Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 13:51:12 +0800 (WST)
From: fatmama
Subject: Stone Roses

Hi Eric :)

Oct08: Awsome! We were watching John Squire soundcheck when Ian Brown waltzes in (Mr Confidence he is!). He came over and said hello and gave us all high fives!:) Our first reaction after that was to immediately pull out the joint we rolled earlier and gave it to him and he lit it with extreme pleasure :) then he went to finish the soundcheck.

Before the Roses came on the atmosphere in the venue was electric! When the bassline for I wanna be adored started pumping out, I suddenly realized! SHIT!! IT *IS* THE STONE ROSES :-))))))))) What a brilliant show!! They are pretty good live (at least tonite they were) They had the entire venue 2000+ people transfixed for the whole entire time :)

Oct09: Similar story but Ian Brown's vocals were a bit sharp. Oh well.. At least I got to see them twice :)))))

Travis

From Melody Maker, November 1995

The Stone Roses
Metropolis, Femantle, Western Australia

THE summer kicks in early for the occasion. The aiar is electric with sunburn and wasted afternoons. The moon is full, the street conveniently closed to traffic; even the Fremantle sea breeze blows with a long promised sense of purpose.

In Australia, The Stone Roses never came the first time. So, this is not just the resurrection but also the immaculate conception, the uncovering of the Dead Sea scrolls, that whole loaves and fishes thing and at least seven of the 10 commandments.

"Breaking Into Heaven" insinuates itself, wafting from the speaker stacks like a fiendish elixir concocted to turn brains to mushy peas. The recorded intro seethes and swells, five smoky figures stroll into place, a turgid wash of bass, guitar and drums eases firmly into a familiar riff and instantly, irrevocably, The Stone Roses are the single greatest invention since Swedish massage.

"I Wanna Be Adored", Ian Brown chants over the crisp, exquisite din as 2,000 steaming bodies convulse into eternal life: No worries, mate. Would you like fries with that? Sunglasses alternately riding his luxuriant mop and hiding his twindling orbs, he is the coolest life-form in the galaxy, bar none. For 90 minutes he sucks his cheeks and gazes nonplussed over the swirling mayham with the kind of breathtaking self-esteem which is still illegal in Tasmania.

"She Bangs The Drum", "Waterfall", "Ten Storey Love Song". Mani and Robbie Maddix are Jehovah's own rhythm section. Monster momentum. John Squire casually bestrides the proceedings like Johnny Marr's less flustered brother, appearing to play three guitars and paint his fingernails simultaneously.

"Breaking Into Heaven" makes a lengthy return alongside almost all of "Second Coming". An acoustic bracket ties "Your Star Will Shine" to "Tightrope" and they faultlessly deliver play "Made Of Stone", "Tears" and "Driving South". "Love Spreads" effortlessly plugs the hole in the ozone layer, feeds the starving billions and cures four cattle diseases. "Good Times" is merely genius. And that's as bad as it gets.

"I Am The Resurrection" comes last, when proof is no longer necessary. The Stone Roses leave the building and a multitude of adrenalin-pumped disciples loiter in the street for an hour, grinning stupidly, hoping their ears will never stop ringing.

Now we get it, for goodness sake.

MICHAEL DWYER