The Evening Post

Like all rock stars The Stone Roses refused to come on stage until it was barely visible through a thick mist of smoke and the audience had been subjected to a barrage of backing tapes. The four lads from Manchester, who have so impressed the music pundits with their own mix of psychedelia and guttural guitar, finally made it to the stage - but for a first impression it was hard to know what to think.

They sounded good, they may have looked good too but it was at least 30 minutes before the aftermath of the over-productive smoke machine allowed eager fans to get a glimpse of their heroes. The Roses have been hotly tipped by all and sundry as a band to watch out for, but on this performance, you have to wonder what all the fuss is about.

Sure, they have some good songs which fall nicely between pop and the usual indie sound but it takes more than that to be something special and win a place in the heart of music lovers the world over. The Roses evoke a 60s sound that plunders more from the era’s free-wheeling spirit than its distinctive laidback sound. “But at times, on Waterfall and I Wanna Be Adored, it sounds like they have transported their jangling guitar noise from the heart of that decade - and it travels well.

As far as stage presence goes, singer Ian Brown was content to let his head sway from side to side and the rest of the band kept their movements to a minimum. It was clear from last night’s enthusiastic reception that The Stone Roses have a devoted cult following. Whether they will rise above this remains to be seen.