“They are The Resurrection and they are the light!”

A sold-out crowd welcomed the arrival of Glasgow-based Stone Roses tribute band ‘Resurrection’ on Friday 1^st April and the atmosphere was nothing short of electric from the moment they started the bass line of ‘I Wanna Be Adored’....... Oh what a night it turned out to be!!

Having seen this band twice in the past at Newcastle University venues I knew that they were the real deal, with endorsements echoed by The Stone Roses bassist Mani, this event sold out within 24-hours of being advertised. A bigger stage was made by the staff in preparation for the lads from Glasgow and it worked superbly. ‘Resurrection’ were formed in 1998 and they have toured with many celebrities including Mani himself (The Stone Roses /ex Primal Scream) with whom they performed live onstage with at the world famous King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut.

Opening with the absolute classic first three tracks from The Stone Roses self-titled debut album - “I Wanna Be Adored“, “She Bangs The Drums” & “Waterfall“….the crowd were hooked and every word was belted out by the passionate crowd. The look, sound and actions of Ian Brown, Reni, Mani and John Squire were spot on and the singer was determined to shake off his bout of cold/laryngitis to not let down the Blyth faithful.

Further sing-a-long's ensued to hits such as "Elephant Stone", "Sally Cinnamon", "Love Spreads", "Mersey Paradise", "This Is The One", "Shoot You Down", "Fools Gold", "Made of Stone" and "I am The Resurrection" which had the atmosphere in the crowd at fever pitch. Arms aloft in the air, hugs being given to friends & partners, every word being sang back with real vigour. I wanted the night to last forever…."Don't Stop", "Where Angels Play", "Standing Here" & "Tell Me" were also included in a top-quality 90-minute set which had to eventually come to an end. The night seemed to go down so well with the band that they are keen to make a return to Blyth in the future.

The singer from the band Ricky had these wonderful words to say after the Gig…..

“Last night's gig was superb! The warmth from the Blyth faithful was nothing short of magical. The highest praise bestowed upon any audience. Sometimes it takes a little time to warm up a crowd but last night's show felt more like a family affair & the love in the room was pretty damn special. Small and intimate shows will always be that little bit more special. Big venues & audiences are great. But you're so far away from the audience that you lose something before a note has even been played. We will be back in Blyth in a heartbeat & we're so looking forward to it. The staff, promoters, techs etc were a great team & Blyth should feel extremely lucky to have people who care so much about their music, as the individuals performing it. Music is by far the biggest religion & we feel blessed to be doing what we do. The Stone Roses music lives long in people's hearts & to be able to share their craft with an audience (such as Blyth's) is the greatest religious experience you could ever wish for. We love what we do & being a tribute band, we're not about ego or trying to be cool. The passion is clearly evident or we simply would not be doing this. One Love! Resurrection x”

The band mingled with the crowd after the gig and were full of praise about the night.

Fans in the crowd had this to say after the gig…..

Stephen Hardcastle:  “Absolutely brilliant! Probably my best night out in Blyth!”

Lois Wilkinson: “Resurrection were incredible. Within the first few seconds of ' I Wanna Be Adored' the crowd were hooked and never taken back.”

Rebecca Race: “I honestly think they were the best tribute band I’ve ever seen, every song was performed to perfection . It was like watching the ‘The Monkey Man’ Ian Brown himself perform an intimate gig in the Tavern. Favourite of the night was 'Sally Cinnamon'.”

Jess Carroll: “Better than the actual Stone Roses"

Cara Hetherington: "Fantastic intimate gig with a great atmosphere and vibe throughout"

Chris Haxon: "It was a cracking night. The band were really tight and played a good selection of songs from The Stone Roses discography. I'm a massive Roses fan and I'd recommend anyone interested in the music to go along and see them. You won't be disappointed, as they had the whole place singing and dancing."

It was a privilege to be able to see one of the best tributes to my favourite band in my hometown in an intimate venue, full of like-minded fans. A one to remember and cherish.

Here are some short HD video clips of the crowd and band……

Made of Stone sing-a-long:….. https://youtu.be/OppmaMySNkY

Elephant Stone………….         https://youtu.be/iB5EfHc23bY

I am The Resurrection………. https://youtu.be/olWvl06i2jI

Sally Cinnamon……………..   https://youtu.be/nR082jHDIIE

Waterfall…………………….      https://youtu.be/-0Y1eicOyQU

Outro of Waterfall………….   https://youtu.be/AL1UOuco0ZI

*Photo’s taken by Rebecca Race*

Resurrection Band page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resurrectionstonerosestribute/?fref=ts