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Stone Roses Confirm Reunion

added 18 October 2011 at 15.10

The band have announced they are back and will play two dates in their hometown next year - plus a world tour!.....

Photo: Penny Smith

The band - who split in 1996 - will play Manchester Heaton Park on June 29 and 30 2012 - the dates forming part of an "extensive world tour".

Their last show was at Reading Festival in 1996.

Rumours began to gather pace back in April that a reformation could be in progress after reports that members Ian Brown and John Squire ended 15 years of not speaking at bassist Mani's Mum's funeral.

This was later refuted by Mani but today the band agreed it was the event that got the wheels in motion.

But today it seems all is well in The Stone Roses camp as the classic line-up of Mani, Ian, Reni and Squire confirm the recent rumours of a reunion.

Speaking at a press conference in central London singer Ian Brown said "Our plan is to shake up the world. We're going to go round the world next year. We're going to start off in our home town, Manchester, and we're going to play two gigs at Heaton Park and then after that we're going to take it round the world."

The band have already been rehearsing together ahead of the shows next summer and confirmed at the announcement there will be new material - which they "hope" will be an album's worth (but we've said that before haven't we").

In 2009 guitarist turned artist John Squire unveiled a piece of art featuring the words "I have no desire whatsoever to desecrate the grave of seminal Manchester popgroup The Stone Roses 18.3.09."

Speaking today he explained what had changed,  "well everything changed when me and Ian started seeing each other again. It was surreal we went from crying... laughing about the old days to writing songs in a heartbeat. I think it's a friendship that defines us both and it need fixing."

Xfm's Clint Boon - and member of Madchester contemporaries Inspiral Carpets - has welcomed the news.

"I  just think it is the most amazing music story for decades, it's just breathtaking isn't it? The potential. The gig is going to be the best gig ever, ever, ever - it's going to be amazing."

He continued, "I think it just ticks all the right boxes in terms of the band getting back together for the right reasons. There will be money involved but that's not why it's happened - they have been communicating over recent months, as we all know, and at some point they've decided to give it a shot. Good luck to them, I hope it's a massive success. I'm sure it will be - can't fail!"

While Liam Gallagher tweeted: "Stone Roses getting back together not been this happy since my kids were born."

The band refused to set a length of time for the reunion but John Squire did confirm it will be for a least a year.

"We'll ride it til the wheels fall off like last time, and they did fall off didn't they." Ian Brown continued.

Tickets go on sale on Friday morning at 9.30am from xfm.co.uk/gigs

Tagged as The Stone Roses, Reunion

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