18/11/89 Alexandra Palace, London.

So it's official The Stone are 'big time.

Seven thousand people converge on a north London mountain to pay homage to the new guitar stars. Coaches from all over the UK are outside the Palace. For most indie kids this is the event of the year.

Main man lan Brown strolls through the first few numbers, knowing that the sound system leaves much to be desired. But that's soon sorted and 'I Wanna Be Adored' wraps itself around the audience like a massive security duvet. 'Waterfall', with its ever changing guitar melodies, is magnificent, building on cool vocal melodies to a crescendo of swirling guitars. This is pop music at its best.

Each song lays claim to classic status, but few will deny that 'She Bangs The Drum', 'This Is The One' and new single 'Fools Gold', which sets out to establish the band's funkier influences, can be bettered.

Chants of 'Manchester Manchester' are humorously parried by Brown with "It's not where you're from it's where you're at," a poignant reminder that despite The Stone Roses' miserable exterior, their hearts are in the right place.

'I Am The Resurrection', truly an epic song, has the crowd dancin' and shakin' but the feeling is more one of assault than of love. John Squires' brilliant guitaring constantly beats the audience about the head like a good Lloyd Honneyghan combination.

Less than 24 hours later, 'Fools Gold' enters the chart at number 13. 1990 looks set to be the year The Stone Roses resurrect the guitar once and for all.

Tim Southwell