Rafters, St James Buildings, 65 Oxford Street, M1 6EQ
Rafters, St James Buildings, 65 Oxford Street, M1 6EQ
Rafter’s was a basement nightclub situated below Fagin’s that opened in 1970. The Smiths played their fourth gig here on the 21st February 1983 wedged between Gay Animals and the headliners, Richard Hell and the Voidoids. Tickets were £2.50 on the door.
Members of the group James were in the audience that night. James would go on to support The Smiths in the years that followed.
Sadly there's no record of the set-list played that night. In his autobiography Johnny recalls that a new song, 'Accept Yourself', was added to the set for this gig. However reading Simon Goddard's excellent 'Songs That Saved Your Life' he writes that 'Accept Yourself' was written and rehearsed in April 1983 and not played live until a gig at Camden's Electric Ballroom in May that year. So who knows?
Having read virtually all the books on The Smiths it's clear that there isn't a definitive version. It's understandable that a group starting out on their journey wouldn't record every detail of every gig, why would you? However, years later it's very easy to fall down multiple rabbit holes trying to piece the story together. I'm resigned to the fact that there'll be some things we'll just never know.
What we do know is that Johnny snapped a string during their set. With no spare guitar he had to restring the guitar on stage.
The venue subsequently changed names and finally closed in 2010. The building is now a Tesco Express. Something to think about when you're buying your meal deal.
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