A couple of days ago, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield passed away. RIP.
I know .. most of you would say ‘who?’
I understand. Mani was not a household name, but if you are into music – like I am – you’ll know that he provided the bass spine of several bands from the 1980s to the present, including the Stone Roses and Primal Scream.
The related pop music scene was called ‘Madchester’ music. Oodles of fantastic, bouncy tunes came from that era and the artists at the centre of this movement created ripple effects that were felt across the globe. Bucket hats, Adidas jackets, baggy pants, long hair. A touch psychedelic, a splash of funk, a whisper of reverence for those that inspired them.
They put up a good fight against the downtuned grunge scene coming out of the western states in America and I honestly think they won.
With Mani on bass, Brown on vocals, John Squire on guitar and Alan “Reni” Wren on drums, the Stone Roses were at the forefront of the “Madchester” indie scene of the late 1980s and early 90s.
Combining a melting pot of influences from across indie, punk, psychedelic rock, dance, funk and reggae, they released their beloved debut album in 1989.
The self-titled LP featured such classic songs as I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drums and I Am The Resurrection, all underpinned by the grooves of Mani’s basslines.
It was named the greatest British album of all time by the Observer in 2004 and NME two years later.
To give you a taste of what it’s all about:
It was 1989 and the Berlin wall had fallen. The US seemed to actually have a leg up on the Russians and defusing nuclear devastation seemed like a very real prospect. The resulting boom in enthusiasm and the removal of Margaret Thatcher from office meant millions of British youth were in a great mood.
Some even call the era a ‘Second Summer of Love’. By 1990, the Happy Mondays took over the lineup for Glastonbury and the rest was history.
Mani played with the Stone Roses to 1996 and then joined up with the Scottish band Primal Scream in 1997, performing on five albums, including iconic songs like ‘Trainspotting’, ‘Some Velvet Morning’, ‘Kowalski’, ‘Kill All Hippies’, ‘Blood Money’ and many more. A shortlist of his great lines can be found here.
Mounfield had a guest role in the movie 24 Hour Party People in 2002 and was in a supergroup called Freebass, with bass players Andy Rourke of The Smiths and Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order. They split before releasing their debut record in 2010.
Just two weeks prior to his death, Mani announced a spoken-word tour planned for 2026-2027, where the musician was going to reflect on his life and his celebrated career.
Response from the community:
The Stone Roses posted on social media: “RIP our wonderful brother Mani. The greatest bass player and friend we could ever have wished for. X”
The band’s singer Ian Brown also paid his own tribute on X, writing: “REST IN PEACE MANi X”.
Paul Weller: “We’re all still shocked about our dear brother Mani’s passing. I still can’t believe it. For a little fella, he had a big personality, like his bass sound. A true one-off.”
Kasabian writing: ‘Sad and shocked to hear the news. RIP Mani. Beautiful man, Manchester Icon, a huge talent with huge heart and one of our first industry supporters as a band. You will be missed massively X.’
Happy Mondays singer Rowetta also posted: ‘Going to miss you so much. All my love to the boys, the family & all those who knew & loved him.’
‘RIP Mani – my heartfelt condolences to his twin boys and all of his family’, echoed Shaun Ryder.
‘IN TOTAL SHOCK AND ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED ON HEARING THE NEWS ABOUT MANI MY HERO RIP RKID LG’, tweeted Liam Gallagher.
Liam Fray of Manchester band The Courteeners said he was “absolutely devastated to hear the news”, adding: “This is what true sadness feels like. Everyone who knew you will miss you so much.”
Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch shared: “I’m absolutely gutted to hear the news about Mani, who I have always loved and always will love, deeply and forever. Like a brother. I am in shock to be honest. Please tell me I’m just having a bad, bad dream.”
Richard Ashcroft of The Verve referred to Mounfield as ‘one of the loveliest positive musicians to spend time with’, while Liam Fray of The Courteeners said his death is ‘what true sadness feels like’.
Manchester United are due to further honour Mounfield before their Premier League game against Everton at Old Trafford on Monday, since the rocker was a huge supporter of the team.
After his death, United said: ‘The club was part of his DNA, and he was proud to be Red.’
Liam Walsh, a Manchester-based music publicist and friend, said: “I’ve known Mani for 40 years. He was such a rare person: he always greeted me – and everyone – with such warmth.
“He was always pleased to see you, and I was always delighted to see him. He had the most infectious laugh that gave him all those laughter lines.”
Walsh said he was “in shock” after hearing the news on his way to a music industry event. “As I walked in, the Stone Roses’ Fools Gold, with that famous bassline of his, was playing in the bar. His legacy will live on forever.”
