Reviewed onMonday December 12 (photo by Ashley Mar)
For a band that only has two studio albums to its name – the last of those coming more than two decades ago – The Stone Roses stir a religious fervour in their fans to rival any of their contemporaries.
Even on a Monday night, half the world away from Manchester, the band’s first show of three at the Sydney Opera House saw the faithful passionately singing along to not only the words but basslines (the intro to ‘I Wanna Be Adored’) and guitar riffs (‘Waterfall’).
During openers ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ and ‘Elephant Stone’, it seemed as though the Roses were finding their way back into their stride, what with it being their first show since the middle of the year. By ‘Sally Cinnamon’, things were up and running as they should be, with the indomitable bass and drum combo of Mani and Reni reaching full power.
Like all the band’s post-reunion shows, the setlist relied heavily on tracks from the Roses’ classic 1987-1990 period, including all 11 from 1989’s self-titled debut. For those with a place in their heart for 1994’s (unjustly overlooked) Second Coming, we were treated to more songs than on the band’s last visit in 2013, with the frenetic ‘Begging You’ and the epochal ‘Breaking Into Heaven’ getting an airing, along with the swaggering blues of ‘Love Spreads’.
Following on from the extended funk workout of ‘Fools Gold’, ‘All For One’ made its Australian debut. The first new Stone Roses single since 1995 and one of two songs released by the band this year, it held its own during a set rich with anthems.
The already euphoric atmosphere in the room went up another couple of notches as the show reached its conclusion. From ‘Love Spreads’ through ‘Made Of Stone’, ‘She Bangs The Drums’, ‘This Is The One’ and the final triumphant climax of ‘I Am The Resurrection’, almost everyone in the crowd was on their feet, in full voice and with hands in the air.
Leaving a jubilant crowd in their wake, The Stone Roses well and truly made Monday night in Sydney feel like a Saturday anywhere, and that’s a beautiful thing indeed.
