The Smiths to reunite for festivals in 2009?

Reunion 'closer than ever' a tabloid has claimed

24 October 2008

The Smiths are 'closer than ever' to reuniting a tabloid newspaper has claimed.

According to The Sun the band could play together for the first time since 1987 at California's Coachella Festival next April.

Despite the band former frontman Morrissey enjoying a successful solo career and guitarist Johnny Marr recently joining The Cribs, a reunion is on the cards, a source has suggested.

The source told The Sun: "It has looked impossible in the past but suddenly it all looks like it could happen.

"The buzz around the people who used to work for the band is they could play Coachella for a ludicrous amount of money.

"It's closer than it ever has been. The split was a messy affair, but time's a healer."

The Smiths reportedly turned down an £2.8 million offer to play Coachella back in 2006, but organisers are said to have upped that bid.

The Palm Springs festival is renowned for staging long anticipated reunions. Rage Against The Machine, Pixies and Jesus And Mary Chain have all played comeback gigs there in recent years.

Pavement are also rumoured to be considering getting back together and Coachella would be odds on as their first festival stop.