The world of music enters into a new duel this time next Gary ‘Manny’ Moonfield, legendary guitarist for legendary Manchester band The Stone Roses, has died at the age of 63.. His bass line was a key component of the “loose” sound that characterized the group, but also… A key piece in building the Madchester aesthetic: A style that fuses British psychedelia, rave culture, fashion revival, oversized clothing and dance floor rhythms.
The news of his death was confirmed by his brother Greg, who announced it.Broken hearted“In a post on Facebook.

Moonfield’s onstage presence – always with a Fender bass over his shoulder, a sly attitude and a hypnotic groove – was crucial in defining the band’s aura. The Stone Roses weren’t just an independent label in the late 1980s: They laid the sonic and visual foundations that would later influence much of British pop, including Oasis, Blur and The Charlatans..
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Featuring Manny on bass, Ian Brown on vocals, John Squire on guitar, and Alan “Rennie” Wren on drums. The Stone Roses were a pillar of the Madchester indie scene. From the late eighties and early nineties.
Its aestheticsCovers with Squire’s Jackson Pollock-inspired figurative distillation, danceable beats, oversized T-shirts, bucket hats and an attitude of street mysticism– It profoundly influenced the entire British popular culture.

Although it was established in 1983 They released their self-titled debut album in 1989.with influences ranging from punk to glam, through dance, funk and acid house. “His second work”“The Second Coming” was released in 1994 and was the bomb that made it global.. Both entered the top five in the UK.
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This first album included classics such as “I want to be loved“,”She beats the drums“and”I am the resurrection“, all backed by Manny’s bass lines, which were provided A rhythmic and emotional character that ended up defining the album’s identity.
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After The Stone Roses broke up in 1996 Moonfield joined another iconic formation: Primal Scream. He played there for 15 years, and makes his first appearance on the album “Vanishing point(1997). His arrival coincided with a phase in which the Scottish band was consolidating A sound that crosses psychedelic rock, krautrock, electronic music and alternative dance.
In that band, Mani introduced a more organic and powerful bass sound, which ended up being a feature of the band’s aesthetic turn. The bass was key in Kowalskithe krautrock-influenced lead single. He recorded four more albums with them before leaving them in 2011 for a reunion of The Stone Roses.
Ian Brown, singer of The Stone Roses, dedicated a message to him in X: “Rest in peace Manny“. Liam Gallagher also paid tributewho wrote: “I’m in complete shock And absolutely devastated to hear about Manny. My hero, RIP R Kid.”

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For the Gallagher brothers, who had just visited Argentina, and many of the musicians on the scene, Moonfield represented them A direct bridge from Manchester’s psychedelic electronic rock tradition Which inspired Britpop.

Monfield’s wife, Imelda, died in November 2023.Three years after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. The couple had twin children, born in 2013.
Shaun Ryder, leader of the Happy Mondays – another core band in the Madchester movement – also expressed his condolences: “RIP Mani – sincere condolences to his twin and his entire family.” His bandmate Rowetta He posted a photo with Manny and Imelda and wrote: “I will miss you both so much. All my love to the boys, family and everyone who knew and loved him.“.

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Moonfield reunited with his bandmates for a comeback tour in 2012, a revival that reconnected an entire generation. Younger audiences added to that astonishing cultural imagination created to a greater or lesser extent by English working-class musicians.

The group’s comeback brought two singles in 2016, but a new album never appeared. The band disbanded again in 2017 after old tensions were renewed.. Between 2016 and 2017 they played several shows in the UK, including a concert in Hampden Park, Glasgow, which ended up being the classic formation’s final performance. “Don’t be sad because it’s over, be happy because it happenedBrown said when the party was over.
Tim Burgess, singer of The Charlatans – another central figure on the British scene – said his farewell with a photo taken a few days agoWhen they celebrated Manny’s 63rd birthday. “One of the best in everything. Beautiful friend“, books.

“There is no profitability in music that has been removed from the canon.”
Ian McCulloch, singer of popular English new wave band Echo & The Bunnymen, also expressed his remorse.“I am absolutely devastated by the news. I’ve always wanted it and would love itDeeply and forever. Like a brother.”

Manny had a distinguished participation in “24 hour party“(2002), Cult film that tells History of the independent label Factory Records – the engine, if there was one, of everything the Madchester movement and the British rave scene were – a universe of which he was himself the protagonist.
He was also a member of the supergroup Freebass, along with… Andy Rourke (Blacksmiths) and Peter Hook (Joy’s Oath/New Order), Creation A project that brought together three prominent guitarists from Manchester.
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Hook honored him in X: “God… Manny… I don’t have words this time, not really. I can’t believe it. All my love to your family. It’s very sad. RIP friend. Love, hockey. Freebass disbanded before the release of their debut album, It’s a Beautiful Life, in 2010.

Manny Munfield: The identity and DNA of Manchester
Off stage, Lancashire-born musician A.J An avid Manchester United fan He was talking about the team on radio and television. That Mancunian identity, inseparable from the DNA of The Stone Roses and the Madchester scene, was part of his public persona.
His death came shortly after it was announced A speaking tour to various cities in the UK, scheduled to take place in September next yearHe planned to review his experiences and memories with The Stone Roses and Primal Scream.
For many, that tour was the last great opportunity to hear how their voices helped them Forming one of the most influential music scenes of the past four decades.
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But his death reinforces evidence that transcends any chronology: Mane’s legacy was already secure long ago. His bass lines – which accompanied those who grew up in the 80s and 90s and today still find new listeners on digital platforms – continue to vibrate like an invisible thread between generations.
Those songs that helped define the pulse of Madchester and the expansive spirit of British pop come back again and again, in headphones, in pubs, and in shared memories. It’s not about sad nostalgia, it’s about natural continuity: The music of a musician whose works live on, every time someone presses the “PLAY” button and his unmistakable sound brings back the pulse of the times.
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