The Stone Roses in Hot Press – through the years

The Stone Roses announced last night that they will play three shows in the UK next year, and while it wasn’t the album announcement that we might have hoped for, it’s still nice to see there’s life in the old dogs yet.
Of course, that the fire would still burn within was of little surprise here at Hot Press, where we’ve had the chance to get up close and personal with the band on more than a few occasions. Today we’re trawling the archives to find some of the more revealing meetings, whether with the band or with various members in their solo guises.
Back in 1990, Andy Darlington headed across the Irish Sea to find the quartet in their home city – and at the peak of their powers. A year after their debut, they’d become nothing short of a phenomenon; the interview attempts to find out why.

Of course, the self-titled opening salvo was a much-lauded slice of swaggering psychedelic rock – though it didn’t completely win over the late George Byrne. Check out his 8/12 review here. The follow-up five years late was better received on our pages, but as Niall Crumlish notes in his review of Second Coming, there was a feeling the band would disappear forever.
Of course, that didn’t mean the respective members of the band would fade into obscurity – some eight years later, Ian Brown was forging a career as a solo artist. He reflected on the Madchester days with Stuart Clark – and made a none-too-subtle statement that a Stone Roses reunion would never happen. How things change, eh? Check out their chat right here.

Eamon Sweeney pinned down three of the four members to reminisce and look forward in equal measure in 2003 – and though a comeback was still a long way off, they certainly seemed to enjoy a little bit of nostalgia, as this fascinating article shows.
And while it might have taken close to another decade, a reunion duly arrived. Our man Mr Clark was once again in a chatty mood, this time with John Squire and Mani – with help from Liam and Noel Gallagher along the way. That 2012 interview can be found here.