Who
The Stone Roses
Support
Blossoms
Sleaford Mods
The G-O-D
Where
London Wembley Stadium
When
17th June 2017
Price
£65.00
Who with
No-one
Position
In the middle
Comments
So here I am picking up on the Saturday, the morning after Guns 'N' Roses, and I'd unusually cancelled my alarm and slept in a bit, still waking up earlier than I'd hoped but astonishingly not feeling as damaged as I'd feared after the 3am shambles! I'd originally planned to visit Lambeth Palace for the reopened Garden Museum, but after explaining the catastrophe with the memory card to Matt and putting in a bit of thought I realised that there was only one thing to do - to repeat what I'd done on Friday all over again, take the same photos, and say fuck you to the attempt to ruin my weekend! I covered my bases by submitting a lost property form on the TFL website in case I had lost it on the public transport, and I also went into the McDonald's near Victoria to hand over my phone number, and the staff there were pleasantly helpful but a bit too optimistic in saying that they would hand it in WHEN they found it! That doesn't seem likely! Over three weeks later here I am writing up this review at long last and having finally caught up with all my photos, and there's still no sign of it. It's horrifying to think what person could be enough of a scumbag to steal something that has almost zero financial value but clearly has massive sentimental value. If it was found in McDonald's it should have been handed in there and if found anywhere else a sensible person should have handed it to TFL lost property as the general "go to" place for missing things. It also makes me wonder if maybe it was handed in but no-one could be arsed to check out the photos and piece the facts together, and just to kick me in the balls even further I realised that the memory card I hadn't lost actually had a photo of my address on it as I'd taken a shot of the envelope that had not included the missing memory cards from Amazon. It would have been a pleasant justice if the fact of losing the post had allowed a reunification, but as it happened the other way around it was just yet another cruel twist of fate to try and amplify my misery. Therefore I'm intensely proud of myself for saying I'd just do it all over again, and if against the odds the memory card showed up I'd just be grateful to have back what I'd lost rather than annoyed for repeating myself!

It was my fourth time seeing The Stone Roses and there was still no sign of an album, although Wembley was a nice step up from Finsbury Park and it was clear that little interest had been lost as the reunion continued. I easily got my ticket and standing sold out quite fast, although seating did not, but NME claims that it did sell out eventually and that 90,000 fans were in attendance. Whether that's true or not I cannot verify! It's strange how the band repeated the 2012 routine of following a year centred on Manchester with a year centred on London, and their choice to also play two nights in Leeds, as well as Glasgow and Belfast, was most unusual. I wouldn't have thought that the demand to see them in Leeds was there, and it does make me wonder how many Mancunians were made to unnecessarily travel because of The Stone Roses trying to prove that they have appeal beyond their home city. Or perhaps I underestimate the rest of the country and people in other regions also have good taste! The day was even hotter than yesterday so I resisted the coat and water bottle entirely, donning my 2013 yellow Stone Roses t-shirt in Reni style and a cheap but very nice reversible bucket hat I'd spontaneously picked up in a supermarket as it's so rare to see a good one for cheap! Also as it's a London crowd the fans are a little less worried about seeming too obvious! Very strangely though I saw practically no fans on my day trip, nor had any compliments for my brilliant musical taste. I did see some G 'N' R t-shirts over the weekend, and I guess as they were doing two nights that more fans were around, but the lack of Roses fans does make me wonder where the hell they all were, or if they literally were departing and arriving on trains from Manchester straight to Wembley! We regrettably got the bus to the north side of Holland Park, which was hideously slow and uncomfortable, and I was worrying that our quite early start would be all for nothing as the bus endlessly fucked around, carrying us slower than walking pace toward Kensington. It had been Matt's idea, but once we also saw that Kensington High Street tube station was closed at least it helped to justify the decision to travel such a slow way!

