Photo by Karin Albinsson

The Manchester Academy has been rocking the last two nights as the Happy Mondays Pills ’n’ Thrill And Bellyaches tour has been in town and in true Manc style the Madchester music fans, friends and families turned up in their droves to help celebrate the 25th Anniversary tour.

From the start of the tour at the beginning of the month in Southampton’s O2 Guildhall, Manchester’s most notorious band have been getting raving reviews across the press, one being from the Manchester Evening News giving last Thursday nights performance a five star rating, plus an overload of love and fondness for the Mondays on social media sites have been flooding in!

It’s been a pretty busy year all round for the individual band members. Outside of the Happy Mondays they have been just as busy with other projects.

Bez has dived head first into politics with his Salford ‘We Are The Reality Party’ and has become a leading anti-fracking public spokesman. Only last week he was in a muddy field with the queen of the fashion world, Vivienne Westwood, another well-known public figure involved in the fight against fracking.

Photo by Karin Albinsson

Rowetta has been hitting headlines in the dance world with Trance producer and DJ Will Atkinson. Their record Mesmerise achieved number two in the Trance charts this month and is set to be one of the biggest dance anthems of the year.

Shaun has been busy with his other band, Black Grape, which is also managed by Alan McGee. Over the summer Black Grape played Festival No.6 and did a knockout performance headlining Ricky Hatton’s big Las Vegas Party at the Manchester Victoria Warehouse in June to celebrated ten years since the Hitman won the world title.

Drummer Gaz has been making magnificent music on the other side of the world in Canada. His latest project, Love and The Family Tree, has produced two stunning records this year ‘Phoneys and Freaks’ (Show Me The Truth) with powerful guest vocals from Rowetta and a surprising but super cool rap from Sugar Mike. The other record Koby Jones Rides Again has become a bit of a VIVA favourite on the office iPod.

Photo by Karin Albinsson

At the end of last year Paul Ryder, along with his family and band mates, put together their first ever black tie ball for Paul’s son Chico, who was diagnosed with a rare soft tissue cancer – Rhabdomyosarcoma – in 2012. All the money raised on the night went to The Chico’s Kickin Cancer Fundraiser.

Chico lives in America with Dad Paul and Mum Angela and has been flying the flag supporting the use of Cannabis oil for Cancer patients with media interviews in Weed World Magazine, The Sun and others. We hope to see Chico back in Manchester again soon.

Back to the gig and, after selling out the Friday night in seconds much to everyone’s delight, an extra date was added on the Thursday.

VIVA headed down on Thursday evening to a packed-out Academy. After a pretty dramatic intro the band hit the stage with Rowetta in her stunning first outfit that night, a yellow and black Hacienda dress. She later changed into a Manchester United T-shirt dress which got a big cheer from the crowd.

Ro’s voice sounded spectacular throughout the whole gig, and we overheard someone on the VIP balcony someone saying, “She’s just as much a front person as Shaun and Bez.” Yes, we would have to agree with that one!

Photo by Karin Albinsson

Shaun was also on top form, looking uber-cool and relaxed on stage as he always does, belting out his famous rhyming lyrics which the crowd love to sing along to.

Bez was looking as wild as ever, with a hat that was giving him a touch of the Ozzy look. He was also sporting a Frack Free Lancashire yellow vest and customised maracas from local artist, Jay Ee-go Smith.

Mark Day was, as always, wearing his flat cap and being the amazing lead guitarist that he always is. At one point towards the end, Bez joined in, on Mark’s guitar, playing a few cheeky cords.

The climactic tune, as it seems to be at all the Happy Mondays gigs we’ve been to, was Step On, which blew off the roof of the Academy. It was beyond exciting to be in the middle of it all!

These guys are doing it better than ever, and you can tell they are really enjoying it too. Text today from Rowetta about last nights gig, “I think that may have been my favourite gig ever last night.”

So, it’s been two amazing nights for the Happy Mondays in their home town, they’re off to Leeds tonight for the next leg of the tour which goes right though to December 6th at Oxford O2 Academy. Have a good one guys!

FULL GALLERY PICTURES BY KARIN ALBINSSON:

Album 1