The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone

Directed by Shane Meadows (making his documentary debut), The Stone Roses: Made of Stone follows Manchester-born band The Stone Roses (vocalist Ian Brown, bass player Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, drummer Alan ‘Reni’ Wren and lead guitarist John Squire) as they prepare for their much-anticipated 2012 reunion tour, culminating in a huge comeback gig at Heaton Park. This includes playing a number of European concerts, including a special free gig at Warrington’s Parr Hall, announced online earlier that day, with the proviso that fans had to bring something to prove they were worthy of tickets. Meadows himself appears in the film, announcing himself as a full-blown fan of the band who was delighted to receive the call from Brown, asking him to document their comeback. He also includes a wealth of archive material (TV appearances, gigs, home movie footage etc) that gives a good flavour of the band’s early beginnings (including an excruciating, almost monosyllabic interview) and first taste of fame but steers largely clear of their various bust-ups and what they got up to during their 16 year absence.