In a hyperbolic fashion befitting the group's standing in...the UK, the Stone Roses — Ian Brown, John Squire, Mani and Reni - have announced that they will play two shows at Manchester's Heaton Park on Friday June 29 and Saturday June 30, 2012. The dates will form part of an extensive world tour.

The Stone Roses formed in 1983 in Manchester, finding widespread notoriety with their 1989 self-titled debut, which capitalised on the psychedelic tinges of the Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream and the then flourishing "Madchester" club culture. Their position at the forefront of the subsequent movement culminated in 1990, when their performance at a specially arranged festival on Spike Island in the UK attracted 30,000 people and was dubbed the "Woodstock for the baggy generation." Soon after the band signed to a major label, instigating years of label wranglings, court cases and internal conflicts, which wouldn't see them release a follow up until 1994's Second Coming; an album which reportedly saw them spend "347 ten-hour days" working in the studio.

Second Coming received a mixed reception, and following poorly received festival shows in 1996 (in which frontman Ian Brown's vocals were said to be wildly off-key) the band split in acrimony. Brown would become a solo artist, Squire still released music but focused on his visual art and Mani joined Primal Scream. Rumours of a reunion persisted for years, and as recent as April this year ("Two old friends meeting up after 15 years to pay their respects to my mother does not constitute the reformation of The Stone Roses. Please fuck off and leave it alone. It isn't true and isn't happening." - Mani after seeing Brown at his mother's funeral), and May ("When it's just a get-together for a big payday and everyone gets their old clothes out, that seems tragic to me." - Squire) the band were denying such speculation. Until today.

Already the band have been into a rehearsal studio to start work on the set-list for the "one of the most eagerly anticipated reunifications ever." According to themselves.

"We're going to shake up the world," claimed the ever boastful Brown at the press conference. To which Reni added: "If anyone buys a ticket of course."







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