Oasis - The Lost Tapes

Tim Abbot was Managing Director at Creation Records when the band signed and he was one of their biggest allies, becoming a close friend of the band. It was Tim that tracked down Noel when he left in 1994 after the infamous Whiskey A Go Go show, Tim on the cover of Cigarettes & Alcohol having it large with the band, Tim that was helping to manage the whirlwind of activity that Oasis kicked up for Creation.

Tim got Oasis from the very first time the band set foot inside Creation's office to sign the deal McGee had offered/promised them at King Tuts. He fell for their look, their attitude and their music. Oasis, in turn, recognised a kindred spirit.

Abbot filmed it all. Recognising that Oasis were special, his new book and accompanying film, The Lost Tapes, is the Holy Grail of never-before-seen footage, taking you the trip of a lifetime from tiny venues, across different countries and on to iconic shows. Raw, unfiltered, soulful and true - Oasis in their prime.

This is the Oasis I love.

I'm not interested in huge stadium shows, a merchandise overload, insane ticket prices and the brothers getting the band back together for money. Everything seems so controlled, so corporate, so organised, so orchestrated ... down to the hugs between the brothers. It's amazing what a costly divorce can lead to ... 

Now, the hugs between Liam and Noel seem to be getting warmer with every passing show, but there is little other interaction between them ... at least that we have seen.

So yes, I'm a little cynical and relatively non-fussed about Oasis in 2025. They have already played to over a million people at the time of writing and are going to make millions more happy. But it's the Oasis of my youth that I still crave. When things were balanced permanently on a knife edge, it could all explode at any given moment, when the tension could be felt on stage and off. 

And my God, hasn't Tim Abbot captured the essence of Oasis in this film - which, it should be added, comes in excerpts with Tim talking in between and doing a Q&A at the end. Abbot would need substantial investment to clear music and complete the film. Tantalisingly, Abbot has had 30-hours of footage edited and documented and has another 10-hours being worked on. Last night was a mere glimpse into what he has.

However, what you get to see at present includes; Noel creating the chord sequence to Don't Look Back In Anger in a bar in Montreal, the humour and banter, Guigsy riding round the outside of Earls Court on his new scooter (courtesy of The Chief - AKA Noel) past the fans as Oasis-mania really kicked in, backstage footage, Noel dragging Alan White out his bed to the bar, the desire and ambition, the rollercoaster ride that climbed ever higher but had unexpected dips along the way - before climbing even higher! 

There is incredible footage of Oasis in the studio recording Champagne Supernova - Liam getting a warning from Owen Morris to look after his voice, while Liam says he is going out to the pub, but only for a couple. Liam pouring his heart and soul into singing the song, sounding incredible. As Abbot says, (What's The Story) Morning Glory is the album where Liam truly learned to sing.

Elsewhere, Noel lays down some of the guitar parts to Champagne Supernova in the mixing room, with Liam lounging on the sofa to his side. Noel absolutely nails it - he is completely in the zone and producer Owen Morris is super excited, Noel is visibly chuffed. Liam - 'it's alright.' :-)

You had to hang on for dear life as a fan back then, never mind being the Managing Director of the label and close friend of the band. Abbot tells a tale of how a fight between the brothers could erupt from something as simple as one not passing the other a bottle of beer. 

His tale of Noel going missing after the infamous crystal meth episode at the Whiskey A Go Go, how he finds him, goes to Vegas and plays a role in getting the band going again is incredible. It's a little film in the making.

Abbot talks of the golden period of Noel writing song-after-song, but also of how the well ran dry and things changed after Maine Road and at Knebworth, highlighting that on reflection, they should have released The Masterplan compilation and taken a break.

Abbot's brilliant quote about Knebworth was; 'when there are more hairdressers (i.e. the Meg Mathews crowd) hanging around backstage than other bands, then you have a problem.'

He also talks of the difference of going to Mustique to write and demo in comparison to the songs that Noel had written to date. Don't Go Away, Stand By Me and All Around The World were the only old songs taken forward to Be Here Now. There is footage from the recording of Morning Glory that shows the former two on the list of songs being worked on.

Tim also talks fondly about the clothes and attitude of the band; how Liam could wear a £15 Millets cagoule and look cool. His photos from the book, and played on a slideshow between films, showcase a devastatingly handsome Liam, super cool hair, eyes you could dive into and an inner fire and soul that leaps out - even in a photo. Abbot affectionately refers to Liam as The Kid and Noel as The Chief. 

