Thundering into their 1989 classic 'I Wanna Be Adored', an atmospheric song driven by a thumping bass line mixed with echoed guitar riffs any Verve fan would recognise, then into '(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister' with the chord changes Nirvana fans might pick out as from 'About a Girl' the soaked crowd rightly went bananas.
For those who don't know the importance of the Stone Roses, it is hidden in the last sentence - they influenced everything you have heard since! Their 'The Stone Roses' (1989) debut album is still rated as one of the most influential albums ever released within the music industry, with a 2004 an Observer Music Monthly poll consisting of musicians and critics voting the album the greatest of all time, as did the writers of NME in 2006, declaring it to be the greatest British album of all time.
It is widely considered as the record of the Madchester movement and as being highly responsible for the mid 1990s resurrection of British guitar music that came to be known as Britpop. Oasis, The Verve and Blur are to name but a few of the bands that have been heavily influenced, with almost all Manchester bands being defined by the Stone Roses sound. More recently Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and The Maccabees can be seen to have built on this movement with progressive guitar riffs that still hold this 'British' feel. Therefore, last night marked the reawakening of a band that has determined the sound of British rock music for the last 23 years - its significance is massive & the gig was awesome!
Written by Adam Sumnall
Student at the University of Exeter and resident Smiths enthusiast.
