grooves, lucid melodies and a focused energy, tracing the path of a songwriter-guitarist who treats the motif as the core of the song.