The film has excellent footage from the Morning Glory and Wonderwall film sets. It's safe to say that Oasis were not fans of recording promo videos! While Tim recording the band walking on to the stage at Earls Court is electrifying.

Tim is engaging company and his passion is still there. Abbot is a super fan, following the band round their reunion shows - he says that the Saturday at Wembley was truly incredible. 

His thoughts for the future?

A live album(s) put out in bootleg style. A big rest after the South American leg of the tour, European dates and ... Knebworth 2026 ....

Find out more about Tim's film, cinema tour dates, book and photos via https://oasisdefinitely.com/the-lost-tapes

We're Going to be Friends

Trust Me #42

We're Going to be Friends by White Stripes

I watched a beautiful film called Wonder at the weekend with my wife and kids. It's full of emotion as a young boy called Auggie, born with a rare medical deformity called mandibulofacial dysostosis, begins school at the age of 10 and following 27 different surgeries to help him see, smell, speak and hear.

Auggie has been home schooled and is so worried about his appearance that he wears a space helmet. The film captures the daily challenges Auggie faces, how he battles bullying, makes friends, displays immense courage and bravery and ultimately wins hearts.

I'd highly, highly recommend it. 

There is point in the film where Auggie develops a friendship with a young boy called Jack. We see them playing light saber fights, computer games, walking in the sunshine and just hanging out and doing what friends do. This section is soundtracked perfectly by White Stripes We're Going to be Friends from their 2001 breakthough album, White Cells.

In the song Jack White sings about starting school and making a new friend. White sings softly and tenderly over a simple acoustic riff, his vocal melody is loving and soothing.

The song is a mere 140 seconds long and White briefly pauses as he tells his tale of friendship and learning. It's beautiful writing and it is beautifully performed. Trust me, this is a real heartwarmer.

Numbers, letters, learn to spell

Nouns and books and show and tell

Playtime we will throw the ball

Back to class, through the hall

Teacher marks our height against the wall

Teacher marks our height against the wall

We don't notice any time pass, we don't notice anything

We sit side by side in every class

Teacher thinks that I sound funny, but she likes the way you sing

Tonight I'll dream when I'm in bed

When silly thoughts go through my head

About the bugs and alphabet

And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet

That you and I will walk together again

Yes I can tell that we are gonna be friends

Yes I can tell that we are gonna be friends

Official video

Live on SNL

Live at Reading 2004

A list of all previous songs I've blogged about in my Trust Me feature are listed below, along with links to each blog.

I've also collated them all into a playlist on Spotify that you can find by searching for Everything Flows - Trust Me , or you can CLICK HERE

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem

34. Mondo 77 by Looper

35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton

36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

37. How High by The Charlatans

38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands

39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective

41. There She Goes by The Las

Get Back Part 2

 

So where we?

Oh yeah, George has left The Beatles, leaving John, Paul, Ringo and Yoko to kind of break down in the studio, letting out their own frustrations in experimental noise. 

On Sunday, The Beatles all head out to see George to try and persuade him to come back. It doesn't go well. They then hear through the grapevine that Harrison is in Liverpool, so that leaves them with a few days of hanging around.

At one stage, early in Part 2, Paul McCartney has tears glistening in his eyes as the remaining Beatles sit around contemplating that this might be the end. It's a very emotional and moving scene. We are also able to listen to Paul and John talking off camera, thanks to a microphone hidden in the Twickenham Studio canteen.

But...

George returns! The band move out of the cavernous Twickenham Studios (which really didn't help in any way at all) and into a kind of DIY Apple studio in Saville Row. It's just a small rehearsal room and Glyn Johns, seemingly single handedly, constructs a control room and studio.

All of a sudden, John Lennon seems like a different person. Acting up for the camera, bantering with McCartney, changing into fresh clothes, finding energy and enthusiasm for the project.

George is back, but he is off camera for large chunks of part 2. Was that part of the deal for him coming back? He's sitting in the corner behind John and Yoko and due to the reduced size of the room, the cameras can't get to him easily.

For a while it's just all Paul and John, laughing with each other, bouncing off each other, in the zone. It's so beautiful to watch.

