LIVE REVIEW - THE STONE ROSES
THE REPUBLICAN movement may be on the march Down Under, but someone forgot to tell the two thousand Anglophiles who flocked to see the Stone Roses debut here. Interest was fuelled by a number of Britpop programmes on public radio, the success of and critical acclaim for Second Coming, and the curiosity factor among those who had previously been doubtful they would ever see the Roses on these shores. "We're really at the start of our career," claimed Mani in an interview prior to the show. "After all with only two albums so far this is just the beginning, really." It was an auspicious inauguration for a band that might successfully tour here for many years to come.
Tickets sold out lightning fast; there could easily have been four or five nights in Melbourne alone. This one evening was sufficient to ensure a return bout whenever the band desires. Certainly, with one of the most eagerly anticipated concerts here for many years, a half-decade of self-imposed exile had made punters even more eager to see if the band really could cut it live.
In what was highly reminiscent from a memorable scene from Mad Max 3, fans hung from the metal balconies that were ringed around the cylindrical club. The dancefloor was packed but there was no moshing here. "This is the Stone Roses, not Pearl Jam, mate," was the jibe at one feeble attempt to get a mosh pit going. The downside was that the sound bouncing around the walls was generally atrocious unless you were able to elbow your way to the front.
Taking the stage to Breaking Into Heaven the music soon segued into I Wanna Be Adored. Ian Brown's voice, flat and forced at first, warmed up as the gig went on but was often peculiarly tentative. Apparently, while in Japan, he had been smacked in the gob (by an Aussie no less), dislodging several teeth and necessitating painkillers. The singer hid behind his shades, fending off the powerful wash of lights and declined to engage in witty repartee with audience members. Not monosyllabic - nonsyllabic. Fair enough, I'm like that when I'm punched in the mouth.
Where Brown was unable to give his all, the Roses could at least rely on John Squire, who became the real star of the show. It was his piercing, rhythmic playing that invested much of the material with the sort of robustness that made the band at least as raunchy as their latest recording suggests. He was ably supported by newcomer Robbie Maddix's drumming and Mani's percussion.
There is a curious amalgam of influences at work in the music of The Stone Roses: the jaunty, brilliant English pop, the semi-acoustic ballads, the long, seemingly improvised solos and the percussive edge that underpins most of the set. She Bangs The Drum and Ten Storey Love Song were received estatically, while there was a brief respite for pared-down versions of Tightrope and Your Star Will Shine (with the appearance of 12-string guitar) before the band launched into Made Of Stone and the eerily majestic Love Spreads. (Fool's Gold was the one notable absence.) The encore of an extended I Am The Resurrection came close to being the highlight of the evening.
"That's a real English rock band, mate !" someone shouted as the show ended. Not bad for a bunch of self-professed beginners, I reckon.
BRIAN WISE
SET LIST
Breaking Into Heaven
I Wanna Be Adored
She Bangs The Drum
Waterfall
Ten Storey Love Song
Daybreak
Tightrope
Your Star Will Shine
Tears
Good Times
Made Of Stone
Love Spreads
Driving South
I Am The Resurrection
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