Stars and fans including Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller and David Beckham gather for Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield’s funeral | Ents & Arts News

Stars including Liam Gallagher, David Beckham and Paul Weller have gathered to pay tribute to The Stone Roses star Gary “Mani” Mounfield.

The Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist died last month at the age of 63.

His death came two years after that of his wife, Imelda Mounfield, who was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in November 2020. The couple welcomed twin boys in 2012.

He had been due to travel the UK later this year for an in-conversation tour sharing memories of his rock experiences.

Liveblog: Famous faces say final goodbye to Stone Roses bass player

The funeral, which was held at Manchester Cathedral, drew hundreds of fans, including a guard of scooter riders with black bands and a photo of Mani on their bikes.

Arriving at the service, The Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown said Mani was “a brother to me”, calling him a “beautiful human being”.

Some of the biggest names of British 1990s music were at the ceremony, including Oasis star Liam Gallagher, singer-songwriter Paul Weller, Primal Scream frontman Bobbie Gillespie and Bez, from the Happy Mondays.

Tim Burgess, lead singer of The Charlatans, Elbow frontman Guy Garvey, Ian McCulloch of Echo & The Bunnymen, Mike Joyce, drummer from The Smiths, Inspiral Carpets keyboardist Clint Boon, and former Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook also came to pay tribute.

Former Manchester United players David Beckham and Gary Neville were also among hundreds of mourners arriving for the service.

Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Coronation Street star Sally Lindsay were also in attendance.

Hundreds more fans gathered outside the cathedral and applauded as the cortege arrived, and as I Wanna Be Adored – one of The Stone Roses’ biggest hits – blared from the speakers.

The coffin, which was decorated with artwork from the cover of The Stone Roses – the band’s self-titled debut album – had travelled around eight miles from Heaton Moor in Stockport to the cathedral.

Gallagher, along with The Stone Roses drummer Alan Wren – also known as Reni – and bandmate John Squire carried the coffin from the ceremony after the service.

Mani was part of the Stone Roses’ classic line-up alongside Brown, Squire and Wren.

Pausing briefly as he went into church, Brown said he was there to celebrate “what a beautiful human being that he was”.

Asked what his bandmate meant to him, the singer said: “Everything. He’s a brother to me.”

Forming in 1983, Mani was part of The Stone Roses until they split in 1996, playing on both the eponymous debut album, released in 1989, and their 1995 follow-up, Second Coming.

The “Madchester” band was known for blending indie with acid house, psychedelia and pop.

Mani went on to play with Scottish band Primal Scream for 15 years, leaving in 2011 to rejoin the reuniting Roses.