The Smiths singer stopped by Dublin's Workman's Club last night to take in tunes from local lads Squarehead and Spies.

We didn't have him pegged as an aficionado of the underground Irish music scene, but Morrissey showed he still knows a cracking bill when he sees one when he turned up at the Workman's Club last night.

Alt-rockers Spies were headlining the Wellington Quay venue, with support from the ever-dreamy Squarehead and highly-strung newbies Croupier. The famed crooner was one of about 100 music-lovers in attendance and appeared to be loving Squarehead's lo-fi sound. "It was very strange, really bizarre," singer Roy Duffy says, "(bassist) Ian nudged me and said 'Morrissey's at the back of the room!' but I wear glasses so I actually couldn't see anyone. Then he kept fucking up, and Ian never fucks up, he's the one of us who never makes mistakes, so I knew he must be serious!"

Morrissey stuck around just long enough to congratulate the trio on a job well done, nab a cheeky vinyl and catch the start of Spies' blistering set.

"He was very complimentary," Duffy adds, "we were straight off the stage, sweating, and we shook his hand. He just kept saying how enjoyable it was and that we had good melodies and I was saying just terrible things like, 'Yeah, yeah, thanks, good melodies, yeah!' I thought I'd go the whole route of flattery and tell him how much I love everything he did but in a nervous, not-calm way. They were looking for a contact so we scrawled a phone number on the back of one of the vinyls and gave it to him."

Not a bad night for €5 admission, eh Moz?

Look out for a full review of the show (it was mega!) in the next issue of Hot Press.