The Stone Roses prevail on second night of euphoria in Manchester

By: Jamie Casey –

The stage is set for the Stone Roses’ reunion show. Heaton Park, Manchester.- Photo by Simon Collison.

Until last October, only the most optimistic fan of The Stone Roses could have envisaged this very moment with any genuine hope of it actually becoming a reality.

Thus, there are middle-aged men in tears as Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary ‘Mani’ Manny and Alan ‘Reni’ Wren take to the enormous stage at Heaton Park for the second of three homecoming shows in their native Manchester.

The four original members of the band seem at ease, the pressure having been lifted after rave reviews of Friday’s display, as they embrace the crowd, who chant the bassline of opener I Wanna Be Adored with ecstatic enthusiasm.

Bucket hats in abundance, all thoughts of The Stone Roses not being made for the open-air scene desert the sceptics, with some 75,000 elated onlookers proving otherwise as Mersey Paradise and Sally Cinnamon receive a similar reception.

Bye Bye Badman, one of all 11 tracks taken from the band’s self-titled 1989 debut album to make the set, is a nice surprise, while there’s an overwhelming feeling of togetherness amid crowd favourite Ten Story Love Song, a mutual feeling apparent between the band and their adoring army of fans before them.

A ten-minute rendition of Fools Gold ensues, its charm alone ensuring it never fails to mislay attention, but Squire peaks on Love Spreads, letting his fingers do the talking without offering much stage presence in typical fashion.

Don’t Stop is the most innovative number of the night and follows the breathtaking Waterfall, as it does on the studio recording, with the pitch-perfect Brown now swaggering about all corners of the stage, dripping with effortless, natural arrogance.

The crowd are dripping too, but not even bouts of torrential downpour (perhaps a gift from Mother Nature to serve as a timely reminder that we’re witnessing the best band from the notoriously wet city of Manchester play their own backyard) can dampen spirits here.

Indeed, The Stone Roses’ 16-year hiatus is proving worth the wait if nights like tonight are anything to go by.