Happy Mondays frontman, Shaun Ryder, stormed off stage this evening, bringing an early close to their set and placing a very real question mark over their longtime future.
Ryder, who had seemed less than completely straight from the start, seemed to lose it completely during a storming run through ‘Hallelujah’. At the track’s close he bellowed: “I’ve had enough, I’m fucking off” and exited stage left. The band announced they would try one more and tempted him back for ‘Step On‘. On his return Ryder staggered around the stage swearing vaguely at anyone and everyone.
When his backing singer attempted to pacify him and playfully grabbed his hat he rounded on her angrily shouting: “Give us back me fucking hat – twat.” He attempted to agressively go for the singer before giving up and exiting for a final time.
It was evident that this was not just another theatrically shambolic Ryder performance when dancer Bez placed his arm around him looking very concerned. Earlier in an eventful, if brief set, a female streaker managed to get onstage and danced happily for several minutes.