Happy Mondays bring back ‘Madchester Days’ at Venue Cymru

By Desk Kapur, Rock At Night, Manchester Correspondent

Venue Cymru-North Wales – 9th December 2015 – Happy Mondays Bummed 25th Anniversary Tour

The night started of with a bang with the very excellent Alias Kid, a fellow band from Manchester and one of the new crop coming through the great city, with their cool Manchester sound taking in The Stone Roses through to early Oasis and then stamping their own brand on it. I highly recommend if you get a chance go on see them whilst they are still playing small venues, you won’t regret it!

Then it was time–well nearly 10 minutes late to grace the stage, which I guess is on time for the Mondays. The crowd was ready and so were the band, kicking straight into the Track 1 “Kinky Afro”. The time flipped,  it was the early 90’s again and you remember…

The Happy Mondays was on their game, tight, funky Bez bouncing across the front of the stage with maracas flailing in hands, Shaun Ryder standing in the back ground, shades on hands in pockets delivering the Manchester poets lyrics in the unmistakable Ryder way, and the beautiful powerful voice of Rowetta soaring through it all.

You sometimes forget how seminal this band and this album was, the birth of baggy, Madchester flares, The Hacienda and Factory Records–all saving us from the middle of the road dross of the 80’s. How thankful we all were to bands like The Mondays and how good they were.

They played the album in track listing order, grooving and bouncing through each track, tight as fuck, the band seemed relaxed and enjoying the second coming. There was even humor and talking to the crowd.

As it all came to an end the band looked liked they had had a great night and the crowd looked liked they enjoyed it more, punters walking out in there Adidas trainers and bucket hats, smiley t-shirts, big wide grins on their faces and far away looks in there eyes, remembering back to the day. Thank you, Happy Mondays for the first time and thank you, Happy Mondays for doing it again. LONG LIVE THE MONDAYS!

Photo Gallery

From the day….”Step On”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M0xdLO_bmo

“Kinky Afro”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcn4UG6Jd0s

 

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