Brown, Ian - Manchester Central

2:18pm Monday 31st December 2007

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CRITICS say he can't sing or dance but the large crowd that packed into Manchester Central on Saturday couldn't have cared less as Lymm resident Ian Brown took to the stage.

Because the iconic former Stone Roses front man held centre stage at the former GMEX venue for almost two hours.

"If there have been better songs written in the past 20 years, I haven't heard them."

Gareth Dunning

His array of songwriting was on show as he first gave a potted history of his solo tracks (some better and others less well known) supported by his outstanding band. The atmospheric Golden Gaze and the amazing Keep What Ya Got being particular highlights.

But it was his last half hour that really got the crowd going.

It is easy to forget just how good I Am The Resurrection and I Wanna Be Adored are but listening to thousands sing and live every second of the tracks as he belted them out is testimony to Brown's unmatched talent.

If there have been better songs written in the past 20 years, I haven't heard them.

And while it was disappointing not to hear the real lyrics of Fools Gold and he performed a bizarre version of Anarchy in the UK, it is being hyper-critical.

Because closing with Brown's biggest solo hit of F.E.A.R had the crowd in rapture.