Two years after the last big swell of rumors, reports of an impending reunion of The Stone Roses once again are flying, thanks to a U.K. tabloid’s claim the band is “getting back together after Ian Brown and John Squire buried the hatchet on one of the most bitter feuds in rock ‘n’ roll history.”
The Sun, in today’s edition, reports that the famously feuding Brown and Squire — whose rift in the mid-’90s led to the collapse of the Roses — patched things up after attending the funeral of Gary “Mani” Mounfield’s mother and that the “megabucks reunion is now being lined up to happen later in the year” — so long as they can convince the reclusive Alan “Reni” Wren to man the drums once again.
The tabloid quotes an anonymous source:
“Ian has been mulling over reaching out to John for a while now. A lot of water has gone under the bridge and everyone has grown up. Ian has just gone through a tough time with a divorce and then Mani’s mum’s funeral brought everyone back under the same roof. It was an emotional reunion. There were no harsh words. It was a heartwarming breaking of bread. They had a lot to catch up on and have been in regular contact since.”
Whether there’s any truth at all to the newspaper’s report remains to be seen. In March 2009, London’s Daily Mirror reported that the Roses would reunite for “at least 21 gigs” in the U.K. and a slot at the Coachella festival to celebrate that year’s 20th anniversary of the band’s classic debut. Within days, both Brown and Squire — the latter via a piece of his own artwork — denied the reports.
UPDATE: Mani already has moved to quash the report, telling the NME today: “I’m disgusted that my personal grief has been invaded and hijacked by these nonsensical stories,” he said, referring to the fact that Brown and Squire met up at his mother’s funeral. 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.”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Milestones: Ian Brown is 48 today; watch The Stone Roses lose power live on BBC
- Video: Badly Drawn Boy covers The Stone Roses’ ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ in L.A. studio
- Milestones: John Squire is 48 today; watch The Stone Roses play ‘Waterfall’ in 1989
- Milestones: Mani is 48 today; watch The Stone Roses get ‘Adored’ at the Hacienda
- The Stone Roses’ 20th anniversary round-up: Video, audio, links, interviews
- Through his art, John Squire firmly denies reports of a Stone Roses reunion
- No reunion: Ian Brown shoots down report of Stone Roses anniversary tour
- Report: Stone Roses to reunite, mark 20th anniversary of debut album
Well, I guess that is as good a final word as any, huh? Would have been nice though…although the debut album is the only one worth a crap. Shame that they had the circumstances that they did, they were set to be the next megaband. They certainly had the talent, just got the shaft from the greedy record companies. I love that digital music is killing them and their profits. What comes around, goes around.
Eh, I hope they never reform. Like the Smiths, it just adds to their mystique.
I agree! People just want these bands to reform for the spectacle of it all. They know the music will be shite after all of these years.
They have no choice. I’m sure all of them, including Brown, are practically broke by now.