HE'S played bass for two of the most influential bands of the last 20 years, he's in demand as a DJ and yet the most important thing for Mani is he's still having a laugh. See him DJ in Blackburn on August 4.

"It's all a bit mad at the moment," he said. "But I love it.

"I love getting out there and meeting people and playing for people."

As bassist for the Stone Roses Gary "Mani" Mounfield was part of the Madchester scene which changed the face of music in the '80s.

After the band split he joined Primal Scream a band he's still with and is currently playing at major summer festivals.

But it's as a DJ he will be coming to Blackburn when he will get behind the decks at the North Bar.

"I'm no Fatboy Slim," he laughed. "But it's all about having a few laughs and playing music that I like.

"I will take a lot of stuff with me, feel out the crowd and see what takes my fancy.

"It might be some Stone Roses stuff or some of my Hacienda favourites. Who knows?"

Mani has just returned from Tokyo where he was asked to DJ for a night.

"It was a long way to go for a night out," he said.

"But the atmosphere was just like a gig. They went mental."

With his band commitments and his DJ-ing, Mani's in constant demand.

"I'm no good at relaxing," he said. "I could get very lazy if I didn't do something and I'd prefer to get out there and meet people."

Many of those people want to talk about the Stone Roses but Mani doesn't mind.

"I still love playing our music and play it at home all the time," he said.

"It affected a lot of people and virtually every day someone will come over and thank me for what we did.

"Without people, without the fans, you are nothing as a band and sometimes people do get big-headed and leave the fans behind and that's where it all goes wrong.

"I've always been a fan at heart and with the Stone Roses we wanted to show other kids off council estates that you could get out there and do it and hopefully we inspired a lot of other bands to follow us."

As for a Roses reunion, Mani gives his stock answer that it won't happen until Manchester City win the European Cup he's a devoted United fan although you suspect that he would quite enjoy getting back together with Ian Brown, John Squire and Reni.

Whether he'd find time to fit in a reunion is another matter.

"I'm a great believer in fate and destiny," he said.

"And whoever has decided that I can do what I'm doing, I'd like to shake him by the hand."

Mani plays the North Bar, Blackburn, on Friday, August 4.