Ian Brown played a homecoming Manchester gig this weekend (September 30), and dedicated the set to late Happy Mondays bassist Paul Ryder.

Brown is currently on his first UK headline tour in a decade, and played the O2 Victoria Warehouse in his hometown on Friday night.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Brown told the crowd: “I just want to dedicate tonight’s set to one of the greatest human beings I ever met. Let’s hear it for Mr Paul Ryder.”

Ryder passed away on July 15 at the age of 58. In a statement, his surviving bandmates described him as “a true pioneer and legend” who will be “forever missed”.

Earlier this summer, Happy Mondays released a new EP, ‘Tart Tart’, in tribute to their late bassist, while Echo and The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch sung at Ryder’s funeral. Others paying their respects at the funeral included Brown, Happy Mondays bandmate Bez and former New Order and Joy Division bass player Peter Hook.

Elsewhere during the Manchester gig, Brown took a pop at journalists’ responses to the controversial reaction to his tour opener in Leeds last month. “Are there any journalists in tonight?” he asked. “There shouldn’t be because I’ve banned them all. No snakes in my place.”

Following the show at Leeds’ O2 Academy, fans shared their anger after the Stone Roses singer played his sold out big with no band, with some likening the performance to “karaoke”.

One attendee in Leeds described the show as Brown “[doing] karaoke and [butchering] his own tunes,” adding: “Gutted to see Ian Brown turn up to his £40 a ticket, sold out gig at leeds tonight WITH NO BAND.

“I’m a life long fan but it was bad. Ian Brown does karaoke and butchers his own tunes. Most were too pissed to care but I had to get out after this one.”

At a subsequent Glasgow gig – the second show on the tour – Brown stopped a song midway through to indirectly reference the criticism, and say that he believed everyone at the Leeds show was having a great time.

“Last night we played in Leeds,” he told the crowd, “and all there was was hands in the air, all the way to the back.”

Brown’s headline tour continues tonight (October 3) at Birmingham’s O2 Academy. See the remaining dates on the tour below and pick up tickets here.

OCTOBER 2022
3 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
4 – Bournemouth, O2 Academy
6 – Nottingham, Rock City
7 – London, O2 Academy Brixton