And then Billy Preston comes in and the band are all over him. Smiling, laughing, talking of the Hamburg days. Preston sits in with them, looking super stylish and cool, but also like the cat who got the cream ... or The Beatles!

Preston jams with ease and the mood is lifted again. The decision to banish any thoughts of travelling to record a finale to the film/documentary also helps with the relaxed atmosphere. And McCartney changes the performance date decisively, pushing it back to allow more time to play. McCartney also takes charge and the others let him - saying that they need purpose for and outcomes from every day.

And then George is smiling! The scowls from episode 1 seem like a distant memory / nightmare. All of a sudden George is suggesting they release Get Back as a single - next week. For the first time, the band are a real band - singing from the same sheet (with help from Mal Evans writing down the lyrics) in the rehearsal room and also in the control room. Everyone is on the same page - even Michael Lindsay-Hogg who had previously been trying to badger the band into travelling and scenes ... he is just enjoying the mood, the music and the opportunity to watch the band at work - just like us.

The beauty of the documentary really shines in part 2. The Beatles at work and play - together. Lennon wisecracking, McCartney in the zone, Starr loving it and George is even allowed to make suggestions without being shot down!

I particularly love the footage of the band playing George's For You Blue with Lennon improvising on the slide guitar that has just been brought in. We get to see the take that was used on the original Let It Be album, with Harrison highlighting that he wants something raw, recorded in a maximum of 4 takes.

There is also incredible footage of The Beatles 1968 trip to India, beautifully edited to fit in with a conversation that Paul is leading about watching his homemade footage the previous night. 

And then conversations change from the band playing on Primrose Hill to playing on the roof of the building they are in. We see the smile on Paul's face as this suggestion is relayed to him and then we see him boosting himself and others on to the roof for a look. This is a brilliant scene, a real pleasure to witness the suggestion and the first look at the rooftop.

I'll go back to watch part 2 of Get Back many times over the months and years ahead. From feeling a little heartbroken watching the tension, frustration, lack of direction and George walking out in part 1 ... to laughs, smiles and the sight of The Beatles playing and having fun - beautiful.

Everything Flows TV - episode 1

I love YouTube. I come from an era where I recorded music videos and performances from The Word, Top of the Pops, the White Room, Later with Jools and BBC coverage of festivals like Glastonbury and T in the Park on to VHS cassettes!

And there was a market for this. Some enterprising individuals would mass produce their homemade bootlegs and sell them at record fairs. So I forked out £15/£20 for everything I could find on the Stone Roses, Oasis and The Charlatans!

Of course nowadays any TV show a band has ever done is online, as is their promo videos, interviews, official live footage and plenty of bootleg footage - some good, others shoddy.

I love when people I follow online post good stuff to watch, so I thought I would introduce what will hopefully become a regular feature - Everything Flows TV.

Episode 1 features brilliant stuff from The Beastie Boys, Nirvana, AC/DC and Jimi Hendrix.

The Beastie Boys fly through Sabotage live on the Letterman show. Check the ferocious energy and fun they are having. Superb!

The Word, broadcast late on a Friday night on Channel 4, was essential trash TV for a young teenager. There was some truly awful stuff broadcast, but some incredible live performances. Check Kurt's intro to Smells Like Teen Spirit, Captain America (to become Eugenius) t-shirt and the brilliant performance - Nirvana were such a tight live band but they could just go crazy - and they do....live on TV.

There used to be so much music on TV. This was extremely memorable! Nirvana were booked to play their current single Lithium on Jonathan Ross' show and were introduced to that effect. Broadcast live, they decided to tear through Territorial Pissings instead! They blitz through it with exceptional punk rock energy and intensity, leaving Jonathan Ross a little shocked but he makes the most of it with a little joke.

Speaking of energy - a few people recently posted this brilliant video of AC/DC performing It's A Long Way To The Top If You Wanna Rock n Roll. Rocking out in the street (complete with bagpipes!) the band look like they are having the time of their lives - something that they always transferred to their fans.

In 1967 it must have seemed like anything could happen - and it often did. 2-days after the release of The Beatles seminal Sgt Pepper's, Jimi Hendrix and the Experience opened with it .... in front of The Beatles (Paul and George).

