Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 17:24:22 +0000 (GMT)
From: "B.H. Collins" <****@hermes.cam.ac.uk>
To: STONE ROSES LIST <roses-list@blob.best.net>
Subject: Cambridge gig review

THE STONE ROSES - CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE 1st DECEMBER 1995. 

You never really expected the Stone Roses to release another album. You never expected them to go on tour. You never expected to get tickets, so when it all comes together perhaps we expect too much.Outsidethe venue, i find out later, touts are charging 70 pounds a ticket. I didn't see any takers, but i'm sure there were. Moving inside, the first stop is merchandise, where it comes as a dissapointment to find they are only selling t-shirts you can get at HMV for less. 

2nd Coming badges are cool - I buy one for me and one for my brothers birthday.Inside the hall itself, music over the PA is some kind of funky dancey type thing. This goes on for about an hour and a half. People sit about chilling out, talking about the old days, saying what songs they want to here. Glad to find there is no support - expecting a long set. Meet someone who has seen them 6 times first time round - including in Manchester before they were big, and Spike Island. She hopes Ian is in good voice.The records stop. 

It has gone 9, the hour they are supposed to be on at. Everyone stands up, in anticipation. The next song starts like Breaking into Heaven, but isn't. Another record. The lights go down. Everyone pushes forward. 

Breaking into heaven starts. The band emerge. Ian is wearing a deer stalker type hat and shades. The bass of Adored starts. Magic. The atmosphere is tense with anticipation."I don't have to sell my sole...."; Almost in tune, it doesn't matter, he's drowned out by the audience. Everyone is mad for it. 

Then we get She Bangs the Drums, The musicianship isn't perfect, but it trundles along. Ian's losing it a bit, and then the lowlight, Waterfall. One of the best pop songs ever, but its all a bit pedestrian, plodding along and Ian sounds terrible. John Squire then almosts rescues it with a fantastic improvised ending, one to watch out for on the bootlegs.

Then the first of the 'new' songs, TSLS. As it starts there is a big cheer, and Ian manages to stay in tune, its beginning to pick up.Then straight into Daybreak; still Ian has said nothing to the audience - the band don't seem up for it yet. There are 6 large lightbulbs in two rows of three and as the song starts they go on and off while swinging back and forth. The mesmeric sound coupled with this creates perhaps the highlight of the show. 

We can see what the Roses are about, the magic is (almost) back. Then a fantastic coupling of the end of Daybreak into a reasonably long jam of Breaking into heaven - together it must be about 15 minutes.Then the band calm things down with their acoustic spot. The band crouch down at the edge of the stage, Robbie plays bongo's, Mani keeps his bass, John an acoustic guitar. Mutterings are heard about the quality of Ian's voice, and much of the crowd aren't so receptive to this bit of the gig. 

Your Star Will Shine sounds pretty good, Tightrope is good apart from a couple of points where the harmonies go horribly wrong - the only point where we really see the problem of losing Reni. Then Tears, one of the best tracks is made even better by the addition of keyboards, and the change of tempo is absolutely magical.

Love Spreads rocks and is well recieved by the audience. The band seem to be getting into it, Ian mutters something unintelligable into the mike, the others get on with the playing. The Yeah Yeah Yeah is sung a bit different with a long bit and just a single yeah - a bit foghorn like.Good Times, a record which I know is some peoples least favourite Roses track sounds good, people are bouncing and the band seem happy.

 Then the familure intro to Made of Stone sends everyone mad, the crowd is bouncing throughout the venue. Ian sounds better on this than on any other old track.Then an absolute belter of Driving South, a bit more banter from the band, Ian says goodbye and the band walk off.A long gap, and then the band walk back on. Mani steps up to the mike as he walks across and says "You're the laziest audience we've ever played too", then Ian takes up his position and says "I think you're all right", and says something about getting everyone to dance.The lights go on and off, alternately leaving the band visible or silouetted against a purple background. 

The band are obviously buzzing and launch into a near-perfect version of I am the Resurrection; the first break in the song leads to a wild bit of guitar by Squire, we dance and everyone is happy. The song finishes and they leave. Mani throws his plectrum into the audience, and if the bloke who caught it hadn't been there, I would have. Kickin'Unfortunately they only seem to get going towards the end. Ian spends much of the time standing about and waving a tamborine about above his head. He puts his shades back on at some point, and the hat stays on except at one point when he takes it off to adjust his hair. 

