For the past 23 years The Stone Roses have basically been inactive...sadly. That was until their most recent releases of 'All For One' (2016) and 'Beautiful Thing' (2016), which resulted in one of the most iconic bands of the 90s to tour once again. After their successful gigs at The Etihad in Manchester, The Stone Roses were made to add extra dates to their tour through popular demand, giving them their spark, mojo and energy that has been hidden for over 20 years. For one night only they blessed London with their presence at Wembley Stadium on the 17th June 2017 - not playing in London for more than 4 years. VENUEWembley itself is one of the most immense locations in the South East of the UK, holding both sporting and musical events; allowing up to 90,000 people to come together. Although some may refer smaller gig venues, like KOKO in Camden, which are intimate. Yet the sheer size of Wembley allowed more people to come together, the old and the young, and appreciate the music, open friendliness and one love. Obviously, everyone was there to witness The Stone Roses comeback, so throughout the opening acts (Blossoms, Sleaford Mods and The G-O-D, who were, bluntly, slightly disappointing) everyone was enjoying the variations of food and, mainly, drink within the area. "Lucky enough to have seen them in small gigs at the start. Blackpool then Spike Island, Heaton park Etihad and Dublin too. Last night was by far the best bar spike island, and that only because of what it was. Magical night, truly amazing experience!" - Alex, Warrington However, the prices seemed a bit out of reach. I mean, £5.50 for a bottle of cider and £10 for a large glass of Pimm's? Surely that's a joke, right? But in the name of The Stone Roses, it's worth it...I think. Overall: 3/5 ATMOSPHEREThe anticipation was high. Everyone was ready to experience the spiritual revelation of The Stone Roses. As a 16-year-old, I haven't been able to experience many gigs, yet that night at Wembley cannot b compared to any other gig of any other band. The once-in-a-lifetime experience is all thanks to the fans, spreading one love. The power of everyone screaming the lyrics from the top of their lungs, people of all ages, to every song is something I will never forget From OAPs to teenagers, and from children to adults; nearly every single person was wearing their bucket hat with pride. "I was at Wembley with my daughter. It was a joint 18th Birthday and Fathers Day present. If I said she was blown away by the atmosphere, the music, the flares and the open friendliness of the crowd I would be underestimating it. What I was pleased with was the amount of young people that most probably weren't even born when the Roses started, singing along and knowing all the lyrics. I'm 55 and was still not the eldest there." - Russell Taylor, 55 It's little things like this which make the atmosphere so intimate and legendary; even so that some have compared it to the Roses' acclaimed Spike Island gig in 1990. Overall: 5/5 THE PERFORMANCE
Setlist: I Wanna Be Adored Elephant Stone Sally Cinnamon Mersey Paradise (Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister Where Angels Play Shoot You Down Waterfall Don't Stop Begging You Elizabeth My Dear Fools Gold All for One Love Spreads Made of Stone She Bangs The Drums Breaking Into Heaven This Is the One I Am The Resurrection
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Some may say it is way past their time, but have The Stone Roses come back to steer the nation into a phase of hardcore raving and ecstasy? Yes, it’s true, one of the greatest Madchester bands are back. After many rumours about their secret 2017 come back, many middle aged men and women have been put to rest! However, there has been VERY intense speculation on whether they’re just touring for the money and not the spread of their sweet music. For tickets to sell out it took ten seconds. Ten seconds. I bet you’re gutted. TOUR DATES: 13/06 – Belfast, IE @ SSE Arena 17/06 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium 24/06 – Glasgow, UK @ Hampden Park This isn’t a reunion tour though, no no, that’s long over considering they’re making brand new music. You heard me, NEW MUSIC. Will it be the same? After the flop of All For One many do not have great expectations for their possible album. I, for one, know that they won’t let us MADchester fans down – they are simply too legendary. Way back in March, a source for the band revealed an update on the lads’ new album: “Ian Brown and the lads have been busy getting their next album ready. It will be album number three.” Their first album in 22 years. It is also rumoured that the alt-rock band will be headlining Glastonbury Festival next year but this is yet to be confirmed. Don’t worry if you still haven’t bagged tickets yet, it is guaranteed that many fools will be selling their spare tickets outside the stadium for a bag of wine gums. In all seriousness though, a hack for buying pitch or standing tickets for Wembley is to buy one ticket at a time – take it slow. The band played four nights at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium over the summer and – of course – many declared that it was the best night of their life. I expect nothing less than perfection next year and I’m sure many other ticket holders expect the same. All I can say is that this is the one. With the crowd buzzing and the sun falling, the anticipation for Oxford based indie band Foals was truly at its peak. The well-deserved headliners of Reading Festival 2016 were electric. The set list was most definitely a crowd-pleaser. As drummer Jack Bevan smashed out the first notes of the fierce song ‘Snake Oil’, everyone in the crowd knew that it would be a night they will never forget. It's safe to say that I have never been in mosh pits so rough yet so pleasing - mosh pits are the best part of a gig, right? As the night was drawing in and the harsh stench of cigarette smoke was becoming more pungent, the crowd was roaring and the bass was juddering. The five-piece looked amazing - blown away. No rock band has ever had a better reception at a big time summer festival. Followed by the classic ‘My Number’ and ending the opening with a much appreciated ‘Mountain at my Gates’, it was a triumph. Yannis completed his ‘gig ritual’ by stepping into a crowd and allowing everyone to put their hands upon him as if he is their God. The usual bloshy and unreserved band seemed quieter than usual during their set…reflective. But who can blame them? With tens and thousands of people watching their every move they were beholden for their great successes. A night of nostalgia is the best way to describe that night, some tracks from all award-worthy albums were played. Philippakis explained, “we want to play you a song we haven’t played for a very long time,” towards the end of the charged set. “Because like we said earlier, this is the place.” As he steps away from the mic, the music and crowd screams is all that’s heard. Everyone was attentive as the giving band fed the crowd with the classic tune ‘Cassius’ from their 2008 album, ‘Antidotes’. It is evident that Foals are the must-see band of the year so, if I were you, I’d bag a ticket before everyone else. To celebrate the end of a connecting night, huge cannons full of multi-coloured confetti blasted into the crowd. It was like a new beginning. Big things are expected from the five boys next year, a new album or a world tour; I know whatever it is their large fan base will be supportive. It is safe to say that the success of Foals will only grow. |
Grace EllisWelcome! I am a 16 year old aspiring journalist here to write about my favourite musicians and bands. Enjoy! Categories |