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 from Moss Side. For those unfamiliar, 'the Moss' lay in the shadow of Manchester City's old stadium at Maine Road, and was one of the first multi-ethnic areas in Manchester.Black Grape are widely regarded as one of the most innovative and iconic bands of the last twenty five years. Black Grape have had 4 Top 10 singles and their debut album It's Great When You're Straight. Yeah shot straight to No.1 in the UK charts upon its release in 1995 and went Platinum. Follow up album Stupid Stupid Stupid went Gold in 1997.Ryder has grown from a wild young tearaway into a British National Treasure. Black Grape always were a grimily cosmic musical jigsaw, melding rock, hip-hop, acid house, psychedelic pop and reggae with Ryder's gutter poetry, delivered in his inimitable shyster's bark.