It would be one of his first gigs in London. Jimi was a sweetie, a very nice guy. I remember him opening at the Saville on a Sunday night, 4 June 1967. Brian Epstein used to rent it when it was usually dark on the Sunday. Jimi opened, the curtains flew back and he came walking forward, playing 'Sgt. Pepper', and it had only been released on the Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment. It's still obviously a shining memory for me, because I admired him so much anyway, he was so accomplished. To think that that album had meant so much to him as to actually do it by the Sunday night, three days after the release. He must have been so into it, because normally it might take a day for rehearsal and then you might wonder whether you'd put it in, but he just opened with it. It's a pretty major compliment in anyone's book. I put that down as one of the great honours of my career. I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't have thought of it as an honour, I'm sure he thought it was the other way round, but to me that was like a great boost. - Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now

Blue Flowers

You can expect a few blogs through the year that feature or focus on L Space, a band I first introduced with an interview in November 2017.

They really did blow me away when I caught them at Nice n Sleazys in that same month. They look great; all different but really coming together as a band. They sound fantastic; capable of tender moments of wonder and soaring sonic journeys, both of which can transport their audience to a special place. And singer Lily has the look, style and personality that captivates. A real star in the making.

Lily Higham by Brendan Waters

When I first checked L-Space out, I was kind of spoilt for choice. They had a whole range of digital singles/demos I could check out online. I opted for the song-title that attracted me the most - Blue Flowers.

In my November blog I described it as Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star fronting Portishead. I was floored by its dreamy brilliance; Lily's voice whispering and soaring over a tight groove and Gordon Johnstone's guitars rising to blow minds. It reminded me of things, but it was also most definitely different from anything else I was hearing from young bands across Scotland. It is simply beautiful but with an edge, ready to explode.

L-Space filmed their live set at the recent Last Night From Glasgow second birthday bash and they have released the video of Blue Flowers. Look out for more videos over the coming weeks and months as they build to the release of their debut album on LNFG later in the year.

L-Space play the Shuffledown Festival in Larbert on 28th April. Look out for more live dates;

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The Possibilities Are Endless

Last night I attended the Glasgow premiere of The Possibilities Are Endless, the new film/documentary on the recovery of Edwyn Collins from a major cerebral haemorrhage in 2005.

As a fan of Edwyn's music, having seen the trailer and read Grace Maxwell's fantastic and deeply personal book Falling and Laughing - The Restoration of Edwyn Collins, I was very keen to see the film at the GFT - especially with the added bonus of a Q&A and short acoustic set afterwards.

The Possibilities Are Endless is a fascinating, beautiful, artistic and moving film, directed with thought, empathy and a real creative flair by Pulse Films.

We are placed inside Edwyn's mind as he wakes from his stroke - the confusion is evident, illustrated by shots of a young boy seemingly drowning, the wind blowing through the grass, a storm brewing, distorted and stuttering words.

There was a Q&A with Edwin, Grace and Ed from Pulse afterwards and the audience learned of how Pulse interviewed Edwyn first (with no cameras), before considering how to set the story to film. Possibly a risky tactic, but one they have pulled off superbly.

At the heart of the film lies a love story, the love between Grace and Edwyn and also that of their love for Helmsdale in the north of Scotland where they are moving to.

There are lovely scenes of them walking through a park and sharing a can of ginger beer, Grace looking on with care as Edwyn attempts to find the words he knows are in there during an interview and the pair of them laughing in a car as they drive to their beloved Helmsdale in the north of Scotland. Grace's encouragement and patience was crucial to Edwyn's recovery.

We learn of how Edwyn could only say 'The possibilities are endless' and 'Grace Maxwell' when he woke from a coma. There is a great TV interview with Edwyn and Grace that ends with Grace strumming Edwyn's guitar as he plays the chords and emotional footage of the moment he returned to the stage.

Throughout the film there are scenes of Edwyn in his Orange Juice days, at his peak (sales wise at least) with the success of A Girl Like You. These work in tandem with the scenes of Edwyn regaining his strength and skills - writing, drawing, singing and creating.

There is humour as well - Edwyn and Grace bounce of each other with real affection that you can't help but smile at times and laugh at others.

What I got from the film is that the possibilities are endless if you have love and support. Edwyn is very lucky to have a lovely partner and the help and support of family, friends and musicians. It's a life affirming film that makes you stop and take stock of your health and those that care about you. I would thoroughly recommend catching it on the big screen if possible or downloading it from iTunes now.

