Those familiar with The Stone Roses and their cultural influence on British music in the late ’80s may have struggled to recognize the lone figure who performed in Manchester on Saturday night without a backing band.
Twenty-three years after entertaining 28,000 adoring fans at Spike Island, Ian Brown took to the Warehouse Project stage alone, where a less partisan audience watched him struggle to sing the right note.
In video footage shared on social media, Brown, 60, appeared to falter while performing his 2001 solo single FEAR
In the absence of a live band, the star stunned viewers by singing along to a backing track, but his characteristically raucous vocals veered dangerously astray as the song reached its climax.
During the debate over Brown’s shaky performance on X, formerly Twitter, those in attendance were divided over the singer’s singing, with some dismissing the performance as “karaoke.”
In video footage shared on social media, Ian Brown appears to falter as he performed his 2001 solo single FEAR in Manchester on Saturday night
Ian Brown with The Stone Roses in 1990. Left to right: Reni, Mani (top), Ian Brown (bottom) and John Squire
“Please, please, please don’t ever invite Ian Brown to play again.” “Oh, what a shame,” wrote one disappointed fan.
A second added: “His voice deteriorated a bit.” He didn’t really get the audience going, no interaction. Just very flat, I only saw 10 minutes – that was enough.
“The old boy is a legend but it’s no secret he’s a real eye-catcher live.” “Was a pair of pants at the Etihad a few years ago,” wrote a third.
While a fourth asked: “Who else saw Ian Brown at whp last night?” I heard from a few people that he was absolutely awesome. TRUE?’
Others were quick to praise the singer, who shared a backstage photo with former Happy Mondays backing singer Rowetta at the event.
Commenting on the snap, one fan wrote: “He was unreal in a photo on Saturday night.”
While a second added: “Weirdly I just posted FEAR here, I love it!”
The gig came after Brown suffered a wave of backlash following a performance in Leeds last September which fans labeled a “karaoke show”.
Twenty-three years after entertaining 28,000 adoring fans at Spike Island with The Stone Roses, Ian Brown took to the Warehouse Project stage alone
But many fans were unimpressed with the performance, with some describing it as “flat”.
There he is: Brown (second from right) shared a backstage photo from the event, where he was joined by former Happy Mondays backing singer Rowetta (far right).
Others were quick to praise the singer after his recent performance in Manchester
The Stone Roses star was left devastated when he took to the 02 Academy stage without a band and only sang along to a backing track.
Writing that he had “completely lost it”, fans were furious after paying up to £50 for tickets to the sold-out show – which marked the start of his UK tour.
“I’m disappointed to see @ianbrown reach his sold out gig in Leeds tonight worth £40 a ticket WITHOUT A BAND. “I’m a lifelong fan but this was bad. #ianbrown does karaoke and cuts his own songs,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
While another wrote: “It’s not live music. So the closest description to that is karaoke.”
“I’m a big fan of his but this is terrible,” wrote another – as videos of the performance circulated on social media.
The gig comes after Brown suffered a wave of backlash following a performance in Leeds last September – described by fans as a “karaoke show”.
Outrage: Many took to Twitter to express their frustration after the disappointing performance
It’s not the first time Brown has caused uproar among fans after stepping down from his headlining position at Warrington’s Neighborhood Weekender Festival in 2021.
On Twitter, the rocker, who shared anti-mask and anti-lockdown tweets during the pandemic and recorded a track in protest against the lockdown, said he would not adhere to the vaccine passport regulations.
“My headlining show on Saturday evening at the NHBD Weekender Festival will now not take place!” I refuse to accept proof of vaccination as a condition of entry. Refunds are possible! X’
Ian rose to fame fronting the Stone Roses alongside guitarist John Squire, bassist Mani and drummer Reni – they formed the band in Manchester in 1983 before releasing their iconic eponymous debut album six years later.
After a legal dispute with their record label, the band returned with second album “Second Coming” in 1994 before parting ways in 1996.
Brown enjoyed a successful solo career, releasing seven studio albums to critical acclaim and winning numerous awards.