(Credits: Far Out / Halton Borough Council / The Stone Roses)
Fri 11 April 2025 13:00, UK
Spring 1990: The hot sun beats down on the usually rain-soaked streets of northern England. Bucket hats become soaked with sweat, alcohol, and ecstasy as the definitive indie band of the era takes to the stage with the backdrop of a chemical factory in Widnes. This was The Stone Roses; this was Spike Island. A man-made island set in the estuary of the River Mersey, built to accommodate the chemical industry back in 1833, the plot of land also provided the setting for a defining moment in the history of British music.
Contrary to popular belief, 1990 was not a euphoric period to be young in Britain. The nation was approaching the end of the Margaret Thatcher years, which had left areas across the north of the country discriminated, privatised, and shut down. One of the only glimmers of hope for the young people of these downtrodden areas was music, and The Stone Roses quickly became a favourite among the nation’s youth. The Manchester band typified the age of acid house indie, developing a truly unique sound which united music fans across the country.
A year prior, at the peak of the ‘Second Summer of Love’, The Stone Roses unveiled their self-titled debut album, which altered the landscape of independent music forever. Blending guitar-led indie anthems with drumbeats and danceability influenced by acid house, it was truly an album which captured the zeitgeist of the era and spurred on countless young people to form bands of their own.
After all, the Roses, at their heart, were ordinary kids from Manchester, so to a lot of disenfranchised kids in the region, their success provided a sense of hope. By 1990, their presence was unavoidable, with chart hits, a dedicated audience, and even an appearance on Top of the Pops under their belt. A large-scale concert was needed to facilitate the band’s growing audience, and the unexpected location of Spike Island was chosen to host this monumental occasion.
Spike Island was not a natural venue for an outdoor concert. It is not a picnic to get there; it is not particularly well equipped to deal with thousands of MDMA-riddled teenagers, and the chemical plant is hardly a picturesque backdrop. However, the band’s manager, Gareth Evans, lived nearby, and the band aimed to reflect the rave culture of the era by performing in an unusual setting. So, come May 27th, 1990, nearly 30,000 fans descended upon Spike Island.
The Stone Roses concert at Spike Island – 1990 (Credits: Far Out / Halton Borough Council)
Accompanying The Stone Ross on the bill that day were a plethora of DJs, such as Dave Haslam, Paul Oakenfold, and Frankie Bones. A Zimbabwean drum orchestra, reggae musician Gary Clail and the ska-rock outfit Ruff Ruff & Ready also performed in the beating sun of Widnes on that day before the Manchester group took the stage, opening with their defining track ‘I Wanna Be Adored’.
Ian Brown and the gang performed a range of their most beloved tracks, including the likes of ‘Sally Cinnamon’, ‘Fools Gold’, and ‘Elizabeth My Dear’ over the course of the evening. In the wake of their set, the gig earned something of a legendary status, hailed as a defining moment in indie music culture, ushering in the new musical age of the 1990s and typifying the culture of the time. However, those who were there would likely tell you that the event itself wasn’t all that great.
As mentioned previously, Spike Island was not a usual concert venue, so the band and production team had no experience of how best to tackle the sound of the show. Coupled with wind and slightly lacklustre equipment, the sound quality of the show was said to have been dreadful – though it is difficult to imagine the legions of young people on ecstasy caring all that much about the sound quality.
Much like Woodstock in 1969, the reputation garnered by Spike Island likely eclipses how enjoyable being there in person was. Just as Woodstock was plagued by technical difficulties, overcrowding, and a lack of facilities, Spike Island witnessed very similar issues. Still, it is probably a gig which is best viewed with rose-tinted spectacles, as reflected by the 2012 film Spike Island, which tells a fairly convoluted story surrounding the concert.
Even if Spike Island was not a good gig by technical standards, it is difficult to think of another gig – with the possible exception of Oasis at Knebworth six years later – which captured the heart of a musical revolution so expertly. The Stone Roses were the defining band of the era, and Spike Island represented the pinnacle of their popularity.
Today, 35 years later, the show is still discussed with unparalleled reverence. Its reputation lives on through pub anecdotes, documentaries, films, and the work of other artists like Pulp. The Sheffield outfit used Spike Island as the basis for their legendary track ‘Sorted for E’s and Whizz’, from Different Class, and their newly unveiled single ‘Spike Island’ builds upon that lasting influence.
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