The first time I can remember hearing The Smiths, I was in college. It was late at night, and I had just gotten out of my job at the university. When I got to my car, I turned on the radio and decided to just sit there for a minute in the dark. Whatever station I had on started playing what I later found out to be “This Charming Man”, and I was instantly intrigued by it. It was much different than anything else I had ever really heard before, and I decided that this band was worth looking into. In the years since then, I have only met one other person who really knew who The Smiths were. Probably due to the fact that I live in present day America, or something. Anyway, he was a bartender, and he managed to reignite my interest in them several years after my initial discovery by playing them at the bar while he was working, and we were hanging out having some drinks. Very happy memories of better times, indeed.
Since then, I have managed to collect a few Smiths records, and they’re always a go to when I want to turn something on and relax. Obviously, I was very excited to see that Casino Records was releasing a limited pressing of a live show I hadn’t heard before. When it comes to The Smith’s live bootleg material, nothing is going to beat Absolute Panic!, and I realized that going in. So Easy to Laugh, So Easy to Hate – The Festival of the 10th Summer is a 2024 release and is limited to 400 total copies. Of these copies, 200 are pressed on clear magenta, and 200 are pressed on clear green. As with all Casino Records releases of this type, the records come in a nice, heavy, resealable outer sleeve, complete with a numbered sticker.
Originally, I didn’t care too much which color I got, and ended up picking up the magenta version since that was the first one I saw for sale. When I realized that I really liked it, which often seems to be the case with these things, I went back on the hunt for the green version. For whatever reason, it seems like green was easier to find for a while, but then, the only ones available seemed to be magenta copies. This might be due to some sort of release or shipping schedule, but I can’t be sure. At any rate, copies of this show in both colors seem to be selling out pretty quickly as word spreads that it’s worth the buy.
If you are familiar with the Absolute Panic! Smiths live recording, and I can describe the audio quality there as a solid 10/10, that would make this one about a 7.5/10. This is an FM recording, and it’s very good, but sounds a bit muted to me. It’s one of those things you mostly stop noticing a few minutes in as you adjust to the baseline of the sound. Casino doesn’t put out bad audio, and this one is no exception. I think anyone that knows what an FM recording usually sounds like will not be disappointed with this release.
FM Recording – G-Mex Centre, Manchester, England – 19 July 1986
A1 Bigmouth Strikes Again
A2 Panic
A3 Vicar In A Tutu
A4 Frankly, Mr, Shankly
A5 There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
A6 Ask
A7 I Want the One I Can’t Have
A8 Cemetry Gates
B1 Shakespeare’s Sister
B2 Stretch Out And Wait
B3 That Joke Isin’t Funny Anymore
B4 The Queen Is Dead
B5 I Know It’s Over
B6 Hand In Glove
As I mentioned, this package is high quality and very similar to other numbered Casino releases you may have seen in the past. The stickers on the green copies are green, and the stickers on the magenta copies are magenta. This makes it simple to tell the vinyl color apart at a glance if there is only one photo available from the seller. This brings up another interesting point about “promo” copies of these and similar records. Apparently, Casino always releases a few of these where the number is blank. So, instead of “29/200”, it will just say “ /200”. Most sellers just charge the normal rate for these since there is no other difference, but I have seen some sellers try and get double or triple the price for a “promo” copy, just because the sticker is blank. If you really like blank stickers and that kind of money is worth it to you to get one, then by all means have at it. If not, consider this as a warning and know that there is nothing special about the promo copies otherwise.
The pressing itself is fantastic, and it looks great on both the green and the magenta wax, which are kind of clear color. This sometimes doesn’t show up well in the advertising photos, but in person the colors look great. Both of the discs I got were flat and free of defects and surface noise, and the labels are clean and well made. Absolutely no complaints from me. I almost forgot to mention this, but there is also a mini reproduction Festival of the 10th Summer hand bill included as well, which is a nice touch.
The show itself is just about what you would expect from The Smith’s. I’ve yet to hear any live recordings where they sucked or played incompetently, so if you like the set-list I posted above, you’ve really going to love this one. I’d go into more detail, but I don’t really think it’s needed here. As far as my overall opinion goes, I think that the side A set-list is far better than the side B one. Also, I would have really loved to see “This Charming Man” represented here. The song is also absent from Absolute Panic! and is even cut from several versions of studio albums it should have been on. As a Smith’s fan, I am a bit ashamed to admit that I don’t know the story behind this, but perhaps I’ll look into it. I’m guessing Morrissey probably didn’t like it or something, but who knows.
So, what should you expect to pay for this record if you want to get a copy? Well, at the time of this writing, some copies are still available internationally (meaning not in the US). Of course, I hardly know all the US sellers, but I think your best bet for a copy is to look at some online record shops in Spain, Italy and other various parts of Europe. If you want to score a copy of So Easy to Laugh, So Easy to Hate – The Festival of the 10th Summer before they are sold out everywhere, you are looking at anywhere between 50.00 to 65.00 USD before shipping. In this case, I think it’s worth it for The Smith’s fans everywhere. Even with a bit of muted audio, I give this release a solid 9.5/10. Not to be missed!
On a side note, I really love reviewing this Casino Records stuff (my favorite label), but it’s a real pain dealing with a whole bunch of random sellers all charging different prices. On top of that, I have to wait for shipping from the label to the seller, and then the label to me. This usually spans several different countries. I try to get these reviews out while the titles are still on sale and sought after, but it’s always a race against the clock (and I do this for free). Therefore, if someone out there can hook me up with a direct sales contact to the label, I would appreciate it. I’m not asking for anything for free, just for a way to order stuff so it can get to me faster, and maybe at a more stable price. Pretty soon, I’m planning on adding a “wanted” section on this site for items I am looking to buy so I can talk about them here. This is sort of like that, I guess. If you are reading this and have the hook up at Casino (or any other label that I have reviewed so far or that meshes well with what I cover here), please reach out. As of now, Instagram is the best way to contact me, as well as to keep up with the goings on here at DAWN OF THE DEADWAX. Till next time…