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The Stone Roses touring, played 3 hometown shows (setlist, videos), talking new album, hopefully playing US in 2013

Stone Roses at Heaton Park 6/30/2013 (via @damoncollins)
Stone Roses Heaton Park

We just posted Blur news and while we’re in a classic Britpop frame of mind we’d be remiss to not mention The Stone Roses who are back together and have been playing festivals and sending UK music press into a tizzy since May or so, which culminated in three hometown shows Manchester’s Heaton Park over the weekend (June 29 – July 1). Here’s a bit of The Guardian‘s review:

Burnished by the fact that they vanished just at the point in the mid-1990s when rock music became obsessed with nostalgia, their legend is based as much on what-ifs than it is on anything tangible. Their musical legacy consists of one astonishing album, played in its entirety here; one not-so astonishing album, which they skirt over in a couple of songs; and a handful of singles. Answering the what-if question is dangerous in the cold light of dusk on a damp June evening, 21 years after the event.

But that’s what the impartial observer might think and impartial observers are notable by their absence at Heaton Park. Some sections of the music press and the tabloids have spent months carrying on as if the epoch-defining success of the Stone Roses’ Manchester comeback was a forgone conclusion, which, with the best will in the world, seems fearless to the point of insanity. But the same attitude seems to be in abundance in a park packed with people who looked at Damien Hirst’s demented recent assertion that the Stone Roses were “more important than Picasso” and nodded sagely, rather than burst out laughing.

They’ve come here to witness a heroic victory and there are moments when you get the feeling they aren’t minded to let a trifling matter like the actual quality of the gig get in the way.

It feels cliched to bang on about the fact that Ian Brown can’t sing; his voice can still stun you with its sheer inability to hold a tune, particularly in the company of such fantastic musicians.

John Squire’s guitar playing is unremittingly great – he expands the motorik funk of Fools Gold into something vaguely resembling Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love. Reni remains one of a handful of drummers who can play a solo you would happily listen to. But Brown’s voice is painfully wayward during Elizabeth My Dear and Where Angels Play.

But, for most of the gig, his vocal shortcomings are a moot point: you can’t hear him, because everyone is the crowd is bellowing every word, drowning him out. It would take an almost superhuman effort not to be carried along with the mood of euphoria during Made of Stone or Love Spreads.

There are some videos from the Heaton Park shows below. Clearly the fans were into it — you can hear them sing along with the “I Wanna Be Adored” lead riff. Ian Brown’s singing does leave a little to be desired.

There is talk of a new album too…if the band can manage to stay together. (A supposed onstage fight in Amsterdam a couple weeks ago turned to be a non-event.) The big question at this point is, will America get any shows? They were rumored for Coachella this year, which obviously didn’t happen but Slicing Up Eyeballs points to a tweet from Last Broadcast which reads, “John Squire confirmed that ‪#thestoneroses‬ will visit the US “next year” … any bets on Coachella??” Keep your fingers crossed.

Video from the Heaton Park Shows and 6/29 setlist are below along with a list of all current Stone Roses tour dates.

I Wanna Be Adored

Waterfall/Don’t Stop

Made of Stone

Stone Roses – Heaton Park June 29 Setlist
I Wanna Be Adored
Mersey Paradise
(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister
Sally Cinnamon
Where Angels Play
Shoot You Down
Bye Bye Badman
Ten Storey Love Song
Standing Here
Fools Gold
Something’s Burning
Waterfall
Don’t Stop
Love Spreads
Made Of Stone
This Is the One
She Bangs The Drums
Elizabeth My Dear
I Am The Resurrection

Stone Roses – 2012 Tour Dates
5 July 2012 Dublin Ireland Phoenix Park
7 July 2012 Balado United Kingdom Balado Park & Airfield
13 July 2012 Lisbon Portugal Passeio Maritimo de Alges
14 July 2012 Benicàssim Spain Costa del Azahar
17 July 2012 Milan Italy Arena Civica
22 July 2012 Singapore Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium
24 July 2012 Hong Kong Hong Kong AsiaWorld-Arena
27 July 2012 Yuzawa Japan Naeba Ski Resort
28-29 July 2012 Icheon South Korea Jisan Valley Ski Resort
8 August 2012 Oslo Norway Middelalderparken
10 August 2012 Budapest Hungary Óbuda Island
12 August 2012 Buftea Romania Domeniul Stirbey
17 August 2012 Hasselt Belgium Kempische Steenweg
18 August 2012 Chelmsford United Kingdom Hylands Park
19 August 2012 Weston-under-Lizard Weston Park
22 August 2012 Belfast Boucher Road Playing Field

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