SHAUN Ryder's dad has slammed the decision to put the Happy Mondays back together.

Shaun, the Happy Mondays and former Black Grape frontman, has been living in Burnley for the past year and reformed the cult band for a comeback tour six years after they broke up.

But, speaking exclusively to Pulse, Shaun's father Derek Ryder, who was part of the Mondays' road crew, said: "I don't want anything to do with it. I think getting the Mondays back together is a terrible idea. People say to me 'It'll be great. I never saw the Mondays before.' But I just tell them they're not going to see the Mondays. It won't be the Mondays without Moose (Mark Day) on guitar and without PD (Paul Davies) on keyboards."

The reformed Happy Mondays are set to play Manchester Arena on April 23, as well as shows in Glasgow and London.

The Mondays split in February 1993 after problems with drugs and their record company Factory. Shaun went on to form Black Grape shortly after, releasing two albums and working with Oswaldtwistle drummer Ged Lynch.

Since Black Grape split last year, Shaun has been living in Burnley where he has been working on a film project with former Accrington and Rossendale College tutor Tom Bruggen.

His dad said: "Yeah, Shaun's been holed up in Burnley. He got chased out of there in the end I think. I don't know what he'd been up to."

It is believed Shaun has been staying with friends in the Harle Syke area of town.

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