Jennifer McColgan looks back at the staggering and swaggering Stone Roses performance of T in the Park 2012. The muddiest year in the festival’s Balado history saw what must be one of the most perfect performances in that same 16 year period.
So, I don’t know about you, but I never thought I would get the chance to see the Stone Roses perform live.
While I was too young (and in the wrong part of the country) to really be a part of all that they culturally epitomised – Manchester, the Hacienda, the acid house crossover and the latter stages of post-punk and the beginning of what we now call ‘indie’, their eponymous album and the Second Coming were the soundtrack to my last months at school and first years at University around 95 and 96.
Hearing the rumours then the confirmation of their current reunion tour sparked interest and apprehension in equal measure. Reunions are like that. And this one especially.
The discovery that they were playing at T in the Park, just a couple of miles from my parents (read: baby-sitters) house was very exciting. But once we had got our tickets, I didn’t really dwell on the prospect of seeing the Stone Roses live, as I was honestly far more preoccupied with the apocalyptic weather forecast.
The rain stopped at about 7pm and we waded to a spot at the main stage as the anticipation and excitement was actually palpable. It was like a coming home for a generation. Noel Gallagher was on before and while I am in no way his biggest fan, he played a couple of early Oasis favourites which did well to warm up (literally and figuratively) the amassing crowd.
It was totally amazing – a proper party atmosphere which really started to happen when we heard the dulcet tones of the Supremes and Stoned Love blasting through the speakers. This was it.
They battered through their hits, opening with the unmistakable jangle of I Wanna Be Adored followed by Mersey Paradise, (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister and Sally Cinnamon. Waterfall, Fool’s Gold, She Bangs The Drums, Made of Stone, Love Spreads, I Am The Resurrection all followed and all performed with every bit of music prowess and passion a fan could possibly hope for.
Any questions about their ability to perform and give their die-hard fans what they’d been waiting for quickly disappeared as the crowd threw their hands up in the air and belted out every word and every note to every tune.
I, for one, have not been able to get the rumble of the guitar riff from This is the One out my head since.
Here’s the set list.
I Wanna Be Adored
Mersey Paradise
(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
Sally Cinnamon
Where Angels Play
Shoot You Down
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
(Image of The Stone Roses courtesy of Lee Ricketts blog)