TO SAY that Gary "Mani" Mounfield’s first encounter with Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown was a lively affair would be something of an understatement.

Both had a feeling that music might be their only and best option, but it was an unlikely incident which brought the bass-player and singer together.

"We used to be in scooter gangs and I was in the North Manchester one, Ian belonged to South Manchester. I remember when I first saw him he looked just like a chimp on his bike! We recruited his gang to help us hospitalise some fascists, which was quite rewarding," reminisced Mani of their meeting in the mid-eighties.

Their friendship eventually evolved into the formation of one of the greatest pop bands ever produced in the UK.

From their early Gothic leanings, The Stone Roses crafted an eponymous debut which has been consistently hailed as a modern-day rock masterpiece.

"There was always had a supreme confidence about us, people thought we were arrogant, but it was just self-belief."

This was epitomised by their near mythical Spike Island gig at Widness, in which they achieved the unthinkable. More-than 30,0000 people crammed into an industrial wasteland. This gathering of the faithful set the tone for cementing their status as rock royalty.

But after spending a tortuous six years on their follow up record, the creative tension between guitarist John Squire and Ian Brown became unbearable. Inevitably they split up in 1996.

Fortunately, Mani decamped to one of the era’s other great rock acts, Primal Scream who welcomed him with open arms.

By then the group had long-since moved on from its early success with Screamadelica which produced their most famous track to date, Loaded.

Led by the hedonistic waif-like figure of Bobby Gillespie, they had gone through a Rolling Stones retro-phase and were in search of a new direction, which their latest arrival helped fashion.

"It was really simple joining Primal Scream, I knew Bobby from gigs in Brighton and were already friends. People are seeing the real Mani now, I feel a lot freer and not like I am being operated by strings by John Squire and Ian Brown."

This new found freedom resulted in his new band forging some of the most innovative work they had produced. The decidedly edgy yet rewarding albums Vanishing Point and Xtmntr both scored highly in the charts, reviving their career in fine style.

For their latest album which is due to hit the shops early next year they have returned to their roots to make a raw-sounding rock and roll record.

Now 43, he is married to Emelda - "like Emelda Marcos she loves shoes" - Mani appears to be enjoying life.

Away from work there’s nothing the bass-man likes better than an unlikely spot of fly-fishing. Then there’s his radio show alongside Clint Boon of Inspiral Carpets fame on 96.2 the revolution, which has fast become a cult station.

He’s even enjoying a sideline project with Peter Hook of New Order. Encouragingly, he’s still on good terms with the Roses, but will they ever reform?

"It’s not top of my priorities, but it would be great. The way it ended with people falling out left us with a sense of under-achievement."

As for the task in hand, it falls fortuitously at Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall as they make their way to play a French festival.

"I don’t think I’ve been to Kent before except to catch the ferry at Dover. But we’re looking forward to the Folkestone gig - we enjoy playing everywhere we can we’ll be doing some new material that we haven’t played anywhere else yet."

Primal Scream play Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall on Tuesday, December 6. Tickets £17.50. Box office 01303 228600.