Happy Mondays legend Paul Ryder has passed away on the day the band were due to play Kubix festival in Sunderland.
The group, responsible for indie anthems like Step On, were set to be one of the final acts on stage at the Herrington Park event, with Bez and Rowetta also hosting the main stage, but, early on Friday afternoon, a post appeared on Kubix's Facebook page, informing fans they would no longer be playing.
It read: "We have been advised by the band’s agency that due to unforeseen circumstances, The Happy Mondays are unable to play tonight’s show." Initially the news generated some frustration from fans who'd been really looking forward to seeing the icons in action in Sunderland, but that quickly turned to sadness when news broke that Paul, 58, brother of frontman Shaun, had passed away.