The voice holds, the new songs sound better live than the oldies, resurrection is (probably) the highlight along with Driving South and tears. Blindin'We leave, and buy a tour poster for 2 quid outside the venue, while over the PA a woman tells us that official merchandise is only available inside.

See ya.Ben

Date: Mon, 4 Dec 95 15:27:27 GMT
From: "S Futter" <****@VNET.IBM.COM>
To: ROSES-LIST@blob.best.net
Subject: Review: Cambridge Corn Exchange

Hi,I thought you might all like to read the following review of the Roses live gig at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, taken from todays Times newspaper:"Rare and beautiful sighting" - Stone Roses; Corn Exchange, CambridgeThe Stone Roses are expert in the laws of supply and demand, where less means more. 

Their is not so much a career as a state of suspended animation. Two albums in a decade, a six year lay-off since the last British tour: this is not what the Chancellor would call high productivity. Yet like some exotic bird, whose beauty is much extolled but rarely witnessed, the Stone Roses generate a level of extraordinarily passionate interest.Pulling out of their starring role at this year's Glastonbury Festival, after guitarist John Squire injured his shoulder, only fuelled the faithful's ardour. It was not just mischievous irony which named the second album (released a year ago) Second Coming. 

There was a tense, almost edgy anticipation among the fans. Would it happen? Would it be worth the wait? - questions prompted by the band's reputation for blistering live performances and obstinate unreliability.

There was a wave of relief as the introduction to Breaking Into Heaven echoed across a deserted stage which was cloaked in smoke and lit by shafts of ultra- violet light. As more smoke billowed forth, punctured by an array of coloured flashes, singer Ian Brown droned plaintively, "I want to be adored." He was, of course; this was love at first sight.The drama of their arrival was followed by a roller-coaster ride of songs: the up-tempo She Bangs the Drum, the wistful Waterfall, the thundering drums and sweeping chorus of Ten Storey Love Song. These were pop songs for the rock generation, each powered by th bass of stalwart John (Mani) Mountfield and new drummer Robbie Maddix, and embellished by Squire's guitar, with its super- highway connections to the ghost of Jimi Hendrix and to the memory of Led Zeppelin.

The mood of benign pleasure was disrupted, however, by the anxious paranoia that started with Good Times. Huge lightbulbs swung hypnotically from the ceiling, while piercing beams dissected the air, creating a cat's cradle of light. Squire's guitar mimicked disrupted reason as it squealed and yelped. The tension dissipated, though, as the pyrotechnics meandered into self- indulgence.The show faltered, and then struggled to regain its coherence, through an acoustic interlude which included the pub ballad Your Star Will Shine. Even when they reverted to the R&B; rumble of Love Spreads, things were still on the slide. 

Not that they seemed to mind. Like their fellow Mancunians, Oasis, the Stone Roses are not products of a rock'n'roll charm school. On stage, they give nothing away. It is an hour before Brown, hidden behind sun- glasses and a woolen hat, addresses the audience.But then comes the glorious celebratory chorus of Made of Stone. Squire, his hair falling across face and his back arched, creates a cascade of notes and chords, pushing Brown's voice and the song to a wonderfully upbeat finale. It is a moment to cherish, a sighting of that rare bird: the Stone Roses in flight.John StreetWow. Sounds good - and not one mention of Ian's dodgy voice, which bodes well for the rest of the tour. 

I can't wait for Saturday - anyone else going to the Brixton all-nighter?The review also had a cool picture of Ian, wearing what has been variously described as a woolen hat, a deer stalker hat etc. Just to clear up any confusion, it is actually a ski hat, made of brightly coloured wool, with two ear flaps. And it looks...........strangely cool. Let's face it; Mr Brown could wear a potato sack and make it look like a Versace.

Peace and love from the UKSteve

To: roses-review@freestyle.com
Subject: Cambridge review
From: (anonymous)

After a six hour train ride brought on by lack of tickets for the barra's and much criticism by my friends of my travel arrangements we finally arrive in Cambridge just in time to bump into Ian and Robbie while waiting for my brother at the bus station. Of course we are all way too excited to manage to speak to them properly, but still, one to tell the grandchildren.

