Black Grape

Born in Salford, Greater Manchester, Black Grape took shape in 1993 around Shaun Ryder and Bez after the end of the Happy Mondays, joined by Kermit and Ged Lynch from the Ruthless Rap Assassins and several musicians from the Manchester scene. Black Grape developed a sound sitting between alternative dance, alternative rock, funk rock, hip-hop and the Madchester legacy, characterized by dry rhythms, samples, a spoken–sung vocal delivery and more rap-like vocal lines that gave the project a distinctly urban identity. The first album, It’s Great When You’re Straight...Yeah (1995), established this formula, followed by Stupid Stupid Stupid (1997), which was tighter and denser. The band split in 1998 after a touring period marked by internal tensions. A brief reformation occurred in 2010, and Black Grape resumed activities more permanently from 2015, this time centered on Shaun Ryder and Kermit. This new phase produced Pop Voodoo (2017) and Orange Head (2024). On stage and in the studio, Black Grape remain associated with a mix of danceable groove, upfront rock and sarcastic spoken word, firmly placed within the history of Manchester bands.