Shaun Ryder, the former frontman of the Happy Mondays and a notable figure from the Madchester music scene, has reflected on his past excesses and shared details about his upcoming UK tour. Known for his candid storytelling and colorful history, Ryder described how he recently missed England’s early morning World Cup match against Mexico, humorously attributing the team’s success to his absence from the television screen. “If I watch England, they lose. So if I don’t watch it, they win,” he remarked.

Ryder also commented on coping with the current UK heatwave in his hometown of Salford, noting his discomfort due to complete alopecia. The lack of body hair means sweat can only roll off him, exacerbating the impact of the sun, which he recalls as particularly traumatic due to a severe incident in the 1990s. While on tour in Valencia, Spain, Ryder fell asleep on the beach after a late-night television appearance and woke with third-degree sunburns that required hospitalization. He credited heroin use at the time with dulling the pain enough to continue performing after his release.

As he approaches his 60th birthday, Ryder is preparing for a spoken word tour set to run from September 23 to November 22 across the UK. The tour will feature Ryder sharing stories from his extensive and often wild career, many of which he only fully understands through accounts from friends due to gaps in his memory caused by years of drug use. Referring to recent encounters, he mentioned a reunion with Johnny Marr during a Gorillaz performance at Tottenham Stadium, where Marr helped fill in some of the overlooked details from their shared past.

Ryder also revealed that he has recently rediscovered stories of a road trip around Los Angeles and Mexico with Joe Strummer of The Clash, an event he had no recollection of until shown photographs and hearing accounts from others. These stories and more are included in his new book, "24 Hour Party Person," described as a distinct work from his previous three books, which included a biography, a collection of lyrics, and a book about UFOs. This latest memoir also touches on themes related to aging and reflection.

Despite his reputation for wild behavior in his youth, Ryder emphasized that he now leads a clean lifestyle and family-oriented life, though he finds it amusing when younger fans mistake his past for his present. His ongoing candidness about both his former indulgences and current outlook highlights the complexity of a musician who has lived a life marked by both chaos and reinvention.