The afternoon is spent trawling round cambridge in search of some normal shops; there are none. There are only cheese shops and people on bikes.By seven there is already a fair queue but we get in soon after the doors open. The mechandise is classy even if £5 for a programme seems dangerously close to selling out. Best buy are Cherub badges for £3, and glad to say they still have the old favourite lemon t shirts.

The venue is small-maybe only 1000 people and the crowd is friendly seeming but "average indie". We sit down with a pint and chat over the dj/intro tape. The lack of support is probably a good idea because no one is here for anyone other than the roses.

After a couple of false fades of the intro to get everyone going the come on to the intro of Breaking into Heaven. A brief jam before Mani (sporting a new mop top that allowed him to sit unrecognised in the pub before the gig) strikes up the familiar intro to Adored. Squire noodles, and Ian sings amazingly well. 

Forget all reports of dodgy vocals he was spot on all night-even on the acoustic bit and the start of Good Times. The lights are fantastic and each member of the band plays incredibly. Robbie M really makes the songs his own, never slavishly copying Reni's beats but really powering the band along. After Adored comes She Bangs The Drums and then Waterfall, and I am a screaming girl at a beatles gig with tears streaming down my face.

The crowd are enthusiastic but subdued. I wish they would get more into it, no one seems to realize quite what they're seeing. Three songs off 2nd coming follow, 10 Story, Daybreak and Breaking into Heaven, all neatly segued into one half hour long piece of music. The lights on the stage go up for a three song acoustic segment. Your Star and Tightrope are achingly beautiful, and Nigel(!)'s piano break takes Tears gracefully from the acoustic intro to Squire's Page-ish solo Four more songs- Good Times, Made of Stone, Love Spreads and a frantic Driving South and then they're off.

After a few minutes of halfhearted clapping they come back on although the crowd don't really deserve an encore. They are the laziest audience Mani has played to, but this serves only to lift the band. Move for us says Ian. A fill from Robbie. The beat. The bassline. Finally, finally the crowd comes to life. The Resurection.Awesome. It goes without saying that Squire was brilliant, but alongside Nigel's subtle keyboard work the real revelation of the night was Ian's singing. He really surpassed all expectation, and even managed to make rock cliches- is that all the noise you can make?-sound cool- and in that hat too. 

Worth every mile we travelled, every penny we spent, every day we waited.

Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 11:04:43 -0800
From: ***@bridge.anglia.ac.uk (enrico chiorando)
Subject: CGI: Roses REVIEW

This was the moment me and my brother had been waiting for i now live in cambridge and he made the pilgramage along with one of his friends from our home town of timperley (yes Ian and John town) and along with my girlfriend we went to the concert. 

Once we got close to the centre of town we could sense that something special was happening, of course it was the roses were in town. Out on the streets long before we reached the venue ticket touts were begging (litterally) for tickets and some punters were seen to pay up to 75 pounds for a ticket (original price 12.50). 

I have been to quite a few gigs in the Corn Exchange including Black Grape and never before was there an atmosphere like this and then to the intro of breaking into heaven the boys walked on stage, Mani sporting an excellent new haircut and Ian a wooly skihat. Manis bass finally kicked into action and and with a cry of "fuck me its i wanna be adored" i felt the rush then came waterfall and she bangs the drums, for me nigel really added an extra dimension especially during tears. 

The acoustic set was great, a memorable point being mani and nigel laughing at ian singing out of tune the first line of your star will shine. John Squire for me is the best guitarist alive, he was absolutely magic that evening especially during the instrumental that lasted for ages and linked daybreak and breaking into heaven. My personal favourite from the album ten storey love song was better than i had expected for the live version but for me was superseeded by tears which for me was just unbelievable nigel really adding an extra edge. 

The band played an excellent encore of yes of course Resurection and i could hardly hear it for the guy next to me shouting telling John Squire hes a god, fair comment i remember thinking walking out of the main hall i grasped for words to describe the concert the only ones coming to mind though were religious and experience. 

Once outside i didnt have time to be sad i was faced the biggest tshirt and poster fair cambridge had ever seen, ive always thuoght they were the best but this time they showed me that there is no other band in their league thanks alot boys

Enrico Chiorando