I was thrilled to see a few new things like the north entrance to Holland Park and a statue outside the Ukrainian Institute, and it was nice to be able to show Matt and his wife around the things they'd missed out on yesterday, and I kept telling myself that as the weather was better than my pics in the Kyoto Garden would turn out better! Time was short though so I chose selected highlights, and cut out a few bits of the park to head to the Design Museum. Matt and Yanyan at this point decided that they were starving and that the bus had robbed us of the time we could have had a pub lunch in, so they wandered into Kensington for food while I had a mad dash around the Design Museum, capturing the best shots from the day before but at a far faster pace, then heading back inside St Mary Abbot's Church, taking advantage of it being quieter to get closer to some of the beautiful details at the front. As it was now the weekend and time was so short I didn't try the two Catholic churches again, plus I realised that time wouldn't allow a revisit to Tim Peake's capsule in the Science Museum, but it was nevertheless a nice feeling to be retracing my steps and trying to enjoy the highlights of the previous day and to gather the requisite visual memories. We then met again at Kensington High Street station, at this point discovering that it was closed, and I got my second Boots meal deal of the day in addition to some Coke cans to repeat my successful trick of keeping hydrated for the concert ahead. Astonishingly I'd made the meeting time we'd agreed but due to the closure we had to walk to Notting Hill tube station, before heading to Waterloo for the Lego DC Super Heroes Exhibition that I'd purchased advanced tickets for after having it on my radar for a good few months. Matt and Yanyan had nicely agreed and I had become a big fan of Lego art, which to me has real value, and such accessibility that I could imagine doing it myself with sufficient time and access to the pieces, and it is brilliantly detailed and fun for the modern world.

Sadly the tent it was in - strangely advertised as based in a car park! - wasn't air conditioned, which wasn't what we wanted on such a hot day, but the models were impressive, and interestingly a few were recycled from the Lego exhibition on Brick Lane in 2014, but with DC character touches. There were also ambiguously labelled comics that may have been the first issues of Batman and Superman, but given that no ceremony was made about them I presume that they were simply copies! It was definitely worth seeing and a pleasant activity for the day, and as it was relatively quiet it was a good choice, negating any need for us to book but not causing a problem as our slight lateness hadn't created any drama anyway. I also could joke that we weren't allowed to use flash when photographing The Flash, and I went around it quite quickly, before losing track of the others and going outside, thereby inadvertently dragging Matt and Yanyan away from the play Lego inside! We'd agreed that refreshments were in order but I first insisted that we go inside St John's Church at Waterloo, which is a beautiful building that I can't recall ever seeing before. We'd walked past it on the way to Lego DC and I'd spotted that a Flower Festival was on and certainly wasn't going to miss the chance to come back! I was worried it would close stupidly early but we got in easily, and it was modern and quite minimalist inside but another decent London church to cross off the list, but by now we were even thirstier. I wanted more food ahead of the gig so we ventured into McDonald's at Waterloo station for a large drink, wrap of the day meal and McFlurry, before heading to the nearby Wellington pub for a Kozel beer and to admire the Waterloo ceiling mural and question whether we'd ever been inside before. Surely we had as it was next to a key station entrance, but I had no recollection! Yanyan had kindly been guarding my Stone Roses ticket - which sadly wasn't as ornate as previous tickets and just seemed to be a standard Wembley print - and also agreed to take back my spare memory card, and as I'd had to change my jeans due to the disgusting drink pourers yesterday I was now in the trousers that I'd resisted for Guns 'N' Roses ironically because I knew that the pockets weren't as deep and I hadn't wanted to take the risk of losing anything!

We went our separate ways and I jumped on the Jubilee line, finally spotting some Stone Roses fans who asked me where I'd seen the band before, then they seemed a bit miffed when I got off to change onto the faster Metropolitan line, although of course they should have just joined me! It was good to see some young fans and some Roses t-shirts at last, and there was even a half-hearted attempt to sing Sally Cinnamon as it was clear that everyone was now going to the same place. I exited Wembley Park stadium to be greeted by the sight of Wembley Stadium bathed in sunshine with the iconic lemons projected onto it! When life gives you lemons of course you can make lemonade, but an even better alternative is to make lemons your calling card and project them onto the side of our national stadium as a defining image of a wonderful career! The magic diminished when the projections switched to advertising for EE, and there were many, many dodgy sellers outside dispensing bucket hats, but as it was a wide and straight path I could just wander directly toward the stadium, paying even closer attention than yesterday to the route to get back! I also spotted Wembley Arena to my right when ascending the ramp, and took a photo of the t-shirt stand to document the fact that standard tees were now a disgraceful £25, and also appeared less memorable and iconic than they'd done back in 2012. It didn't stop the fans buying them though! The entrance was on the far side of the stadium and I was thrilled to walk past a couple of vans dispensing free and chilled cans of Coke Zero, cheekily returning for a total of three drinks before heading into the stadium. I'd been here before for The Killers in 2013 and this time there was a bit more of a search on entrance, in particular asking to see my camera and case, before giving it a little wristband to show that they'd checked it.

