Live Performance Review: The Stone Roses, Glasgow Green, Glasgow, Saturday 15.06.2013, 16:00 (Supports: The View, Jake Bugg, Primal Scream)

Having enjoyed so much the 'Roses' gig in Manchester last year (rated as the third best last year, and would have been the best, had there not been two of such astonishing greatness) as soon as this gig was announced I did not have to think as to whether to try to get a ticket.

The weather was intermittent with a shower prior to the 'Roses' coming on stage, though then it was lovely weather for the rest of the eve. As with Heaton Park I was in the front enclosure though this time I was closer within this area and was stood literally just behind the front row. Due to this I had a fantastic view without ever having to relay upon the screens to see what was happening. The stage was a slightly scaled down version of what was used at Heaton Park.

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The Supports:

The View: I'm not keen on them and they did nothing to change that. Though I have to acknowledge that the crowd appeared to greatly appreciate them. Rating: 02/10. 

Jake Bugg: Jake is a musician I had wanted to see perform. Sadly his concerts appear to sell-out too quickly. So although a support slot is not the ideal way to see him, I was still very happy to see him perform. He did a good spread of songs from his album and a couple of newies. To consider Jake is still only 19, he has a command of singing, guitar playing (with nice variation & flourishes) and songwriting, displayed through his recordings and now supported in my mind by very capable live performance, that I feel he has to be considered as one of the most promising young British musicians. Rating: 07/10. 

Primal Scream: Quite simply, Past It. Embarrassing. Rating: 00/10.    
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The Stone Roses: 
As with last year, the 'Roses', musically were fantastic. The set-list was as follows: I Wanna Be Adored/Elephant Stone/Ten Storey Love Song/Sally Cinnamon/Standing Here/Shoot You Down/Fools Gold/Something's Burning/Waterfall/Don't Stop/She Bangs The Drums/Love Spreads/This Is The One/Made Of Stone/Breaking Into Heaven/Elizabeth My Dear/I Am The Resurrection.

The 'Roses' were piped onto stage by a man in typical Scottish attire playing 'Flower of Scotland' on the bagpipes. Although I am by no means a fan of the pipes, I did think this was a nice touch. The set-list had some variations to last year and it was nice to hear the likes of Elephant Stone. From 'The Second Coming' (1994), as at Heaton Park they played 'Ten Storey Love Song' & 'Love Spreads' though replaced 'Begging You' with 'Breaking Into Heaven'; it was nice to hear the other good song from that album. The 'Roses' played for about 1 Hour 45 Minutes, just short of the length of the performance at Heaton Park.

I had greatly enjoyed the gig, though it was not the emotional experience it was last year. Though then last year was the first time of getting to see one of my favorite bands after years of expecting it to never be possible. I also suspect it is harder to feel emotional when you are being squeezed from all sides and bracing your body to try to hold onto your position in the crowd.

Ian appeared a bit more relaxed this year and was making some funny moves for the enjoyment of the audience. John and Gary were just as good as they were last year, and Alan is still the bollocks. His drumming was continually of the highest possible standard with moments which were dumbfounding in their brilliance. He is in my mind without doubt the greatest drummer in popular music.

I was surprised to find the audience both less tuneful and more aggressive than they were in Manchester, though I can not deny that the enthusiasm and volume of the 'wegie' crowd was quite remarkable. The whole of the 'Roses' performance was treated as a singsong by the crowd, which is always good fun.  

As I sit writing this the following day, I feel tired and still slightly sore. I also wonder when I will reach a point of no longer trying to get down the front of these gigs. Though then I also think, don't be stupid you love these kinds of events.

Prior to seeing the 'Roses' in Manchester last year, I considered the Red Hot Chili Peppers to have given the greatest rock performances I've seen. Heaton Park surpassed the Chili Peppers, and now it has been followed by Glasgow Green. Hopefully now we will get a new great album and then more fantastic shows.

Rating: 10/10. (& I got to shake Ian's hand.) 

Film Review: The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone (15), (U.K. 2013) (Director: Shane Meadows), Thursday 30.05.2013 19:30, The Cameo Cinema, Screen One & Friday 14.06.2013 13:10 The Cameo Screen Three, Edinburgh

This is a film I enjoyed from start to end, though then I have to declare my bias. The film gives a decent potted history of the band, and great present day footage since their reformation. The film ends on footage of them playing 'Fools Gold' in its entirety from the Saturday 30th of June performance at Heaton Park, Manchester last year (the night I was there). This track was the highlight of a fantastic concert, and it did manage to bring back some of the euphoric feeling from that night.

The film also shows very well the indescribable power music can have & passion that people can hold towards these sounds. The footage from Warrington Parr Hall (free, first concert since reformation) of the people who did not manage to get in, was very moving, including a man who was saying that he was offering someone to give them his car in exchange for their pass to get in. How the ending came was slightly odd, going from the concerns after the disruptions of the Amsterdam show straight to Heaton Park, though this aside I cannot complain. Shane Meadows had been upfront from the off saying he was not a documentary maker, though being a fan (they are his all time favorite group), I feel helped in capturing the fevered passion which die hard fans carry for these northern scamps.

In differing ways, I found this to just as rewarding a watch as 'Searching For Sugarman' last year. I feel I have to state is very much a personal reflection, If you are not a Roses fan, I can't expect you would get the same enjoyment.

Rating: 10/10. 

Live Concert Review: The Stone Roses, Heaton Park, Manchester, 30.06.2012 (Supports: Beady Eye, Wailers, Professor Green, Hollie Cook). 

