Shaun Ryder Is Having A Knockout Year So Far…
| 11th June 2015
The Ricky Hatton Party, this Saturday at The Victoria Warehouse, is set to be on knockout! Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Ricky Hatton beating Kostya Tszyu to win the world title, the event will also raise money for two of Ricky’s charities, Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention and Barnabus Manchester. It’s going to be a high energy party with several prominent DJs, some great live performances and Black Grape headlining. Lead singer Shaun Ryder had a chat with The Early Birds, Caz Matthews and Emma Wilkinson, about the Ricky Hatton Big Party. They covered his time in the Amazon rain forest with the Happy Mondays, the possibility of a new Black Grape album and more.
So Shaun, there’s a big gig coming up this weekend for Black Grape at the Ricky Hatton event. Can you tell us about it?
It’s at The Warehouse in Manchester. It’s for two of Ricky’s charities – Breast Cancer and the homeless – so we decided to sack the Black Grape gig and get on board with Ricky’s show.
How long have you known Ricky and how did you meet? Well, I’ve known him since he was about fifteen. He used to train in Salford and two of his trainers, Billy and Tom Brogan, are my pals.
There’s loads of other great bands and DJs playing on the night, including the Happy Mondaze, isn’t it going to be a bit weird, you mooching around the party with your double there? Does he look anything like you?
I don’t know. I’ve heard that they are pretty good actually. I wouldn’t mind seeing their Bez. That should be a good one, having a chat with him but it’s a late one as well. I don’t think we hit the stage until about one o’clock and I haven’t been up at one o’clock in the morning in a long time.
You will have to get your sleep from now until then! Don’t be going out partying for the next few days.
Oh God, I can’t. I won’t do that. I’m on tour at the moment as well, so I’m usually in bed for about half past eleven.
We had Kermit on the show a few weeks ago and he said that Black Grape are sounding better than ever. We haven’t actually been to a gig yet so we’re excited about seeing Black Grape in action on Saturday.
Have you not? It’s better than ever because we’re both enjoying it and it really shows.
Are you writing any new material together?
We are probably going to do a new Black Grape album; we probably will, yeah.
You’re an extremely busy man at the moment. What are you most looking forward to work-wise this summer? We’re all over the place. We have The Monday’s twenty-fifth anniversary and I’ve just dropped some solo stuff, so I’ll be doing that as well. The wife likes getting rid of me!
How was Mexico at the beginning of the year? Tell us a bit about ‘Singing In The Rainforest.’ (Coming soon to Watch Channel)
Yeah, that was great. We went in the Amazon jungle in Panama and we lived with a tribe. We hunted with them and then we made music with them. It was brilliant, it was one of those eye-opening experiences.
I guess for you though, you were used to it after going in I’m A Celebrity. How did the others find it? Did any of them have any wobbly moments being out there?
Do you know what? It was really real. We got there by canoe and the only way you knew what time it was, was by the sounds that the monkeys made. There were no iPhones and internet; I expected to get there and this tribe in the village would have plasma televisions but there was nothing. Their way of life hasn’t changed for thousands of years and that’s why we did it really. When the show comes out in September, you can download the track we made and all the money goes to the tribe so they can carry on living the way they are living. Then we went off to Mexico. It was great. You have to watch it on TV when Bez gets initiated into the tribe. That’s really good.
Brilliant. Thank you so much for talking to us Shaun and we will see you down at the Ricky Hatton party on Saturday.
It was a pleasure.
Get your tickets HERE for the Ricky Hatton party on Saturday