I asked if I'd be getting a proper wristband too but the answer was no, thankfully justifying my decision to remove the G 'N' R one from yesterday as it wouldn't be forming a pair anyway. Bizarrely I've lost this wristband since, and I have no fucking idea where it could have gone. Very annoying! The fact I wasn't trying to hide a water bottle meant that my entrance was easier, and in the absence of wristbands or further checks I do wonder if the entire crowd were segregated or if fans who'd got seated tickets were free to access the standing areas, but one massive plus was that there was no Golden Circle and that the real fans could stand near the front. Gates had opened at 5pm and I'd arrived less than an hour after this, and after the shambolic lack of information for Guns 'N' Roses it was great that the website had clearly advertised the running times, making the point that they were much more professional at organising concerts than the bellends at the Olympic Stadium! At this point I started to worry that my second pair of jeans would be ruined and asked myself why I hadn't taken more clothes in my large suitcase, but upon texting Matt to ask him to shove the smelly old pair in the laundry he responded that there was no point as they wouldn't dry in time, but if the worst came to the worst that I could borrow some shorts. What a guy! Thankfully though the beer spilling fuckwits weren't so prominent tonight, and my clothes came away from the concert in a much better state! Despite not being particularly early it really wasn't that busy yet, and as I didn't want to be in the heat of the moshpit I happily stood back a little, admiring that there were even water points around the side, which I hope were free, as it would be shameful if they weren't, yet wonderful if they were! The bottom tier of seats were reserved for standing ticket holders and so were largely empty when I looked, in particular the ones right at the back. It was amusing to think that after paying less money that we were being treated so much better than the Guns 'N' Roses fans shoved into the rear area behind a Golden Circle had been. Certainly I will think twice before considering going back to East London!

First support band The G-O-D took to the stage at 6pm as advertised, and apparently they are a few guys who've played with others, including Ian Brown and The Fall, who seemingly had earned the opening slot because of their Mancunian connections. It was frustrating that we were to be presented with a so-so support bill compared to Glasgow Hampden Park, who'd got the fantastic Primal Scream and Steve Mason, and I'm even more pissed off to read just now that Mason had played the legendary Dry The Rain by The Beta Band (his group) in Glasgow, and if the setlist online is to be believed - surely not? - he played nothing else! Compared to the Olympic Stadium it was nice that the full height of the portrait side screens were used on the support acts, although the similarity was that all of these groups were being awarded very short slots. The G-O-D were entirely inoffensive, featuring four main members and two ladies on backing vocals, with the singer wearing a camouflage t-shirt and a smiley-faced rave logo at the back suggesting that their love for stereotypical late 1980s Manchester has not been forgotten. I didn't get around to shooting a video as they were seemingly over before they began - and in fact just 35 minutes elapsed between their beginning and Sleaford Mods taking to the stage! - but they were alright, albeit not particularly memorable. The Sleaford Mods logo projected onto the side screens heralded their arrival, just as it did for main support act Blossoms. They were a two-piece band, albeit one where the main man Jason Williamson seemed to be doing the entirety of the work! I'd heard them a few times on 6Music and was intrigued by their angrier version of Half Man Half Biscuit's social commentary, and the singer in his black t-shirt had a permanent scowl on his face to let us know that he was genuinely angry! The other guy Andrew Fearn meanwhile lost marks for having what appeared to be a pro Brexit t-shirt, but on closer inspection the comment of "I want to leave" seems to have been accompanied by a UFO and may have been the opposite of what it first appeared. Or of course it could have predated this political mess and only now gained the extra level of meaning!

