EXCLUSIVE: Mondays reunion a Happy one

United Kingdom | by Ross Purdie | 11 August 2004

Band rehearsals have reportedly been going well and the reinvigorated Mondays appear visibly excited about the forthcoming Get Loaded In The Park festival, which takes place on Clapham Common, London, on Sunday 22nd August.

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Shaun Ryder told Virtual Festivals: "We might do a few one-off gigs. If this one goes well then maybe, yeh. I'd never do a huge tour again mind. But we've got the will now, and the talent, and it's kind of a favour to our new guitarist Kav -who's helped get me smiling again. Somewhere up in the Pyrenees Mountains would be nice. Any gig would have to have a good setting, y'know!"

But Shaun didn't rule out playing another festival, such as Glastonbury or the Carling Reading/Leeds Weekender. The band last played a festival when they reformed briefly back in 2000. 

Shaun said: "Yeh, of course, when the time's right we could do something like Glastonbury again. But one step at a time. It's all good and we're just enjoying being back playing together." 

The frontman explained a permanent reunion was never on the cards when the band agreed to reform for their highly anticipated headline set at Get Loaded In The Park.

He said: "We just fell into it really but we're enjoyed rehearsals and the sound we've been creating. It's not like we're just getting back together to knock out the same old stuff. We've developed the tunes we've got, and turned them on their heads a bit. So we'll just have to wait and see what happens afterwards."

One band member who hasn't been rehearsing, though, is dance-nut and crowd raiser, Bez. He told us: "I can do it with me hands tied behind my back, blindfolded, and upside down if needs be. It's just what i do, isn't it." 

Click here to read VF's full interview with Shaun Ryder.

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