Blog: Stone Roses Reforming: The Opinion The World Has Been Waiting For

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As I type the world is waiting with baited breath to find out whether The Stone Roses will reform.

Well, I say "world", but I mean "British people of a certain vintage" and I say "baited breath" but I mean "vague interest and slight exctiement" and I say "whether" but I mean "for how many gigs". But still: whoo! Madchester Rave On coming atcha like it's 1989 Spike Island and pass the tie dye, LET'S 'AVE IT!

But behind the gentle creaking of joints as a nation's middle aged try to demonstrate The Monkey Dancer to an unbelieving youth there is a gentle rumble of DISCONTENT as various people are wheeled out to say the this is somehow WRONG. "Band's should not reform!" they say, "It destroys their artistic integrity and stamps on people's memories!"

To which I say "Well maybe, but then again who cares?" Surely the legacy of The Stone Roses belongs to THE STONE ROSES and not to those of us who bought their records? The comeback might be ROTTEN but, come on kids, is it possible for it - or ANYTHING - to be more rotten than their final gig? PA systems and wotnot have come on a LONG WAY since those days - it's not impossible that a reformed Roses, who have signed on SPECIFICALLY to play The Songs People Actually Want (i.e. the first album and maybe Love Spreads), might sound MUCH BETTER than they EVER did back in the day.

And it seems a bit MEAN to go round telling people you don't even KNOW that they're NOT ALLOWED to go out and earn a living doing the one thing they're best at. If someone makes a really nice CHAIR that we LOVE and use all the time, is it right to insist that they NEVER MAKE ANOTHER CHAIR EVER. "Oh no, you're just making more chairs for the MONEY, it's RUINED this chair and I shall never sit on it again" we might say, knowing full well that next week we'll be sitting on the chair and enjoying it just as much... and probably buying one of the new chairs ANYWAY in case this one breaks.

Most importantly of all tho, it might actually just be LOVELY. Nay sayers talk of memories, but HECK, what incites more MEMORIES than a big old REUNION? I saw The Sex Pistols around 1996 when people were saying much the same thing and no, it was not an act of punk revolution but it WAS a whole lot of fun and the crowds DID feature a lot of old punks who a) didn't get to see them the first time around because they lived in places they never went to or b) DID see them and were reliving the most exciting times of their lives. ALSO in the crowd was EVERYONE ELSE who was too young the first time around and were VERY VERY VERY EXCITED to hear all these songs done huge justice. It was ACE, and hey! The Sex Pistols do still seem to have been JUST as important in the 1970s as they always had been. That had not changed at all.

I'm not saying I'll go and SEE them, of course - not on purpose, anyway, tho if I accidentally happened to be at a FESTIVAL then it would be rude NOT to - but I think it'll be LOVELY, possibly for them too. I've done reformations of my old band VOON on a couple of occasions (neither of which dented the IMMENSE IMPORTANCE of that particular band to ROCK HISTORY) and it was lovely - i spent time with my old pals, met a lot of other people I hadn't seen for ages, and also remembered both the FUN we had AND the reasons we eventually stopped. It's a good way to appreciate your past without having to go back and repeat it.

And so I say "YES" Messrs Squire and Brown, "YES" to Reni and Mani, you go ahead and have a right rollicking old time making people happy. It'll be LOVELY.

And if you STILL think bands shouldn't reform, might I suggest you direct your IRE at Steps instead? Now THAT is a hideous nightmare beyond imaginging which must be STOPPED at ALL COSTS!

posted 18/10/2011 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

Well it's a Manc reunion as long as you're willing to pay for it, that is. A mere £55 a ticket plus booking fee. Ouch. Still I can imagine it'll sell out big time on Friday and have plenty of people wanting to see what all the fuss was about. I was lucky - I saw them at Manchester Apollo in 1995 and they were on top form that night, really getting the crowd going and playing a storming set. I can only hope that for those that go next year they'll get that. I totally agree with Steps though - what a tragedy that is!
posted 20/10/2011 by Warren

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