In July 2011, I met up with three mates, two of which I had not seen for 11 years. These where mates where one of the commonest things we used to talk about back in the day, was music. At that meeting last year, one of them asked a question along the lines of 'If you could have any band reform to be able to see live, who would it be?'. Without hesitation I said the original line up of The Stone Roses, and I was laughed at. This was obviously not out of any sense of derision, though was due to how unlikely this prospect was seen to be. Needless to say when, when just a matter of months later (October 2011), there reformation, and the live dates at Heaton Park were announced, I felt quite emotional. I took the day of work on the day of tickets being sold, to try to ensure I got my ticket. In case you are reading this and don't know, initially there were two dates (29th & 30th June) and a third (1st July) added quickly due to demand. 220,000 Tickets were sold in little over an hour for the three dates (that's a bit more than 73,000 each day), which I understand to be the fastest selling concert dates ever in the U.K.. One other from the discussion mentioned above, who lives in Middlesbourgh, had managed to get a ticket for the 1st of July.
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I traveled from Edinburgh by train on the morning of the day before the gig I had a ticket for - the middle of three dates being played. On the eve before travel all rail travel between Scotland and England was disrupted due to landslides and floods. I was relieved that the train travel on the way to Manchester was not disrupted and did not care that the train was as overcrowded as I've ever seen, as I was on my way.

It felt to be well organised in terms of shuttle buses from the city centre making getting to and from a stress free experience.

The merchandise also appeared to be reasonable in price.
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The Supports:
Hollie Cook:
Fine to listen to in a filed for a while to pass some time, not great by any means, not offensive, would not by her stuff (she is the daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook). Rating 03/10.

Professor Green:
He may have had a difficult childhood, though even taking this into account, he struck me as a petulant and stroppy young man with one almighty chip on his shoulder, who was doing agresive and poorly mixed hippity-hop. The only redeeming part of his set, was when Lilly Allan joined him on stage to provide vocals to a track. Sometimes with this sort of Hippity-Hop I wonder whether I just don't get it, as it appears somehow to be popular - certainly troubles the chart,though the crowd did not appear to be that into it. Rating 02/10.

Wailers:  
Provided the crown with a dance and sing-along. I only like a couple of the songs they played, though cannot deny the stuff is popular and at least appears to be jollier than 'pro green'. Rating: 04/10.

Beady Eye:
Not as good as Oasis; who themselves were not great when I saw them in Edinburgh in 2009. Though it was good to see Liam Gallagher appear humble as he truly appeared to be honored to take part and was very clear in his admiration of the roses. For the crowd it was also good to have them perform 3 or 4 Oasis songs. Rating: 04/10.

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There was intermittent quite heavy showers during the supports, though by the time The Stone Roses came on, the weather was fine. The crowd appeared friendly throughout and did not see any agro. The overall enjoyment of the gig was also certainly helped by the fact that all in the crowd appeared determined to enjoy themselves. Did see one person collapse before The Stone Roses came on stage. During The Stone Roses in the enclosure at the front (which apparently held 15,000), where I was stood there was about six or seven flairs set of, though they appeared to handled fairly carefully, as carefully as you can with flairs).   
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The Stone Roses:
It was truely wonderful, one of the best rock gigs I have ever seen. The whole performance and the crowds reaction to it felt like a mass celebratory euphoric experience - quasi religious; though in a good way.

I had a sore cheeks and difficulty speaking afterwards from grinning at the briliance, and singing along - being Manchester, the whole show was a mass sing along. The bass and guitar were great (The synchronicity between the bass, drums and guitar was remarkable.), though Reni's drumming - which is why i'm such a fan - is quite probably the best I've ever seen in terms of rock drumming - with added jazz flourishes. I had the heirs on my arms standing up and was on the verge of tears. I had thought for a long time that I would never get to see him perform, it felt to be a privilege to witness. Reni still has the ability to make what he does appear effortless, yet it is clear from the sound he creates that it is anything but; a truly remarkable drummer. 

The only footage I've previously seen of the Roses performing from their first time out, is the recording of the concert at Blackpool's Empress Ballroom. The level of playing across the bass, drums and guitar has definitely improved and the overall sound was faultless, and Ian's singing I would happily say to be adequate.  

There was not a single weak song, they began with 'I Wanna Be Adored' and ended with 'I Am The Resurrection'. They played the entire first album throughout the set, as well as other early tracks such as 'Sally Cinnamon' & 'Mersey Paradise', they played a couple from 'The Second Coming' and words would not be able to do justice to their performance of 'Fools Gold'. For me the only notable ommisions were 'One Love' and 'Elephant Stone', though this is quibbling. 

(The Full Set List Was: I Wanna Br Adored/Mersey Paradise/Sugar Spun Sister/Sally Cinnamon/Where Angels Play/Shoot You Down/Bye Bye Badman/Ten Storey Love Song/Standing Here/Fools Gold/Somethings Burning/Waterfall/Don't Stop/Love Spreads/Made Of Stone/This Is The One/She Bangs The Drums/Elizabeth My Dear/I Am The Resurrection.)

The Roses played for approx 1 Hour & 50 Minutes and from start to finish the quality did not dip once. The overall enjoyment of the gig was also certainly helped by the fact that all in the crowd appeared determined to enjoy themselves.  

To top it all of they had a fantastic firework display when they went off stage - which the night before you could hear from the city centre.

As you can tell, I found it to be quite the experience, I doubt I will ever forget how great I found it to be.

Rating: 10/10 (I did consider giving 11/10, though that would just be a daft thing to do with any review).