Mani’s family say “misunderstanding” over Manchester tribute gig “has now been resolved”

Mani‘s family have cleared up a “misunderstanding” over a tribute gig to the late musician in Manchester, saying this “has now been resolved”.

The special event, dubbed ‘Manichester’, is scheduled to take place at the 5,000-capacity venue Diecast in the bassist’s home city on Saturday May 30. Mani (real name Gary Mounfield) died last November, aged 63.

The concert was organised in association with Madchester.com and fashion label GIOGOI, and has the blessing of Mani’s family, including his brother Greg. It was previously said that the show would raise funds for the bassist’s teenage twin sons, Gene and George.

However, Gene recently took to social media to claim that “nothing’s going to me and my brother”, adding: “If it was a charity gig it would be at Co-op [Live] or Heaton Park and it would be done by [promoters] SJM.”

He wrote: “I’m Mani’s kid, everything’s going to my crackhead uncle and not us. The gig’s a lie, and it’s just taking people’s money.” Gene claimed that “some random people [had] dropped this on us two weeks ago”.

The event is being organized by Damon Minchella – former Ocean Colour Scene bassist and current bassist for Richard Ashcroft – and has the blessing of Mani’s brother Greg Mounfield.

“I think it will be brilliant,” Greg said. “With the names already in the hat, and the names…

— Oasis Mania (@OasisMania) March 30, 2026

The posts came amid rumours that Oasis‘ Liam and Noel Gallagher would be making a joint guest appearance at the gig to honour their friend. The brothers previously paid tribute to their “hero, the one and only Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield” on their Live ’25 tour late last year. Liam then attended Mani’s funeral in Manchester in December.

‘Manichester’ is being organised by former Ocean Colour Scene bassist Damon Minchella, who is also performing on the night.

Cast, Peter Hook and The Kowloons have been lined up to appear, as has a specially assembled band featuring musicians closely connected to Mani. This consists of Stone Roses guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, ex-Happy Mondays member Rowetta, The Zutons‘ Dave McCabe, Manta Of The Cosmos‘ Zak Starkey, Reverend And The Makers‘ Jon McClure, and many more.

Organisers recently added former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan to the bill, along with ex-Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley. A mystery “AAA headliner” is yet to be announced.

Today (Wednesdy April 1), an official update was shared online to clarify the situation around the event. “On behalf of the boys, and as their legal guardian, I want to thank everyone for the kind messages and concern for their wellbeing,” it began.

“There was a misunderstanding regarding the upcoming ‘Manichester’ tribute concert, but we’re pleased to share that everything has now been resolved.”

The message continued: “We would also like to express our gratitude to PH. It means a great deal to all of us that so many people loved Mani enough to give their time and energy to honour his memory in this way. We are genuinely touched by the support.

“It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the boys and for our whole family. We hope this event will bring some much‑needed joy and create new, positive memories for everyone who cared about him. With love and thanks, – The Family.”

You can see the latest line-up for ‘Manichester’ below, and find any remaining tickets here.

Greg Mounfield previously said: “I think it will be brilliant. With the names already involved, and more to come, I know he’d have been absolutely buzzing about it.”

Meanwhile, a crowdfunder was recently launched to install a permanent tribute mural in the north Manchester suburb of Failsworth, where Mani grew up. Elsewhere, Tim Burgess paid tribute to the “phenomenal” Mani at the BRIT Awards 2026.

Mani died peacefully in his sleep of “respiratory issues” linked to the long-standing lung condition emphysema.

In a tribute to Mani, NME described how the late musician “held a rare place in the world of bass heroes” and “defined a scene with some of the most infectious and hypnotic basslines ever recorded.”

“Both weighty and melodic, Mani’s bewitching basslines became the bedrock and, often, the driving force of The Roses’ breakthrough tracks ‘Elephant Stone’, ‘Made Of Stone’ and ‘She Bangs The Drums’, and underpinned the band’s low-slung funk development on ‘Fools Gold’ – arguably a four-minute encapsulation of the entire late-’80s dance rock scene,” it read.

At the start of this year, Manchester United paid their respects ahead of an Arsenal game, with players wearing custom jackets reading ‘Mani 1962-2025’ alongside artwork reminiscent of the first Stone Roses album.