The Gig - The Stone Roses - Feile Cork 1995

Six years after the release of arguably the greatest debut album of all time, five years since their last live show in the UK, five years shrouded in mystery and rumour culminating in the eventual release of the hugely anticipated and therefore ironically titled 'The Second Coming'. It's rather lukewarm critical reception and the departure of their rhythm lynchpin, drummer Reni, could not dull the almost ravenous appetite for a live Roses show. This was further whetted by the cancellation of their headline slot at Glastonbury, set to be the scene of their triumphant UK return but cancelled due a broken collarbone to guitarist John Squire in a bicycle accident. So it came to pass that their eventual return to the local live arena came on the 5th of August of 1995, not to Manchester or London, but to Parc Ui Chaoimh, County Cork in Southern Ireland, the headline act on the final night of the three day Feile festival. Such was the demand for this gig that fans travelled from the UK and all over Europe to witness this event.

After relatively lukewarm performances from Elastica and Paul Weller, darkness descended, the neighbouring dance tent emptied out and the venue filled to capacity for the first time that weekend. Pills were popped, joints lit, tabs ingested while static filled the giant screens either side of the stage. Then the intro of 'The Second Coming'. A twenty minute mood piece featuring jungle noises and bongos building and building as did the excitement of the crowd culminating in the appearance through the static of lead singer Ian Brown, messiah-like in a simple oversized white shirt, one fist raised aloft his appearance caused a minor earth tremor. Then instead of sequeing into 'Breaking Into Heaven' as expected the mighty bass of Gary 'Mani' Mountfield began to play the opening riff from the by now legendary debut album and the crowd as one bellowed along with joy to 'I Wanna Be Adored'. This was followed as it could only be by the next two tracks from the same record. As we wondered how the fourth song would be performed, a backwards version of 'Waterfall' possible only with studio trickery the band switched to the new album and arguably it's best song 'Ten Storey Love Song'. The evening took on a magical quality, a huge love-in where we all sang along and danced in unison. A major highlight was the extended coda of 'I Am The Resurrection', it must have lasted a quarter of an hour but you wanted it to go on forever. They finished with 'Made Of Stone' and then it was over, already forming into a story to tell your children, it felt that good to have been there. Orbital took to the stage to perform the chill out phase of the night but I left soon after the Roses as I knew nothing could top them. As a strange epilogue to the night when we returned to the house we were staying in for the weekend a highlights package of Feile was being broadcast on RTE as we arrived and we could watch again what we had just witnessed. What was strange was how bad it seemed, out of tune singing and lack luster playing, it made no sense until you realised how true the old adage was of - you had to be there - ask anyone who was....

Music On TV - Sopranos & John Cooper Clarke

More often than not these days I find myself exposed to new music through television. Many shows of course use soundtracks, some orchestral, most notably 'Lost' whose musical soundtrack was superb throughout but there are also those who rely on existing songs to accompany and enhance their imagery, Sopranos being the best of these and this the best example. Played over the closing scenes of the 79th episode 'Stage 5', noted mancunian poet John Cooper Clarke's 'Evidently Chickentown' literally made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. You don't have to have seen the show to watch this scene, feel the tension and realise that important decisions are being made and huge events are imminent.

The clanking and insistent staccato rhythm never lets the listener settle, it's almost uncomfortable and the ominious echoing organ constantly droning yet never building aids this effect, but it's the vocals, delivered in overlapping, spitfire style, cursing diatribe at authority and apathy in a working class town that makes this song what it is. The opening track on Cooper's fourth album 'Snap, Crackle and Bop', 'Evidently Chickentown' is quite simply brilliant and in this setting trancends brillance into that most elusive creative ambition - originality.

The scene preceding the music is possibly Frank Vincent as Phil Leotardo's finest moment in the entire series.

the bloody cops are bloody keen
to bloody keep it bloody clean
the bloody chief's a bloody swine
who bloody draws a bloody line
at bloody fun and bloody games
the bloody kids he bloody blames
are nowhere to be bloody found
anywhere in chicken town

The Video - Witness (1 Hope)

The first single from his second album, Roots Manuva's Witness (1 Hope) was released in July of 2001. It didn't do much commercially, only scraping to number 45 in the UK charts but the video is a work of art. Innovative, clever and above all hilarious. Directed by Mat Kirkby (better quality version at this link) it is the story of Roots' triumphant return to his former school to take part in the annual sports day. The script is brilliant and I have to say Roots acting is excellent, it would appear the kids were not in on the joke as their responses seem all too real... enjoy.

Witness the fitness
The cruffatin liveth
One hope one quest.