Adrenalin Baby was recorded live during the 2014 Playland Tour. It features live recordings mainly from the iconic Manchester Apollo and Brixton Academy. Marr said he wanted to capture the atmosphere and feel of the last few tours. It includes live versions of tracks from his solo albums Playland and The Messenger, as well as songs from earlier in his career, such as Getting Away With It. Adrenalin Baby also includes some songs from The Smiths, such as The Headmaster Ritual, How Soon Is Now and Bigmouth Strikes Again.