Hailing from Manchester, England, the Smiths are one of the most critically acclaimed alternative rock bands of the 1980’s. Despite the fact that they only released records between 1982 and 1987, the Smiths’ worldwide following is actually larger today than it has ever been.

Hit songs like “Ask,” “Girlfriend In A Coma,” “This Charming Man,” and “Bigmouth Strikes Again” are still in heavy rotation on college and alternative radio stations in the United States and around the world. The seminal hit “How Soon Is Now?,” seen by many as Generation X’s answer to “Stairway to Heaven” was used as the theme music for Nissan’s recent international advertising campaign.

Former Smiths lead singer/songwriter Morrissey has enjoyed continued success as a solo performer since the band parted ways in 1987. The Los Angeles-based Sweet & Tender Hooligans are riding the crest of this resurgence of interest in the Smiths. Formed in 1992, the Sweet & Tender Hooligans have gained local and international attention as the “Ultimate Tribute to Morrissey and The Smiths.”

The band has performed sold-out shows in some of the top venues in Southern California including the Hollywood Palace, The House of Blues, The Knitting Factory and The Roxy, as well as performing to enthused audiences in Northern California, Arizona, Texas, New York City and Boston.

   
Sweet & Tender Hooligans have recently completed their first tour of the United Kingdom, which included sold-out shows in London, Leicester, York, Leeds, Glasgow and Manchester. Response to the UK tour was so overwhelming that the BBC has since come to the United States to film the Hooligans for two documentaries highlighting their contribution to the ever-increasing popularity of The Smiths and Morrissey.

In addition, the band has been featured in several local and national music publications, such as the LA Times Magazine, Select, Spin, Bam, and Detour Magazine. They were featured as L.A. Weekly’s “Pick Of The Week” when they performed to a sold-out audience at the Hollywood Roxy celebrating the 15-year anniversary of the release of the Smiths’ most commercially successful album “The Queen Is Dead”.

The band also received recognition as “Best Cover Band in Los Angeles” in the L.A. Weekly’s “Best of 2003” issue. Sweet & Tender Hooligans have also gained recognition by Morrissey himself, when he kicked off his 1999-2000 “Oye Esteban” world tour by announcing “Hello, we are the Sweet & Tender Hooligans” at his first show in Tempe, Arizona.