The Happy Mondays dancer/percussionist recreates a photo taken in Cuba after his band were booted out of the US and talks about his wild youth
Mark Berry, better known as Bez, rose to fame as the dancer-slash-percussionist for indie dance group the Happy Mondays. He was born in 1964 in Bolton, and his mother was an auxiliary nurse and his father a chief inspector in the anti-terrorist squad. Bez served three years in a detention centre for a robbery he committed at the age of 17. With Happy Mondays and later Black Grape, he toured the world as a pioneer of the Madchester scene. Today, Bez is known for his political endeavours – in 2015 he set up the We Are the Reality party and stood as MP of Salford – as well as his work as an environmentalist and campaigner. A reality TV favourite, Bez has three sons from previous relationships, and lives in Hereford with his fiance. He is competing in Dancing on Ice on ITV, and is an ambassador for homeless charity Coffee4Craig.
This was taken in Cuba. The US
immigration authorities had kicked Black Grape out for smoking weed before a gig. One minute we were sitting in Central Park taking in the smoke with a beautiful view of the twin towers – the next we were surrounded by
police. I found the whole thing quite funny.