Mike Joyce and Stephen Street Celebrate The Queen Is Dead at ARC Stockton

Mike Joyce and Stephen Street at ARC Stockton will revisit The Queen Is Dead on Thursday 1 October 2026, marking 40 years since The Smiths released their third studio album. The 8pm event brings together the group’s drummer and the record’s co-producer for a detailed look at an album that has remained central to British alternative music.

Rather than a conventional concert, the evening is built around conversation, memories and first-hand accounts from the recording process. Joyce and Street will explore the album track by track, discussing the studio sessions and creative decisions behind songs including the title track, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” and “Bigmouth Strikes Again”.

Inside The Queen Is Dead at ARC Stockton

The programme also includes archive video, an audience Q&A, signings and memorabilia. That format should give fans a broader view of how the record was made and why its combination of Johnny Marr’s writing, Morrissey’s lyrics and the rhythm section’s distinctive momentum still resonates four decades later.

Joyce joined The Smiths in 1982 and played throughout the Manchester band’s recorded career. Meanwhile, Street engineered earlier sessions before co-producing The Queen Is Dead with Marr and Morrissey. Consequently, the Stockton event places two complementary perspectives in the same room: the performance from behind the drum kit and the construction heard from the control room.

The show takes place in ARC’s seated theatre, with allocated seating. It is presented by Crosstown Concerts in association with F-10, and the advertised age guidance is 14+, with under-16s accompanied by an adult.

Check the official ARC Stockton event page and tickets.

See more upcoming gigs at ARC Stockton.

Event details can change. Please check ARC Stockton and the artist’s official channels before travelling.