Mogwai play Zidane, Glasgow 21st July 2013

Last night an extraordinary event took place in Glasgow that combined music, film, art and festival.

Zidane - A 21st Century Portrait by Douglas Gordon is a film focusing on Zidane playing for Real Madrid against Villareal in April 2005. Seventeen cameras were trained on the magical footballer throughout the match and afterwards Gordon approached Mogwai, his fellow Glaswegian's to provide the soundtrack to the film.

The results have been available on DVD and album for some time, however Mogwai had never performed the album live as the film was being played.....until now.

The Manchester International Festival has a first class reputation for combining music with film and art and they approached Mogwai with the idea of playing live to the film. They accepted and additional dates were set up for their hometown of Glasgow and in London.

Their was a real buzz about the show in Glasgow, not only down to the facts above but also because the performance was to take place at a brand new venue/site - 220 Broomielaw, oh, and it was going to be outdoors!

220 Broomielaw is waste ground in Glasgow's financial district on the banks of the Clyde. At some point in the not too distant future it will become an office block similar to those that surround the site, however last night the dusty waste ground was transformed into a mini-festival site.

Doors were opening at 6pm and although the band were not on until 8.45pm I arranged to meet my friends Lorna and Colin at 6.30pm as there had been an announcement of a BBQ and we thought we would make the most of the stunning Glasgow weather!

The site was small but perfectly formed - toilets at the back; some cool merch (I got a ltd print) at the back to the side; a beer bar, cider bar and BBQ to one side, sound-desk in the middle and a small pop up bar to the other side with the stage obviously at the front!

The traffic flying over the Kingston Bridge made it all look quite surreal at times. It all generated a great atmosphere.

Mogwai came on stage at 8.45pm promptly and the film began. The film and performance were exhilerating.

Zidane glided about the pitch, his eyes following the ball like a hunter, his feet moving effortlessly when the ball came his way, the sweat dripping from his brow. Everything is captured beautifully and originally by Gordon and his team, I especially liked the rare smile from Zidance to Carlos towards the end. Zidane's focus on the ball and the game is complete.

Mogwai were all seated, caressing their instruments (well maybe not the drum kit) and building waves of sound from nothing. We started off stage right but soon moved back due to the volume (class Mogwai) and it worked in our favour as it was good to take the whole thing in; film, music and the site.

Mogwai excel in producing emotional and inspiring instrumental post-rock music and to see them doing it in this setting with Gordon's film playing behind them was truly memorable. Their music was delicate when required, it rose and soared at others and when required it was furious and intense.

Gordon's portrait of Zidane is incredible, yet one of the most memorable parts of the film (or certainly last night) was the piece that Mogwai played to soundtrack the half-time section of the film. At half-time Gordon's portrait cuts to other events that happened around the world during the game; in many ways it reminded me that 'football is only a game'. Mogwai's soundtrack to this section of the film was sensational as they generated all kinds of controlled white noise from their instruments.

It really was quite an incredible night and Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai was quick to thank everyone involved in making it happen. That was echoed by everyone in attendance, this was a remarkable display of music, film, art and venue (and weather) combining to create something unique and beautiful.

A short clip from the film is posted below;

Stone Roses : Made of Stone - a Shane Meadows flm

Sometimes I fantasise, when the streets are cold and lonely…

Last night I went to see ‘Made of Stone’, the Shane Meadows documentary on my all-time fave band; the Stone Roses.

The opening sequence is incredible, Ian Brown on the last night at Heaton Park comes down from the stage and walks along the front row, high fiving, punching (in a friendly way), shaking hands…the look on fans faces as he does this is one of sheer ecstasy, happiness and love. Brown remains super cool and takes a phone from someone and then takes a picture. The shot is played in super slo-mo, the quality of the picture on the big screen is crystal clear, over the footage is a clip of Alfred Hitchcock talking about what happiness means to him.

And so the film begins. Check the trailer below.

That opening sequence sets the tone for the whole film, it is a film for the fans by a fan, a love letter to the Stone Roses, a band who have been around in various guises for 30-years, shrouded in mystery at times, a band that have produced music that will live forever and be passed down from generation to generation. Meadows stars in the film alongside producer Mark Herbert and their enthusiasm comes across throughout.

5 highlights from the film

1. The Warrington Town Hall comeback show

The footage from the comeback show is spine tingling, the beating heart of the film. In the Q&A after the film, Meadows admitted that was when he knew he had a film.

