Happy Mondays take the stage back on their home turf tonight, for the seventh gig of their extensive UK tour, which reminisces and celebrates the 25th anniversary of Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches - their hit album of 1990.

With the revival of iconic 90s bands from the ‘Madchester’ scene being in full throw, there couldn’t be a more fitting time or more fitting city for the iconic six-piece to play their classics, and tonight, they perform as their original line up for the first time in nineteen years.

Opening the night with their classic hit and original album opener, ‘Kinky Afro’ it’s hard to tell that the 90s icons had ever been away. Rowetta’s enticing vocal, paired with electric flashes of blue light filled the academy with nostalgia and anticipation, as their opening song rose in to its unmistakable intro.

Bez’s energetic arrival to centre stage instantly brought a 90s rave vibe to the venue and his iconic dancing created a huge wave of vitality which instantly infiltrated the audience. Shaun Ryder still shows himself as a cornerstone to the group, leading the way whilst managing to be effortlessly cool, with an unmistakable swagger and stillness that totally opposes the rest of the band.

Reeling through a back catalogue of the album’s classic, with highlights such as ‘Harmony’, ‘Loose Fit’ and ‘God’s Cop’, no bigger satisfaction comes from the crowd than the eighth track of their set – the one they’d all been waiting for. With an intoxicating keyboard riff which once filled the air in the 90s, it now fills Manchester academy as the band storm into the biggest crowd pleaser of the night, ‘Step On’.

‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Wrote for Luck’ provide the encore for a nostalgic and energetic set and provide a round finish for the band, though ‘Step On’ still remains the crowning point of the show.

It may be the album’s 25th anniversary tour, but live in Manchester’s O2 Academy, it sounds as fresh as the day it came out. From start to finish, the set provided an authentic trip down memory lane, which satisfied not only its original fans, but a whole new generation, too.

Words by Hannah Leeland