“These musicians have always been part of our lives – you feel like you’ve grown up with them”

18:09, 22 Dec 2025Updated 18:44, 22 Dec 2025

The funeral procession(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

The steps of Manchester Cathedral were awash with camo-print and Adidas stripes today (December 22) as the city said goodbye to one of its beloved sons Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.

One of the titans of the local music scene since the Madchester years, he grew up in Crumpsall, attended Xaverian College and found fame and success as the bassist for the Stone Roses from 1987 onwards.

The music world was shocked by the news that the musician had passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 20 at the age of 63.

Black bows and broken hearts in the style of the band’s famous lemon logo adorned the bus stops and lamp posts of Heaton Moor, where Mani had lived since 1991, and where his funeral cortege began.

Tributes on lamp posts in Heaton Moor (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

Hundreds of people lined the streets and broke out into applause when the black hearse turned onto Heaton Moor Road. Inside was the coffin, covered with the ‘Bye Bye Badman’ print that made up the Stone Roses’ debut album cover.

That iconic camo print flecked with white was everywhere: on jackets, t-shirts and bucket hats. The Stone Roses and Primal Scream logos were everywhere in the crowd, as were Manchester United logos and black Adidas jackets with three white strips up the sleeve, in a nod to the late 80s cool that the Stone Roses and other Madchester bands inspired.

The funeral procession(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

Two football scarves – red, black and white for Manchester United and vivid green for his Celtic Supporters Club – adorned the coffin. Beside these were simple red-and-white floral arrangements bearing the words R’KID and DAD.

There were cheers and whistles as the hearse passed the pubs, cafes and businesses the bassist used to visit. Behind the cars that followed, bearing family and friends towards Manchester Cathedral, came dozens of people riding Vespas and Lambrettas in a touching nod to Mani’s love for the scooter.

These followed the hearse all the way into Manchester city centre, where hundreds more fans were gathered around the cathedral steps. A throng bearing bucket hats and Stone Roses-branded jumpers were at the front of the gates to catch a glimpse of the musician’s final procession into the cathedral.

Not far away, in the beer garden of the Mitre bar, fans were lined up with pints of Guinness and glasses of wine ready to toast the music legend. Then, when his cortege arrived at the entrance, a huge round of applause erupted from the crowds. “We love you, Mani,” one enthusiastic fan shouted as the sounds of the Stone Roses’ hit I Wanna Be Adored played out.

There followed a dignified service which lasted around 45 minutes, featuring choral hymns, Bible readings, prayers and tributes from Primal Scream vocalist Bobby Gallespie and Stone Roses’ frontman Ian Brown, who jokingly called for a 50ft solid gold statue to be erected in Mani’s honour.

Ian Brown (left) carrying Mani’s coffin alongside Andrew Innes of Primal Scream and Stone Roses drummer Reni.(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)

“It’s only right that we’re here to celebrate his life in the biggest, most prestigious church in the city,” said Brown. “Few loved this city with the passion that Mani did, and few have done so much for it.”

All of Mani‘s Stone Roses bandmates were in attendance at the service, including drummer Alan ‘Reni’ Wren and guitarist John Squire. Many more greats from the world of music filled the pews, including Paul Weller, Liam Gallagher, Oasis’ Bonehead and Andy Bell, The Smiths’ Mike Joyce, Joy Division’s Peter Hook, and members of The Courteeners and Blossoms.

There were moving scenes as Ian Brown, Liam Gallagher, John Squire, Alan Wren (Reni), Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes of Primal Scream carried the coffin back to the hearse. Here, scores of mourners touched or blew a kiss the coffin as they passed.

Flowers and tributes in the hearse(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

Mark Martin and Marie Cash had come from Salford to pay their respects at the service. “Mark’s from Yorkshire, but he is obsessed with the Manchester music scene,” Marie said.

Mark nodded his agreement, unzipping his camo jacket to reveal a blazing red Primal Scream t-shirt. “I have been obsessed since I saw the Buzzcocks here in 1978,” he said. “We’re mad on Manchester stuff.”

“I was gutted when he died,” Mark continued. “He’s the same age as me. And the fact that his wife died a year before, it’s very moving.

“It’s been a very nice and fitting send-off. You feel a bit like you’re rubbernecking coming down here, but we wanted to pay our respects.

“These musicians have always been part of our lives – you feel like you’ve grown up with them.”

Some of the crowd wept and broke out into song as the hearse passed out of the cathedral courtyard and back onto the roads for a private service, followed again by the hive of brightly coloured scooters, buzzing like bees and all bearing photos and tributes to Mani.

It was a moving and fitting tribute to a Manchester great who has helped shape the city and its musical legacy.