10 Questions: Johnny Marr, guitarist, 50

JOHNNY Marr on Morrissey, being on acid, going solo and whether The Smiths will ever get back together.

Johnny Marr will be playing The Falls Festival later this month.

YOU just turned 50. How does today's Johnny Marr differ from the 18-year-old who co-founded The Smiths with Morrissey?

You hope one of the payoffs of getting older is getting wiser. I'm a better guitar player, which has always been the most important thing. There are things that I wasn't able to do back then that I can do now; that comes from doing things like the [2010 movie] Inception soundtrack with composer Hans Zimmer, and being in a band like Modest Mouse. I read a lot more now. I'm a lot fitter now. I used to live on cigarettes and coffee, now I can't do that stuff.

What was the most beautiful thing Morrissey ever said to you?

His songs that he sang whilst I was on the other side of the glass. Those moments were transcending in the true sense of the word. When you have such an intense relationship and you are impressed with each other and reliant on each other and when it's set to music and poetic, it's like a deluxe version of a conversation. All those amazing songs he sang for the first time facing me. That's an incredible memory for me.

What was the most hurtful thing Morrissey ever said to you?

"I really don't like those shoes." Obviously, he was wrong.

Your latest album The Messenger is your first complete solo LP. How did you find the experience?

It was a very inspired time. Like anything, there's a fair amount of graft involved. I hope the songs are observations about the way we live that give people a sense of empowerment. It's kind of like "viva la resistance".

Can you describe the wonder of the C-sharp minor chord, as heard throughout The Smiths' game-changing third album The Queen Is Dead?

If it's in regular tuning, the guitar likes being played around that position. I'm talking about guitars like they're little humans or something, but I think that's probably a good thing. You can get a few different chord changes from C-sharp minor without having to change things or move around the neck too much. I came across this as a teenager without knowing the science of it. It just resonated with the sort of person I was and the sort of feelings I had. I still like to write songs in that key.

You and Morrissey are critical of British PM David Cameron liking The Smiths' music. What irks you?

I felt it was an exercise in "cool by association" and I don't like being used like that. The fans were left wing and, not that I like to put a label on myself or anyone, but it was pretty obvious to anyone who was actually a real fan that, politically, that was our position. So it seemed a little disingenuous.

What's the strangest thing you've seen on acid?

Every time I'd walk into a room on acid a flatmate was watching a soap opera on TV. That was kinda weirder than seeing horses in the sky. I've seen the 40 horsemen of the apocalypse. It was supposed to be the four horsemen but I'm telling you there were more. And when you're 15 and on acid, seeing your parents is also quite a challenge.

How did it feel when police reunited you with your cherry red 1964 Gibson SG guitar, stolen by a fan?

Who would have guessed that, after 10 years, it would come back to me? The huge bit was that the guy who stole it didn't have the wherewithal to get rid of it. It was somewhat damaged but I didn't really care.

Is it true you've crafted 896 unique pat responses to the question, "Will The Smiths ever reform"?

It's 898 now.

Will The Smiths ever reform?

No.

Johnny Marr plays The Falls Music and Arts Festival, December 28-January 3; fallsfestival.com.au