A crowdfunder has been launched for a permanent tribute mural in Manchester, dedicated to late Stone Roses bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield.
The Manchester music icon, who was also a member of Primal Scream between 1996 and 2011, passed away from respiratory issues in November at the age of 63. He was laid to rest the following month at a funeral at Manchester Cathedral, which was attended by Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller, Ian Brown and more.
Now, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched, pushing for the instalment of a large painting of him in Failsworth – the North Manchester suburb where he grew up.
The project has been organised by GRIT Studios, and will also raise money for Maggie’s Centre, a Manchester-based cancer support charity, which helped support Mani and his wife Imelda during her treatment.
If it goes ahead, the artwork will be created by Pic.One.Art, who was also behind the mural of Liam and Noel Gallagher in Burnage following Oasis’ ‘Live ‘25’ comeback shows.
At time of writing, there are still 40 days left to contribute to the crowdfunder, and it has already raised over £4,700, just under 50 per cent of its £10,000 target. Visit here to donate and for more information.
A Mural For Mani
Link also in biohttps://t.co/3rx0NExaSD pic.twitter.com/9YMSC37GOi
— The Stone Roses Unseen (@tsrunseen) February 15, 2026
The push for the permanent mural comes after Ian Brown, frontman of The Stone Roses, made an emotional eulogy at the service in Manchester Cathedral, and said that he would love to see a 50-foot gold statue of Mani erected to commemorate his life and career.
Speaking about the new campaign, co-founder of GRIT Studios, John Macaulay, said that while a gold statue seems unlikely at the minute, Brown’s words inspired him to try and create something to remember Mani by.
“Mani was one of the warmest, funniest and most generous people I’ve ever known,” he said in a statement. “The work we did together in China over a decade ago genuinely changed the course of my life, and without Mani, GRIT Studios probably wouldn’t exist.”
The two of them spent time together before The Stone Roses reunited in 2011.
“We loved Ian Brown’s beautiful words about Mani in Manchester Cathedral and his suggestion of a 50-foot gold statue! You never know – it might happen in the future, but for now we’ll focus on a mural – it feels like the least we can do,” Macaulay added.
“This mural will be a way for fans to come together, pay tribute and create something very special for the community, as well as raising funds for Maggie’s which was so important to Mani and Imelda.”
Macaulay also said that while the mural will be funded through public donations, any extra money raised over the £10,000 target will be donated to Maggie’s Centre.
In a tribute to Mani, NME described how the late musician “held a rare place in the world of bass heroes” and “defined a scene with some of the most infectious and hypnotic basslines ever recorded.”
“Both weighty and melodic, Mani’s bewitching basslines became the bedrock and, often, the driving force of The Roses’ breakthrough tracks ‘Elephant Stone’, ‘Made Of Stone’ and ‘She Bangs The Drums’, and underpinned the band’s low-slung funk development on ‘Fools Gold’ – arguably a four-minute encapsulation of the entire late-’80s dance rock scene,” it read.
Among those who paid tribute to the bassist were My Bloody Valentine, who dedicated their first tour in seven years to him, Oasis, who played ‘Live Forever’ in his honour, and Richard Ashcroft, who played a cover of ‘She Bangs The Drums’.
Last month, Manchester United paid their respects ahead of an Arsenal game, with players wearing custom jackets reading ‘Mani 1962-2025’ alongside artwork reminiscent of the first Stone Roses album.
