You lapped up the news about the return at Warrington Parr Hall. You devoured the gig reports from Barcelona, Amsterdam and Sweden. But all these were just a starter, mere hors d’oeuvres before the feast, as The Stone Roses return this weekend for three shows at Manchester’s Heaton Park. Will there be new songs? Will there be bum notes? Will is be, as one Liam Gallagher opined of one European show, “better than sex”? We’ve given this week’s issue over to a bumper celebration of all things Stone Roses, with the story so far, memories from the Stone Roses’ epochal Spike Island show in 1990, interviews with Heaton Park support act The Wailers and Hollie Cook, and much, much more.

Also in this week’s NME…

Foul-mouthed rap queen Nicki Minaj turns the stage pink and the air blue at the Beeb’s annual Big Weekend shindig.

Bobby and co have a new bassist, as Mani has a fair bit on his plate at the mo.

It’s called ‘Beacon’, it’s influenced by Jay-Z and Motown, and it sounds like a bit of a cracker.

They’re this week’s Radar, and their blend of Chicago house and post-dubstep is making waves… just don’t call them ‘bass music’.

It’s bands, putting up pictures, on your mobile phone.

All the best mixes to shove at your lugholes, from Foals’ ‘Tapes’ and Clams Casino’s ‘Instrumental Mixtape 2’ to newies from Rustie, Dizzee Rascal and Waka Flocka Flame.

Crystal Castles tear it up at Lovebox! TEED drops the bass at Sonar! Azari & III get fruity at the 100 Club! Oh yeah, and Natasha ‘Bat For Lashes’ Khan is back.

And everyone’s favourite sofa salesman, gravel-gargling Chad from Canadian pop grungers Nickelback, tests out the old grey matter.

Don’t miss the ultimate Heaton Park review in next week’s mag, onsale July 4. If you’d like your Heaton Park photos included in this special issue, post them to Twitter or Instagram via the hashtag #heatonparkNME.

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NME.COM blogs contain the opinions of the individual writer and not necessarily those of NME magazine or NME.COM.

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