Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield – a pillar of the British rock music scene who played with Primal Scream and The Stone Roses – has died at the age of 63.
Mounfield’s passing was announced by his brother, Greg, in a statement posted to social media, which read: “It is with the heaviest hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother, Gary Mani Mounfield. RIP RKID.”
News of Mounfield’s death tragically comes days after he announced an intimate run of in-conversation tour dates around the UK. The shows would have seen the legendary bassist look back on his time in both his bands, and reflect on milestone moments such as the Stone Roses’ comeback stadium tour.
Tributes for the bass veteran – whose singular sound shaped seminal Brit rock records such as the Stone Roses' The Stone Roses and Second Coming, and Primal Scream's Vanishing Point and Riot City Blues – have come flooding in, with the likes of Oasis’ Liam Gallagher and Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder leading the memorials.
“In total shock and absolutely devastated on hearing the news about Mani. My hero. RIP RKID,” wrote Gallagher. Rowetta of the Happy Mondays said, “Back with your Imelda, Mani. Going to miss you so much.”
“One of the absolute best in every way,” The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess wrote on X. “Such a beautiful friend. Love you Mani. Never to be forgotten.”
Mani’s old Stone Roses bandmate Ian Brown also posted his own tribute, writing, “Rest in peace Mani.”
Born in 1962 in Crumpsall, Manchester, Mani left school at the age of 16, later befriending Ian Brown and setting out on his path to becoming one of the British rock scene’s most influential exports.
He began his musical life as a rhythm player, though picked up bass when drafted in for The Waterfront – a band that featured none other than guitarist John Squire, and occasionally one Ian Brown.
He rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and through his work with Brown and The Stone Roses – whom he co-founded in 1983 – helped introduce a whole generation of rock fans to the dance music and club culture scenes.
The band’s blend of psychedelic pop and acid house music – propped up by Mani’s inimitable groove and his trusty Rickenbacker 3000 – was a hit with a huge score of music fans, appealing to both ends of the music spectrum, from indie kids to clubbers alike.
Mani played on both of Stone Roses’ records, leaving for Primal Scream when the group disbanded. He stayed with Scream from 1996 to 2011, leaving with the announcement that he’d be reforming the Stone Roses.
In 2012, the band embarked on a historic comeback stadium tour, at first playing three homecoming shows in Heaton Park, Manchester, and one gig in Phoenix, Dublin, before traveling around Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania for 50 additional dates.
Speaking to The Rockonteurs podcast weeks before his death, Mani had hinted at his intentions of returning to the road, despite alluding to the contrary in a 2021 interview.
“I'm in a great space at the moment,” he said. “Itching to get back bro. I'm ready to get back.
“Johnny Marr's always trying to get me to do stuff. Liam (Gallagher) was always trying to get me involved with stuff before the Oasis thing. I'm feeling now that I could pick up again, you know? I’ve been in the lock up having a look at stuff and weeding out my collection.”
Charity ART for MCR released its own statement in response to Mani’s death, writing, “We’re gutted to hear of the passing of Gary “Mani” Mounfield – a true giant of this city and a massive influence on anyone who’s ever picked up a guitar or stepped on a stage 'round here.
“All our love goes out to the Mounfield family, the Roses community, and everyone feeling this loss today. Rest easy Mani. Manchester’s beat won’t ever be the same.”
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