Andrew just held a bottle of beer, nodded his head enthusiastically and danced around a bit, and his musical duties seemed confined to pressing play before each song to kick in the backing track. I sure hope that he does more work behind the scenes, as this seemed an especially unequal partnership! They took a photo and declared it was for the NME, and I believe this nicely led into one of their songs, and the crowd got into it more when they launched into TCR, also known as Total Control Racing, which was very catchy and I'd heard it a few times, and clearly I wasn't the only one! I shot my second video during this, cutting it out just before the singer started to do a little dance after prowling the stage, after an earlier and longer video which was too bright due to the sun and focus, but really captured how aggressive the band were. Sleaford Mods took the piss about joining the roll call of great bands of history who'd played Wembley, but as their set was short and sweet they certainly didn't embarrass themselves, and it was good to cross them off my list without going out of my way for the privilege. I suspect that in a small venue my interest would wear off, and also the crowd would be too into it. I must concede that my enthusiasm for getting into new music is diminishing. I won't force it now, although when I commit to seeing someone I'll try to listen to the songs as much as possible, but if I'm not motivated I won't go as my gigging record is quite simply too proud to tarnish! At 7:30pm Blossoms took to the stage, and there was no tardiness on display tonight! They were a five-piece band from Stockport and looked particularly poncey, with long hair and the singer in white trousers, and their name predictably written on their drum kit. However they were pretty good and went down quite well, my main objections were their slightly punchable and over-dressed image and the fact that they came across as indie by numbers, and although it is good to see newer bands who sound alright, it's a little bit sad when they don't seem to be adding anything particularly new or exciting to the mix.

The first video I shot showed such crowd enthusiasm that there were even a couple of moshers, and they actually looked quite good! Is my lack of positive memory - or indeed much memory at all - perhaps a sad consequence of my being so exhausted from the Friday night? The second video was a ballad, and when the band rhymed "how do I feel" with "make it so real" it's a wonder that I didn't throw up. Whatever next, hands in the air and just don't care? The third video captured a lovely spontaneous section where Blossoms randomly launched into You're Gorgeous by Baby Bird, and it's astonishing how many people knew it! It was a good song at the time, but I'm surprised that anyone who wasn't from that generation would remember it! This morphed into Half The World Away by Oasis, which was a wearily crowd-pleasing choice for a Stone Roses crowd, getting the hands in the air (like we just didn't care!) and leaving the band with little to sing as we all knew the words! It really seemed spontaneous when the singer burst into the first two words of Last Christmas, not having to elaborate because we happily continued from there, forgetting the fact it was July. All except one twat in front who was wearing sunglasses to conceal a black eye, and this tosser tried picking a fight with someone later as I recall. Probably the type to take no personal responsibility for his awful personality being what gets him into fights all the time, always blaming the other person! The charm high point of Blossoms set though was asking for someone in the crowd who'd recently been dumped, and chatting with a guy called Kiran from near the front. He revealed that his ex in fact was also here tonight and the band actually got all of Wembley to enthusiastically boo her, which was hilarious! The next song was dedicated to Kiran, and this could have been the ballad I mentioned earlier, although my memory fails me. Blossoms couldn't resist the obvious route of asking us if we were looking forward to The Stone Roses and milking our cheers, and although I'd had swapped them for Primal Scream in a heartbeat I must say it was good fun to cross another newbie off my list. Their set finished with Charlemagne, and I vaguely knew it I think, but the crowd certainly seemed to and it meant that they left us on a high!

It's funny that everyone was banging on about people chanting Jeremy Corbyn to the tune of Seven National Army at Glastonbury, but in fact the crowd tonight were doing it first, and without even the enticement of a support slot from the man! I would happily swap his status of a heroic rebel leader sniping at the establishment for that of him becoming a flawed prime minister who inevitably has to compromise a bit and not quite meet sky-high expectations, but who I'm completely confident would still have done a far better job than Theresa May. It felt special to see that the crowd were so unashamedly and positively chanting his name, I just fear that these same people would far too quickly disown him if he was slightly less wonderful than we were hoping for. Still, I'm hoping for another General Election so we can turn hope into an imperfect but decent reality! There also were some Fuck ISIS chants which I didn't join in, as such sentiments are also the kind of things uttered by racists and aimed at all Muslims, so although I'm entirely happy for everyone remotely associated with ISIS to fuck off and die horribly, I wasn't up for chanting it in a crowd of random strangers. Also as much as The Stone Roses are a great band I've always been sad to note that many of their fans are complete twats, and I'd become much more aware of the dangers of twattery since the Brexit vote, and it's hard to believe that the last time I'd seen The Stone Roses it was before any of this nonsense had happened and when the very idea seemed impossible, or that even if it did happen that the people who voted for it would be able to step up and lead positively! There was a DJ between the bands who played the original version of Out Of Space by The Prodigy and also London Calling, and he had his own little record deck to the right of the stage that was wheeled out between acts. There were also some hopelessly naive young girls who seemingly fled the crowd in terror just before The Stone Roses came on. I mean, quite near the front at a Stone Roses concert, what the fuck do you expect, a red carpet? It's astonishing that people can be so naive about what gigs are like, although simultaneously the behaviour of these large crowds is so often a disgrace.

