Shaun comes back from the dead

In fact, Ryder's now clean after years of well-publicised drug abuse, and the new album, Unkle Dysfunktional, has a darkly comic take on his habit.

The song Dr Dick was inspired by the GP who told Ryder he'd be dead within months if he didn't quit drugs. But that diagnosis was actually made in 1992, while Dr Dick apparently died a few years ago.

He may be indestructible, then, but Ryder didn't seem able to move about too much, unlike the crowd of early Nineties students, middle-aged party animals and excitable Mancunians, who were jumping around throughout the 70-minute set.

The fans had freaky dancer Bez, a former Celebrity Big Brother winner exhorting them to move during new songs such as the opening Jellybean. But they needed no encouragement when the Mondays launched into Kinky Afro and an unruly Reverend Black Grape, from another of Ryder's bands, Black Grape.

He was seated for part of the set, but the diva-like Julie Gordon kept the performance lively, while original drummer Gaz Whelan deserves credit for establishing a new line-up around Ryder and his shouty vocal delivery.

Ryder's nonsense lyrics were certainly as intriguing as ever on new material such as Rats with Wings, which sounded wonderfully grimy. These 2007 songs followed the band's dance-rock template, but the best reaction was reserved for Hallelujah and Step On. However, this Eighties and Nineties material did sound dated at times, and the cheap lighting didn't help.

The encore of Wrote For Luck had an unmistakable anarchy, though, and overall this show was far better than expected. Ryder and his band deserve another chance.

Happy Mondays
Astoria
Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0EN