More about: The Happy Mondays
'I wish I'd worked it out 25 years ago'
Shaun Ryder claims his hell-raising days are behind him, revealing that this has helped him to enjoy playing with band The Happy Monday more than any other stage in his career.
As unlikely as it sounds, he says that now he likes nothing more than to go back to his home and watch some Saturday night television with the family. However not every member of the band has the same approach to middle-age.
Talking to Gigwise, he said he'd finally found the formula for happiness, saying that it's "More fun now than ever."
"No sex, no drugs just rock and roll," he tells us. "I wish I'd worked it out 25 years ago that it was as simple as going out, playing shows and fucking off home. There's no hassle now". Asked if he had any advice for young artists tempted by the trappings of fame, he replied "me giving advice to young musicians? Who'd want to listen to me? Just be yourself, listen to yourself, take it easy".
Talking of his and Bez's recent appearance at the Q Awards, he said "I was only there for an hour. I had to leave and do press. Bez hasn't changed though. He still wants to stay there and get pissed until they throw him out".
They were there to collect a classic album award for Bummed. He added that musicians doing things to excess was nothing new, stating: "Drugs in music, that stuff's been happening since, what's his name, Mozart"
The Happy Mondays play the Forum on 22nd November to commemorate 25 years since the release of Bummed.
Below: The Happy Mondays reunion, a brief history
The Happy Mondays formed in Little Hulton, Manchester in the early '80s.The band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan. Mark "Bez" Berry later joined the band onstage during a live performance after befriending Shaun Ryder and served as a dancer/percussionist. Rowetta Satchell joined the band to provide backing vocals in the early 1990s
The first official release from Happy Mondays was the "Forty Five E.P.", often called the "Delightful E.P." after its first track. It was released on Factory Records in September 1985.
Manchester music impresario Tony Wilson discovered them (then managed by Phil Saxe) at a battle of the bands contest held at his Hacienda nightclub. Their first album, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), debuted in 1987. This was followed by two classic albums; Bummed in 1988, then Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches in 1990 produced by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne which went platinum in the UK selling more than 350,000 copies.
By the late 1980s, the Happy Mondays were an important part of the 'Madchester' music scene and personified rave culture. Numerous world tours meant the band had international success as well as massive success in their home country. The line up of the band during this first and most important ten year phase never changed, and the six original members Shaun Ryder, Paul Ryder, Gary Whelan, Paul Davis, Mark Day and Mark "Bez" Berry remained a tight unit until the first split in 1994
The Mondays disbanded in 1993, and Shaun Ryder and Bez formed Black Grape with ex-Paris Angels guitarist 'Wags' and ex-Ruthless Rap Assassins star Kermit.
Seven years passed, but in 1999 Happy Mondays re-formed, with founding members Shaun Ryder, Paul Ryder, Gary Whelan and Mark "Bez" Berry minus Paul Davis and Mark Day. In the place of Day and Davis were Wags and a number of other session musicians including Ben Leach who had once been a member of The Farm, Percussionist Lea Mullen and rapper "Nuts". Also joining the new line-up was soul diva Rowetta Satchell, who would go on to have solo success.
The Mondays came back and supported acts such as Oasis on their 'Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants' Tour, played at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, numerous European festivals and also toured Australia the same year. Although critically acclaimed and playing to sell-out crowds, the band once more ceased their activity in 2001 following the departure of bass player and founding member Paul Ryder.
2004 saw another re-formation, comprising Bez, Whelan and Shaun Ryder along with another crop of session musicians. (Paul Ryder was not present, having sworn to never perform with his brother again following the 2000 break-up, and also having gone on to have success with his new band Big Arm. In August 2006, the band announced that they had completed their first album in fourteen years, Uncle Dysfunktional was released in mid 2007.
Finally, on Wednesday January 18 2012, the band announce their return for a select set of shows.
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More about: The Happy Mondays
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