Shaun Ryder, frontman of Happy Mondays, has revealed his unconventional strategy for England's World Cup success: sleeping through the matches. The 60-year-old musician, known for his wild past, admits he fell asleep during England's recent game against Mexico, missing the entire match.
“I left the telly on, fell asleep before it started and woke up when it had finished,” he said. Ryder, who penned the 1996 football anthem “England's Irie,” is superstitious about watching the Three Lions play. “I've got no predictions but I'll tell you what it is if I watch England they f***ing lose. So if I don't watch it, they win.”
New Book and Tour
Ryder's musings feature in his new book, “24 Hour Party Person,” which recounts death-defying scrapes, bust-ups, and benders. This is his fourth memoir, but he insists it's different from his previous works. “This isn't the same as the other books. You know, I've done a biography, I've done a book about lyrics. I got a book about UFOs. This one is also about life turning 60,” he explained.
He is also embarking on a one-man spoken word tour, reliving his tales for fans. The tour offers a chance for like-minded Happy Mondays and Black Grape enthusiasts to gather, and for his family to enjoy some peace. “The wife likes to get me out of the house, you know what I mean?” he joked.
Fan Interactions and Clean Living
Despite his reputation as a wild man during the Madchester era, Ryder now lives a clean lifestyle, though some fans still offer him drugs. “You might meet a couple of 18 and 19 year olds, you know, they look at photographs and read stuff and think it all happened today, and they might offer me a line of coke or something. I just f***ing laugh because I'm older than their dads. Most of the people that come and watch me now, the youngest is in the f***ing late 40s, really. And I'm sixty f**king four,” he said.
Future Plans
A new Happy Mondays album is due next year, and Ryder shows no signs of slowing down. “We’re booking into 2028 at a moment. I’d like to go to Mexico. Brazil and Japan. You know, you used to tour to promote an album. Now it’s all about the shows, it's better than it used to be, actually,” he added.
Shaun’s UK tour runs from September 23 to November 22, and “24 Hour Party Person” is out now.
