Stone Roses Spike Island May 27th 1990

Written by Anthony

Photos Paul Slattery / Retna
Words Paul Slattery
Twenty years ago this May The Stone Roses performed a gig at Spike Island which has become an iconic and legendary gig, but the actuality of it was a lot different, as the whole organisation was shambolic to say the least and the sound was just not up to this open-air venue in the Mersey River.
Nonetheless, I had a good day out and ended up on the side of the stage throughout the whole gig watching the whole thing unfurl on a warm evening in front of an enthusiastic and partisan crowd just as the sun was beginning to set.

The previous day the Roses had a press conference at the Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester which turned out to be a complete waste of time as none of the assembled journalists really had any decent questions to ask and the band spent the whole time smoking fags and looking as if they wanted proceedings to come to an early conclusion.
But here I was on a gorgeous late afternoon in May along with about 28,000 others waiting for the Roses to take to the stage. I had arrived late afternoon so I had missed most of the preceding DJ’s and bands but I had also missed the beer, as the backstage area had run out. In the main arena, food and drink also had run out early but the baggie generation with their flower-power style were relaxing on the grass with the pungent smoke of marijuana filling the air.

As dusk approached the Roses finally took to the stage with “ I Wanna Be Adored” and the crowd danced and sang along with them for the rest of the gig. The band never really looked comfortable on this massive stage, far too high for any festival and Ian Brown spent the gig wandering its extensive area while John and Mani stayed pretty well riveted to their places on the right and left of the stage. Reni, on his own at the back of the stage, a rock, probably one of the most superb drummers ever.
From where I was on the left the side of the stage everything looked pretty impressive, as the gig went on the band got more and more into their stride and the crowd were lapping everything up, dancing up and down in unison. “ Elephant Stone”, “Shoot You Down” and “ She Bangs The Drums” continued the selection from the band’s album and then Hendrix like “ One Love”, which was really superb.
Then “ Sally Cinnamon”, Sugar Spun Sister” and the heavy guitars of “Standing Here” completed the first half of the gig, with the band growing in strength. At this point I went round the back of the stage from the left side to the right, to get a different view, and also because there were no other photographers over there.
Downwind here on the side of the stage bodily steam and the smell of dope wafted up from the crowd as the band continued into the darkening evening with “ Fools Gold” , and “ What the World Wants” which reminisced of a past hippy era but seemed just perfect at this point and on this evening.
Rather than concentrate on each of the band I was more interested in getting an overall impression of the event, the juxtaposition of the crowd, the amazing light rig and the crowd, it was turning into some event.
Going into “ Waterfall”; then “Don’t Stop” and “ Somethings Burning” , the psychedelic side of the band’s music poured out into the night, the bouncing crowd lit up now with lights from the stage.
Finishing off with “ Elizabeth My Dear” and the seemingly endless “Resurrection” it appeared the Roses had triumphed. Fireworks exploded above the stage as the band left.
For me it had been a great gig, I was one of the lucky few on the stage, as close to the band as you could possibly be. When the reviews came out later in the week many were less than complimentary, the PA had not been large or good enough, and much of Ian Brown’s vocals had been absorbed by the crowd’s singing and the only thing you could hear was John’s guitar.
None of this worried me. I had taken photographs on the side of the stage of the Stone Roses largest ever gig. It was certainly an audacious decision by the band, and twenty years later I still remember it as a fantastic day out, being at the greatest event in the 1990 Summer Of Love, and finally getting a can of beer, and a taste of psychedelia from the band’s private stash after the gig!

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