There was even an inflatable globe being flung around just like at Spike Island, which kept moving throughout the gig and did make it to the stage, but Ian Brown resisted the urge to replicate one of his most iconic moments! There were a few inflatable footballs flying around too, as well as plenty of people standing on each other's shoulders and guys who'd decided to go topless - and women who almost did the same - all with very little shame! One guy noisily decided to be sick in the middle of the crowd and a large space was cleared, and he actually got a big round of applause when he'd finished, before he promptly continued chucking! A crowd like this really wasn't the nicest place to be, although moments like this were good-natured, also when a guy raised his hand and caught a plastic cup of beer, attracting a wild round of applause, before quickly re-joining the twat brigade by promptly throwing it at someone else! The stage was being set up for The Roses and the lemon drum kit was present and correct as always, and the stage crew who climbed ladders up into the rafters, who as far as I know stayed there for the duration of the show, earned some positive attention for their bravery. Sadly there was very open drug taking and smoking, despite the heavy police presence and even police dogs outside. You do wonder how many idiots had been caught and missed the show as a result? Who'd be moronic enough to take the risk? Also security barged through once and asked a few people to put out cigarettes before hurriedly moving on, and I didn't see the fags being put out either, just placed out of sight until they'd gone past. Now I dislike Nazis telling me what to do more than most, but I usually make sure I'm in the right before acting like a dick about it, for example wanting to have some life-saving water on me and to take photos of a show is of huge benefit to me and no harm to anyone else, so damned right I will protest if anyone tries to stop me. But drug taking? I'd like to think I'd be smart enough to know I was the one in the wrong. Even beer drinking is a complete waste of time - the music and show is great, why would you need to enhance it? And also how would terrible beer improve your experience anyway?

The Stone Roses surprised me by coming onstage to the wonderful strains of Stoned Love, making up for one of the only disappointments of the Etihad Stadium show. Sadly though this was to be one of the few surprises on offer tonight! I shot a video capturing hand clapping, and it was clear that most of the crowd knew what this tune meant! It was around 10 minutes after the advertised 8:45pm start, but for me any gig start before 9pm can be considered early! And what else could they possibly play? Frankly the band would be lynched for daring to play anything other than I Wanna Be Adored! I shot a video before the song started up, capturing the ludicrous amounts of flares being set off, although unlike Manchester this time Ian Brown didn't complain. I could barely breathe at points though, and you do wonder how the hell so many flares could make it through what should have been watertight security? Did some bellends risk not being allowed in just to take them in? I captured Reni doing some drum flourishes and both phones and hands in the air, and there was much moshing and singing as the band came in. On my second video I really captured the vibe as a bucket hat featuring smiley faces was bouncing around on the head of some guy in front, and it was great to record the first line of the song for posterity! One twat literally had his back to the stage and was calmly filming everyone else going mad, which is very silly because at least I try to focus on the music, and few things are as irritating as the self-indulgent fad of pointing your cameras at yourself or the fans at gigs, when the real action is on stage! I must have been excited and in the mood for video snippets as I shot the final "I gotta be adored" bit as well, and although not as exciting as in Manchester The Stone Roses simply could not fail with such an epic song in perhaps the most famous venue of all! Next up was Elephant Stone featuring blue lemons, as my short video captured the "seems like there's a hole in my dreams" bit. The fans in fact had now calmed down after the initial burst of energy, and I'd started to move quite far to the right to escape the moshpit, in perhaps the first time in 21st century life when being on the far right was a good thing to be! Plus I was already concerned about exiting in a timely fashion after the show, not wishing to be fucked over so royally as I had been the night before.

