IT is the reunion gig many fans thought they would never see.

But tomorrow, thousands of people will travel to Heaton Park to watch The Stone Roses play the first of their sell-out shows.

More than 220,000 tickets have been snapped up for the three nights.

The gigs are being held more than two decades after the band released their self-titled debut album.

Excitement has been mounting since the announcement last October, which meant Ian Brown, John Squire, Alan ‘Reni’ Wren and Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield would grace the stage together for the first time since 1995.

To celebrate the reunion, a biography charting the band’s rise and fall — The Stone Roses: War and Peace — has been penned and ‘Spike Island — The Film', is being released later this year.

As the gig draws closer, a Bolton record shop has seen a boost in fans buying Stone Roses merchandise.

Alistair Hall, from X Records, Bridge Street, said: “We have had quite a few sales in Stone Roses T-shirts, records and CDs.

“Hopefully we should be getting some more sales. People have been talking about it.”

With the gig just hours away, all fans need to worry about now is the foursome keeping a lid on their infamous bust-ups and the great British weather.

Helen Chivers, from the Met Office, said gig-goers tomorrow and Saturday can expect showery and windy weather. She said: “Some of the showers could be quite heavy but there should be some bright spells in between.

“Sunday looks like sunshine and showers and not quite as windy.”

Reggae band The Wailers will support The Stone Roses on each of the nights, with Scottish rock band Primal Scream, indie rockers The Vaccines and six-piece band Kid British completing the line- up tomorrow.

On Saturday, Liam Gallagher's band Beady Eye will grace the stage, as well as rapper Professor Green and singer Hollie Cook, daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook.

On Sunday, rapper, singer-songwriter and actor Ben Drew, aka Plan B, will perform, after The Justice Tonight Band, which features The Clash's Mick Jones, Pete Wylie and The Farm, with Wythenshawe trio Dirty North completing the line-up.

People travelling to Manchester from Bolton are being urged by the British Transport Police to plan their journey. Inspector Lorna McEwan said: “Transport will be available to get people back into Manchester city centre from Heaton Park, but there will be limited trains running from the city centre after the concerts — particularly on Saturday and Sunday."

A shuttle bus service will run between Manchester and Heaton Park and there will be a ticket outlet in the park for single journeys back to the city centre.

People can use Heaton Park tram stop when arriving for the concert but it will be closed by the time the concerts end and people will need to use Besses O'Th Barn, Bowker Vale and Prestwich stations for their return journeys.