Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder has revealed he missed Gary “Mani” Mounfield’s funeral after catching pneumonia.
- Read More: Gary “Mani” Mounfield, 1962-2025: baggy bass hero whose melodies made the Madchester movement
The Manchester music icon passed away on November 20 at the age of 63, with his family later confirming that he died peacefully in his sleep from “respiratory issues” linked to the long-standing lung condition emphysema.
The legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist was laid to rest with a funeral at Manchester Cathedral last month, with many of his friends and bandmates in attendance, including Liam Gallagher, Ian Brown, John Squire, Reni, Bobby Gillespie, Bez, Paul Weller, Mike Joyce, Guy Garvey, Peter Hook, Tim Burgess and Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs. Manchester United legends David Beckham and Gary Neville were also present.
Ryder said he was also supposed to attend the funeral but fell ill during his tour with Black Grape and he “couldn’t get out of bed”.
Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder said he was unable to attend Stone Roses legend Gary "Mani" Mounfield's funeral after he caught pneumonia and collapsed.
He spoke to Jon & Sarah on #BBCBreakfast alongside fellow band member Bezhttps://t.co/GLKUupy6PI pic.twitter.com/YUHnwKb6Dh
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) January 6, 2026
He told BBC Breakfast: “I got pneumonia. I was on tour [and] I ended up with pneumonia. [I] had to throw everything I could down me, every sort of painkiller and everything else just to get through it.
“I got back the day before Mani’s funeral and collapsed, so I couldn’t even go… Like I say, you have to get the job done on the tour, we’re old school you know.”
Ryder added: “In the end, I got antibiotics and that was like a nuclear bomb going off, so that sorted me out quite quick. I’ve only been out of bed about four days.”
He was speaking ahead of the upcoming Happy Mondays tour in March and April to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their landmark album ‘Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches’.
The tour kicks off in Newcastle on March 13, and includes dates in Leeds, Nottingham, Cardiff and Liverpool on March 14, 15, 20 and 21 respectively. Other shows include gigs in Sheffield, Cambridge, London, Southend, and Norwich throughout the month.
You can view the full list of dates here and purchase any remaining tickets here.
Ryder and Bez previously spoke to NME about the band’s plans to get “back at it” with music at the end of 2024, and then went on to tease plans for a new Happy Mondays album – their first since 2007’s ‘Uncle Dysfunktional’ – earlier in 2025.
The post Shaun Ryder says he missed Mani’s funeral after catching pneumonia and collapsing: “I couldn’t get out of bed” appeared first on NME.
