The Stone Roses infamous and chaotic 1989 TV Performance

Wherever The Stone Roses go, chaos follows, thanks in no small part to their incendiary frontman, Ian Brown. Their legend is written in drug-fueled escapades, backstage brawls, and a relentless knack for stirring up trouble.

So it’s hardly surprising that their 1989 BBC television debut, performing the explosive Made of Stone on The Late Show, culminated in Brown’s biting dismissal of the crew as “amateurs.” Yet, in this rare instance, his frustration might have been justified.

Invited onto BBC’s The Late Show, a program that had already showcased acts like The La’s and Pixies, the anticipation for The Stone Roses’ national TV debut eclipsed anything that had come before. This was to be a seismic moment for British music.

Tracey MacLeod introduced the band, and as the opening chords rang out, an electric sense of promise surged through the studio, a new era of music about to be unleashed. But just as the performance gained momentum, disaster struck, bringing everything to a jarring halt before the chorus could even land.

Around the one-minute mark, the band’s power abruptly vanished, leaving Mani, Reni, John, and Ian glaring at the technicians with trademark Mancunian disdain. As the crew floundered to restore order, MacLeod, following the producer’s orders, awkwardly walked in front of the stricken band to introduce the next segment, a move that only deepened the humiliation.

Brown, seething, muttered darkly to the crew before erupting with: “We’re wasting our time lads. Amateurs!” MacLeod’s attempt at damage control was futile. The moment was irretrievably lost, and The Stone Roses’ first TV appearance fizzled out in ignominy instead of triumph.

Just a week later, the band redeemed themselves with a triumphant performance of Fools Gold on BBC1’s legendary Top of the Pops. The BBC would later claim the technical failure was due to the band cranking their amps behind the crew’s backs, but regardless of the blame it’s hard to fault Ian Brown’s assessment this time.

Watch The Stone Roses first TV performance

Ellis Douglas
Editor, BritRock Heaven