Just like Finsbury Park had copied Heaton Park, the setup tonight was much in line with what it had been at the Etihad Stadium, although it was nice to see the ambition of The Stone Roses in booking Wembley rather than settling for somewhere more modest! There were again four screens at the top which were largely focusing on a member each, and many of the visuals were the same too. Also the setlist was very similar, bounding through most of my personal favourites at the start. The guys had learned not to leave Sally Cinnamon out of the set and it was played to much enthusiasm and with the same nostalgic arty red backdrop, and the video I shot caught the crowd singing with more gusto than I recalled, capturing the first words of the song. There were so many Twat Hands in the way though! Ian Brown was wearing a white top and sporting short hair, but he seemed rather muted, although to be fair he's never been one for extended banter. Nevertheless it did seem a bit weird that on such a monumental occasion that he didn't have more to say, saving most of his energy for the pathetically outdated swipe at The Queen on Elizabeth My Dear. I also recall him saying hello to the side and back seating areas, and once again can't raise any complaints about his singing, although it's always tough to hear with all the crowd joining in, even though the fans were nowhere near as energised as they had been in Manchester! By now the stadium certainly looked full, and although John Squire was again very hairy he did look very striking in a red top, whereas Mani looked the same as he always does! Reno too was sporting a beard and in yellow again, and next up was Mersey Paradise, which went down fairly well considering its obscure pedigree, although perhaps will never live up to the glory of the first time at Heaton Park. I shot another short video and it was gratifying that many of the fans seemed to know it. For (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister I shot a video of the drum roll and "hey hey hey my candy floss girl" bit, and it seemed clear that I'd moved quite far back as there were much less hands in the way by now!

Then it was Where Angels Play, and this continued the wonderful run of many of my fave Roses songs, while retaining my confidence that most of the biggest hits were still to come. This inevitably morphed into Shoot You Down and here I shot a longer video, including the "starting to choke me" bit, which was appropriate given all the flares we'd put up with earlier! The sound and lights were great, and I zoomed in on Ian just as the tune hit the pre-verse guitars. So here's the interesting thing. Looking at my pictures and videos, it seemed overwhelmingly that The Stone Roses were better than Guns 'N' Roses. And certainly if it wasn't for the fact I'd seen The Stone Roses three times before I'm sure I would have preferred them. However, Guns 'N' Roses had really impressed me with their marathon set, some of their fantastic stadium moments and Axl's charismatic and positive performance. They are a very natural stadium band, and I also must factor in that despite my positive attitude, my exhaustion from the night before clearly was impinging on my enthusiasm levels. So, in this War Of The Roses, although I'd certainly say that The Stone Roses would win a war, Guns 'N' Roses won the battle, and this completely defied my expectations, providing good evidence of my open mind. However, neither compared to the glory of seeing Kraftwerk for the first time! Next up was Waterfall, which featured the lovely green backdrop you can see above, and I shot a video which helpfully reminds me which backdrop links to which song, and indicates that the guys were sounding great, and the fans got their hands in the air all over again. Familiarity is always an interesting thing, as when the band stray from a perfect formula - such as the omissions at the Finsbury Park show - it causes huge annoyance, but when they were so doggedly sticking to the obvious it could go a little too far the other way. So it goes without saying that Waterfall transformed into Don't Stop, with my video capturing the segue, and much hand-clapping for the backward guitars. The inflatable globe was still bouncing around, but in moments when the set was just too predictable like this I realised that the missing piece was a new album. Four tours over four separate years with only two new songs to show for it was just starting to get a bit silly. Finsbury Park had been a victory lap and the Etihad Stadium had teased at the forthcoming album, but just what was this in aid of? Wembley represented a pinnacle perhaps, but with such a high regard for The Stone Roses it wasn't quite enough to make it worthwhile!

Begging You remained welcome with the cool red swirling patterns I captured on my video, but when Ian started to whine about the witch in the tower before Elizabeth My Dear he clearly lost much of the crowd, and I no longer join in and am far from the only one. It's doubly frustrating when we have an unelected witch in Downing Street who is actually causing harm to our country, and although an obvious target she would at least be a much more worthwhile one. Fools Gold kicked off and I knew what was coming so shot a video of the introductory guitars, before it morphed into that overrated loop and the crowd latched onto it, trying to launch an idiotic and unwarranted slam pit. I'm sorry, but Fools Gold has never made any of my Roses compilations because it's just not good enough, with the short version being pointless and the long rendition a waste of space. However, as so many of the crowd seem obsessed by this so-so number I don't think the band had any real choice but to play it. Reni was now wearing his bucket hat and the lasers were activated, also the rigging on the stage was impressively raised throughout the number, although this time I don't recall John Squire adding intrigue by launching into different tunes during his solos! I shot a second video of the lasers and people on each other's shoulders, capturing the "these boots were made for walking" bit, but I was still unmoved, and I suspect I will never have that epiphany where I suddenly "get" Fools Gold and understand what all the fuss is about. If it was a well-regarded and obscure b-side I may even love it, but as long as it's presented as the defining hit by a band who offered so much more I will always be left cold. For All For One I shot a video of the introduction and first line, and it triggered a deeply unnecessary moshpit amid usage of the single artwork onscreen. Although it felt great to hear it the first time and that guitar solo is a killer, the Dogtanian lyrics sadly let down what could have been a triumphant return.

