The Stone Roses – What Will They Play At Heaton Park?

A few weeks back I had a go at predicting the setlist for The Stone Roses’ surprise comeback gig at Warrington’s Parr Hall, and cocked it up something rotten. Some of you were even kind enough to tell me so. Obviously I can’t leave it at that so I’m trying again – with one crucial difference: the appliance of SCIENCE and MATHS.

The Stone Roses


With nine shows under their belts now The Stone Roses have really shown their hand, so guessing what they’ll play at Heaton Park this weekend should be like taking sugar spun candy from a baby. There are tracks that have been played at every gig, tracks that have wormed their way in over the last few shows and tracks that haven’t been touched at all – most of ‘Second Coming’ for a start. Here’s how all those lovely numbers play out.

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The non-negotiables
Just like every single audience all over Europe, we will be hearing ‘Waterfall’, ‘Shoot You Down’, ‘She Bangs The Drums’, ‘Made Of Stone’, ‘Love Spreads’ and ‘I Wanna Be Adored’. So far, so blindingly obvious.

The opener

It always was ‘I Wanna Be Adored’, and has been this time around as well, seven out of nine times. ‘Love Spreads’ and ‘Sally Cinnamon’ have had one go each, just to keep the Swedes and Danes on their toes.

That crucial third song

‘(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister’ has occupied this hallowed berth on four occasions. ‘Mersey Paradise’ and ‘Sally Cinnamon’ loiter around this point too.

The meat

‘Fools Gold’, ‘Ten Storey Love Song’, ‘This Is The One’ and ‘Where Angels Play’ are all shoo-ins, and ‘I Am The Resurrection’ is your encore, flighty drummers notwithstanding.

Recent developments

It took them six gigs but now ‘Bye Bye Badman’ is a stayer. Must have tricky chords. And, absent for the first couple, ‘Don’t Stop’ is now back where it belongs – directly after ‘Waterfall’ as the gods intended.

Wild cards!

Last night in Lyon, the ‘Roses threw in ‘Elizabeth My Dear’, making it the first time ever they’d played every song from their debut album at the same gig. Could happen again. ‘Something’s Burning’ tends to get a run-out when they have more time, as they clearly will at their own party, same with ‘Standing Here’. And, who knows, maybe a British audience might fancy some ‘Second Coming’ tracks or ‘One Love’ or – God forbid – a new song?

The Heaton Park setlist (maybe)
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‘I Wanna Be Adored’
‘Sally Cinnamon’
‘(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister’
‘Ten Storey Love Song’
‘Shoot You Down’
‘Bye Bye Badman’
‘Fools Gold’
NEW SONG (we can dream)
‘Made Of Stone’
‘Something’s Burning’
‘Where Angels Play’
‘Waterfall’
‘Don’t Stop’
‘She Bangs The Drums’
‘This Is The One’
‘Love Spreads’
‘Elizabeth My Dear’
[Encore]
‘Driving South’
‘I Am The Resurrection’

Agree? Disagree? Want to petition them for the hidden track on ‘Second Coming’? Now’s your chance.

Ian Brown

Don’t miss the ultimate Heaton Park review in next week’s mag, onsale July 4. If you’d like your Heaton Park photos included in this special issue, post them to Twitter or Instagram via the hashtag #heatonparkNME.

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