Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder brings Black Grape to Edinburgh’s Liquid Room

Black Grape was formed in 1993 when former Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Bez recruited rappers Paul ‘Kermit’ Leveridge and Carl ‘Psycho’ McCarthy, drummer Ged Lynch, guitarist Wags and Oli ‘Dirtycash’ Dillon on ocarina.

Signed by Radioactive Records they released debut album It’s Great When You’re Straight...Yeah, which shot straight into the album charts at No 1.

A second album Stupid Stupid Stupid followed in 1997 after which, in 1998, the group went their separate ways.

On 1 April 2010, however, Ryder briefly reformed Black Grape with producer Danny Saber and Kermit for a concert as part of the Get Loaded in the Dark gig series in London.

And five year’s on a reunion tour to mark 20 years of It’s Great When You’re Straight...Yeah saw them reunited.

Last year, Black Grape returned to the studio, producing a third album, Pop Voodoo, which was released on 4 August.

Writing a biography for the band at the time of the album release, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh observed, ‘Black Grape could only have been made in Manchester.

“The swagger, fun and cryptic humour seem hewn from a city historian AJP Taylor once described as offering an archetypally different way of English urban life to London.

“Both Shaun Ryder and Paul Leveridge, known as Kermit, came from edgy-but-cool parts of the city.

“In Shaun’s case Salford... with Kermit originating Moss Side.

In Shaun’s case Salford with Kermit originating Moss Side.

“So we have two restlessly creative men, both from the wrong side of the tracks... loaded with street smarts and musical talent, and wanting the world.”

Experience the street smart sound of Black Grape tomorrow at the Liquid Room when Ryder and Leveridge revisit their past glories.

Black Grape, Liquid Room, Victoria Street, Friday 5 April, 7pm, £25, ticketmaster.co.uk, 0844-844 0444