Manchester Says Goodbye As Music Royalty Gathers For Mani’s Funeral

Manchester came to a standstill on Monday (December 22) as the city farewelled one of its most beloved musical figures, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, the legendary bassist whose work with The Stone Roses and Primal Scream helped define the sound and spirit of Madchester.

Mani passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 20th, aged 63, due to respiratory issues linked to long term emphysema, he was laid to rest during an emotional service at Manchester Cathedral, attended by an extraordinary cross section of music, football, and cultural royalty.

Among those present were Liam Gallagher, Ian Brown, John Squire, Reni, Bobby Gillespie, Paul Weller, Bez, Peter Hook, Guy Garvey, Tim Burgess, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, and Mike Joyce, alongside Manchester United icons David Beckham and Gary Neville.

Fans lined the streets of the city centre as the funeral cortege travelled eight miles from Mani’s home in Heaton Moor, Stockport, to the Cathedral, many wore Stone Roses shirts and bucket hats, a quiet, defiant show of love from a city shaped by his sound.

The coffin itself was draped in the Jackson Pollock-inspired artwork from The Stone Roses’ 1989 debut album and adorned with flowers spelling out ‘Mani’ and ‘R Kid’, a final nod to a life woven into Manchester’s identity.

The service

During the service, Ian Brown spoke of their bond.

‘Mani was like a brother to me, a musical comrade,’ he told the congregation. ‘Beautiful soul and spirit. Mani was able to laugh his way through any darkness. He was the life and soul of any room he was in.’

Bobby Gillespie followed with a tribute that balanced warmth and sharp humour.

‘Mani’s warm and welcoming manner, treating me like an equal, made me feel like a million dollars, and I’ll never forget that. No-one was too important to escape his laser-eye ability to cut the pretentious and self-important down to size, myself included.’

He added:

‘Mani’s not dead, he’s just gone. He will always live forever in my soul and mind.’

As the service ended, Liam Gallagher, Reni, and John Squire helped carry the coffin from the Cathedral, greeted by applause from mourners outside, Mani leaves behind an immeasurable legacy, one etched into basslines that didn’t just support songs, but carried a movement.