Listen: She Bangs The Drums / The Stone Roses SheBangsTheDrums.mp3

I remember seeing The Stone Roses in the smallest place, somewhere along Portobello Road. Damn if I can remember the name, but it was definitely a pub. I saw Pulp there a year or so later, playing to about 30 people. Jarvis had his best Scott Walker outfit on: brown wide courds, hip huggers, complete with a thick white belt and matching jacket. Everyone I was with turned their noses up and met me down the way instead of watching. Duh. The Stone Roses though had a mob scene going on their night – must have been around ‘91-ish. I never thought they looked amazing. There was just something clutsy about their stage language. Ian Brown couldn’t really sing of course. Still, this one did sound great live. That I vividly recall. I’m right back to the moment every time I hear it. It’s one of the defining songs of that period (another is The Charlatans ‘Sproston Green’), although everyone sights ‘Fool’s Gold’ as The Stone Roses’ seminal track. I disagree.