Imagine hearing the announcement that the Roses were playing a free gig and to get in you needed to get down to the box office with a CD, record, ticket or t-shirt to get in. The response that this generated just highlighted and confirmed how much this band is loved and adored. There was brilliant footage of people sprinting towards the venue clutching records adorned with Squire’s artwork, people in overalls, suits and ties, a Dad dragging a kid along as fast as he possibly could…there was that panic of getting there, the excitement of the possibility of seeing the Roses in a small venue and then the exhilaration of getting a ticket.

The look on peoples faces and their reaction (literally jumping for joy) was just superb to watch, it said it all in many ways, but we did get to hear from them. There was the guy who quit his job to run home to get his CD and get down there, the guy who had left his kid at the childminders long after they were due to get picked up, the builder who had just knocked down a wall on a house and left it unboarded up to get down there.. all walks of life, all utterly in love with the Stone Roses.

Then there was a guy just declaring his undying love for the band when pressed why he had rushed down; ‘You know and I know but you can't right it down can you?'

The band arrive, they look like they can’t wait to get out there. They gather backstage as ‘Stoned Love’ by the Supremes is blasted out the PA and then bound on stage. Mani grinning like a Cheshire cat, Ian taking it all in, Squire looking super cool and Reni getting to work on the drums.

One of the cameras cuts to Meadows watching from the side of the stage and he just looks at it and says ‘Jesus f**king Christ’.

The crowd is going mental as the rumbling bass line of ‘Adored’ kicks in. It is nuts, it is 20-years of pent up frustration that one of the best bands of all-time hadn’t been together, hadn’t been playing their majestic music to an ever increasing audience.

There is a great bit when the footage cuts to fans gathered outside, those that couldn’t get in. One guy says he offered a girl a job, then his car and just stopped short of his house for a ticket. She refused.

People are singing along to the guitar riff, the bass line, the almighty chorus and mimicking Reni on drums. There are football terrace style chants of ‘Roses, Roses’, people are dancing, jumping and generally having the night of their lives.

Spine tingling.

2. ‘Fools Gold’ from the Sunday at Heaton Park

The film closes with footage of an extraordinary performance of ‘Fools Gold’. The sound of the crowd is cut off, so all that you are hearing is the sound of Brown, Squire, Mani and Reni as they lock into a groove before Squire unleashes psychedelic fireworks from his guitar. It is an astonishing display from the band and it is captured beautifully by the film crew (38 cameras). Mani and Reni are tight and loose all at once while Squire just goes mental and lets his inner Hendrix run wild.

Brown strolls down the front again as the film ends the way it began.

3. The ‘Waterfall’ rehearsal

There is some great footage from the Roses secret rehearsal location. It is pretty rusty at first as they feel their way through ‘Something’s Burning’ 10-weeks from Heaton Park, the old magic is there, it just needs polished. 6-weeks to Heaton Park flashes up on screen as the band kick in with ‘Waterfall’ and it is magical. The closing outro instrumental is fired off in double quick time as the band share grins and knowing glances that they have found their groove.

4. Shane and Mark arrive at the rehearsal location

Shane and Mark arrive at a country farm that has become the Roses secret lair. Their love for the band is clearly evident as they enter the room and look at Mani’s bass, Squire’s guitar and Shane discovers a letter from Reni on his drums and immediately says ‘that’s going in the scrapbook’. They then find two big boards with a list of Roses songs that they are considering for the setlist and pour over them like excited school kids; ‘what a set, can you imagine that?’ They have the golden ticket!

5. Reni

What becomes clear (at least to me) during the film is the fact that Reni is the glue that holds the Roses together, his natural talent is a joy to watch, he makes it look ridiculously easy; all over his drum kit but doing little shrugs and pulling faces to the camera and the band. All this while singing backing vocals. All of the band seem to buzz off his talent and feel more assured with the knowledge he is behind them. Even the footage from the reunion press conference highlights his wit, charm and how he unites the band.

All of the band have qualities that they bring to the table; they are stronger as people and as artists when they are together, but that backbeat, those drum rolls, the high hat action, the way his fellow band members look at him in awe and astonishment – Reni is the glue.

'It takes time for people to fall in love with you, but it's inevitable.' Ian Brown