I shot a purple video during Love Spreads, then another capturing more flares and people on shoulders during Made Of Stone, cutting it out just as it hit the chorus and the moshing started. It's an absolutely astounding moment and is always one of the highlights. She Bangs The Drums followed, keeping the massive hits flowing, and my video captured the "past was yours but the future's mine bit" and a red backdrop, but for me this pleasant little pop song has always been overshadowed by the more epic material. Breaking Into Heaven is one I'd hardly regard as essential, but despite the fact that The Stone Roses had played it at every show I'd ever seen except Heaton Park, it somehow seemed like a surprise. Perhaps I was just grateful that the appalling Something's Burning segment was still confined to the dustbin of history! I shot a short video and suspect that the backdrop for Heaven had been improved, but much more exciting was the simple blue imagery deployed for the glorious This Is The One! Ian Brown dedicated it to his Mum, and somehow my camera got caught up in its strap, although as this prevented me from being able to drop it it wasn't entirely a bad thing! My video was quite long and got the fantastic "leave the country for a month of Sunday's" bit, and my approach of many short videos to give me a little memory of nearly every song was proving to be intriguing! It was only around 10:10pm so I was shocked when the band launched into I Am The Resurrection, but at the same time in London you're just grateful for any extra help in being able to get home at a sensible time, and who could possibly want an encore to follow this? And, as predictable as it was, I doubt I'd have forgiven them for trying something different! My first video I stopped as it was blurry after capturing the "I don't care where you've been or what you plan to do" moment, then I had a better and longer attempt for "cut loose, 'cos you're no loose", capturing the letters floating around the screen. The band added some flourishes to that wonderful ending, with a third video capturing a bit of the guitar solo, inadvertently breaking my golden rule of never cutting off I Am The Resurrection before the end!

The band resisted the full arms-linked moment of triumph, instead going for a group hug in the middle of the stage, and I quickly made my way toward the exit, noting that Beautiful Thing was again played on the way out. A real missed opportunity, why couldn't the band play it live? Despite a lack of clear signs I'd been paying very close attention so found the correct ramp to head toward Wembley Park, passing two lots of Go/Stop signs and only being stopped once. In fact I barely stopped moving! It felt like wonderful organisation, although to be fair I think I'd also beaten the bulk of the crowd this time too after dashing up the stairs and out of the stadium! I even stopped to pick up a dodgy £10 t-shirt, which looked great and stylish but after its first wash it somehow has a hole in it! What the actual fuck? This meant I'd picked up something from each of my four Stone Roses shows though, so I was happy. Before boarding the Jubilee Line, figuring it wasn't worth the risk of changing trains via the faster Metropolitan Line, I praised one of the Transport Police guys for wonderful organisation, suggesting that they head down to train the morons working at the Olympic Stadium! He seemed surprised by the contrast of Wembley with East London, but deserved some positive feedback in what can often appear to be a thankless job. Also I was proud of myself for not screaming at anyone amid the appalling shit show I'd endured yesterday, figuring if you've got nothing nice to say to complete strangers then try not to say anything at all. The Tube trundled along nicely and I eventually got a seat, with two girls nearby quietly listening and singing to Stone Roses songs on their phone. I easily changed onto the Victoria Line, and I think I did this whole trip back into Central London before even reaching the 11pm curfew of the show! I didn't mind missing the next train as I was so chuffed to be back at Victoria in good time, and downed two Cokes from Boots and a McDonald's wrap to fill up after a long show. My ears were whistling and I could get a comfortable seat on the train ten minutes before departure, giving me chance to draft these notes that I only am finding time to write up fully four weeks later.

It felt good to know I'd be getting a good night's sleep so could enjoy some more sightseeing on Sunday, although this was a rare occasion when a Stone Roses concert wasn't followed by an intense bout of listening to their music, as I was so short on time and so familiar with their material anyway. I definitely think that the two gigs combined justified the trip to London, although organisational chaos and crowd behaviour certainly is putting me off attending these mega concerts. I'm seeing The Rolling Stones in Paris in October and am quite apprehensive about the whole thing, noting that again there is a golden circle and fearing that incompetence will damage my experience and tarnish my good memories of seeing The Stones back in 2013. However I sure as hell didn't want to sit at the back, and perhaps as I grow older and become less and less inclined to get into music, my favourite acts will stop touring and I'll naturally start to see less shows? I won't mind too much, I've had a good run! I was hoping to be back in London in September too, but as I was so desperately short on holiday leave and Matt was moving house it proved impractical. In addition to Paris I've chosen to spend my other big week of leave heading up to City Of Culture 2017 Hull, alongside Scarborough, Whitby and York, which is much less ambitious than my usual plans, but fits what I feel like doing. I see that The Stone Roses played identical sets throughout this tour, although on the preceding dates in Japan they played Bye Bye Badman in place of Where Angels Play. Madness when the inferior Shoot You Down remains in the set undisturbed, although I'd had loved to hear Badman! The real frustration though was the continued lack of new songs, and the fact that there wasn't a single tune tonight that I hadn't heard before. A full rendition of Beautiful Thing, and finally playing The Hardest Thing In The World or One Love would have gone down a treat, and if they'd thrown in an entirely new song the venue would have exploded with joy!

On the Sunday we headed to North Greenwich, and I was pleased to see two of those inspiring Tube information boards I've heard about, this time covering both of my gigs and shamelessly name-checking as many songs as possible. The effort involved was fantastic! We then saw the Star Wars Identities exhibition, which featured some great memorabilia, although I refused to use an audio guide, before heading back into Central London to climb the Walkie Talkie, which boasted some wonderful views and a stunning Sky Garden, despite some frustrating highly reflective glass. My photos turned out beautifully and I was grateful that it wasn't these pics I'd lost, and that despite the limited dates for getting Walkie Talkie tickets via the free website that it had worked out great and that we hadn't had to rush Star Wars. In fact we were now ahead of time so I could visit my favourite Bierkeller by Borough Market, although sadly the atmosphere was empty and sombre after the terrorist cunts had struck so close by just a few weeks before. When I headed home I tried catching up on everything but annoyingly caught the worst food poisoning of my life the following weekend, preventing me from exercising for two full weeks and robbing me of a day I so desperately needed, as here I now am staying up late to finish writing this review the day before heading on up to Hull for my holiday, one week after I'd planned to finish writing this review! Shockingly there are hints that The Stone Roses have split up, with Ian Brown getting frustrated by the lack of progress, and rumours that Reni is having knee trouble. And to be fair they have taken this reunion as far as it can go without a full album. They can just barely claim that this extra tour was worthwhile to elevate themselves to play such legendary stadiums, providing fans who couldn't get tickets on previous occasions another chance to come along and see what all the fuss is about. But it's time for a new album please! In the meantime I had The Flaming Lips, Sparks, Gorillaz and Gogol Bordello to come in addition to The Rolling Stones, so 2017 was turning out to be a pretty amazing year for music! I know I'll wind it down eventually, but while the legends are still touring and on top form let's keep it going!
Setlist (Sleaford Mods)
Army Nights
I Can Tell
Moptop
Snout
Dull
TCR
Cuddly
B.H.S.
Tweet Tweet Tweet
Setlist (Blossoms)
At Most A Kiss
Blow
Getaway
Honey Sweet
Texia
Blown Rose
My Favourite Room
Deep Grass
This Moment
Charlemagne
Setlist (The Stone Roses)
I Wanna Be Adored
Elephant Stone
Sally Cinnamon
Mersey Paradise
(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
Where Angels Play
Shoot You Down
Waterfall
Don't Stop
Begging You
Elizabeth My Dear
Fools Gold
All For One
Love Spreads
Made Of Stone
She Bangs The Drums
Breaking Into Heaven
This Is The One
I Am The Resurrection
Beautiful Thing

Mark: 9.0/10