Alfonso Buller

Alfonso Buller
Also known asFonzo
Born
Alfonso Buller

January 1960
Withington, Manchester, England
Died2 February 2026 (aged 66)
Cornwall, England
GenresHouse music, rave
OccupationsMC, soundsystem co-founder, music promoter
Years active1988–2026

Alfonso "Fonzo" Buller (January 1960 – 2 February 2026) was an English MC, dancer, and music promoter, best known as the co-founder of the sound system MVITA (Manchester Vibes In The Area).[1] A key figure in the Madchester scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Buller and MVITA provided sound systems and performed at events for bands including The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, and 808 State.[2] He has been credited as an influence on the performance styles of Ian Brown and Liam Gallagher.[3]

Early life

Buller was born in Withington, a suburb of Manchester, to a Belizean immigrant father and a Romany Gypsy mother.[1] He was one of ten children.[1] He first visited The Reno, a late-night soul and funk club in Moss Side, at the age of 12.[4] Speaking to The Guardian in 2017 about The Reno, Buller said: "The police, the establishment and what felt like the whole world were against us... But the Reno was the one place where we could feel special."[4]

Career

MVITA (Manchester Vibes In The Area)

In 1988, Buller and percussionist Himat Singh co-founded MVITA at The Midland pub (now The Met) in West Didsbury, Manchester.[1] The sound system began by bringing house music to local pubs before progressing to underground raves.[4] MVITA featured DJs including DJ Dominic, DJ Space Cake (also known as The Madhatter), DJ Stefan Juniper, and Darren Green, with Buller as MC and Singh on percussion.[1][5] Singh had previously worked with Mike Pickering on Factory Records release FAC 169, "So Good" by The Pleasure Crew (1987).[6][7] MVITA were noted as "the first soundsystem to have a live Sikh percussionist."[3]

In March 1990, MVITA's demo "Manchester Vibes in the Area" reached number 7 on the KFM Demo Top Ten chart, as reported in Terry Christian's "The Word" column in the Manchester Evening News.[8] In April 1990, Christian featured MVITA in his column, describing the scene at The Midland pub where "a crowd that look like refugees from the last episode of The Bash St Kids out of the Beano comic are raving on the dance floor, swinging from the light fittings and stomping on the tables." He described the nights as having "a reggae blues party atmosphere fuelled by euphoria" and called Buller "MC extraordinaire Phonso."[9] The column noted that MVITA had been turned down by Factory Records and The Haçienda before signing with Stockport label Cut Deep Records.[9]

In 1990, MVITA appeared on the Channel 4 television series Dancedaze, performing tracks including "Pyramid Sun" and "Dance".[10][11] The tracks were never commercially released; a planned release on Cut Deep Records did not materialise after the label ceased operations.[9]

Madchester scene

MVITA became closely associated with the Madchester movement, providing after-show party sound systems for Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses, and 808 State.[2]

On 27 May 1990, MVITA were among the support acts at Spike Island, The Stone Roses' seminal concert in Widnes, with Buller performing as MC alongside DJs Dave Haslam, Paul Oakenfold, MC Tunes, Dave Booth, and Frankie Bones.[12]

On 1 June 1991, Buller served as MC at the Happy Mondays concert at Elland Road, Leeds, alongside Paul Oakenfold and Mike Pickering as DJs.[13] Buller was known for joining the Happy Mondays on stage, and former Happy Mondays singer Rowetta later shared a photograph of herself performing onstage with Buller in Dublin.[2]

Glastonbury Festival

In June 1990, MVITA performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival, appearing on the same bill as Adamski and the Happy Mondays.[1][14] MVITA manager Alan Ingram later told the Manchester Evening News that Buller had been "on the Pyramid stage for six years running, not officially, but with Stone Roses, Joe Cocker, Finley Quaye, Simply Red – he was on stage with all of them together with Himat Singh the percussionist in MVITA."[1]

Later career

In 1998, MVITA performed with 808 State at a Pepsi Max event in Heaton Park.[15]

Buller continued performing and attending events in Manchester throughout his later years, despite having moved to Cornwall.[1]

Cultural influence

Photographer Ian Tilton described Buller as "the original one regarding that Oasis/Verve/Roses swagger, the first cool/cocky Northerner thing, a proper character and quite influential in that way."[3] Bars entrepreneur John Locke credited Buller with creating "the Manchester swagger and attitude, which Ian Brown carried onstage and Liam Gallagher then took the energy world wide."[1] Oliver Wilson, son of Tony Wilson, described Buller as a "key architect of the Manchester Vibe."[1]

Before achieving fame with Oasis, Liam Gallagher regularly attended MVITA performances at The Midland pub.[3] Gallagher later adopted Buller's "Manchester Vibes in the Area" catchphrase, using it to introduce Oasis onto stage during the Oasis Live '25 reunion tour, shouting "Manchester vibes in the area!" at their Heaton Park homecoming shows in July 2025.[1]

MVITA manager Alan Ingram told the Manchester Evening News: "Everyone kind of loved him, all those factions that didn't get along, he brought them all together through dancing, music, love. He promoted love – that was his thing."[1]

Heritage recognition

Buller was featured in the Arts Council England-funded heritage project "Excavating the Reno" (2017–2018) and the associated exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery.[4][16] The project, led by playwright Linda Brogan and supported by a £65,000 National Lottery grant, combined oral history with archaeology to document the cultural significance of The Reno nightclub.[17][18] Buller travelled from Cornwall for the entire three-week excavation, helping to coordinate attendance and MCing the events.[17]

He also appeared in video memoirs for The Reno documentary project.[19]

Personal life and death

Buller had ten children and fifteen grandchildren.[1] He was one of ten siblings; his brother Carlos Buller appeared on the Manchester edition of Channel 4's Come Dine with Me in 2008.[20][21] Buller lived in Cornwall for the last 30 years of his life while maintaining regular connections to Manchester.[1] He practised Buddhism.[4]

Buller died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Cornwall on 2 February 2026, aged 66.[1] Tributes were paid by Ian Brown, who called him "a King and Lion of Manchester,"[22] and Liam Gallagher, who wrote "RIP FONZO MVITA REWIND."[2] Bez shared a photo with Buller and wrote "Fonso! Things are going to be alot quieter now."[1] Rowetta posted a photograph of herself onstage with Buller in Dublin, calling him "a real gentleman, so supportive of me & so many others. His natural energy & positivity was something I had been yearning for for years."[2]

Author and musician John Robb described him as "the one man riot who was Manchester Vibes In The Area – MVITA and part of the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays extended family."[23] The Daily Express[24] and Daily Mirror[25] also reported on his death.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Bourne, Dianne (3 February 2026). "Liam Gallagher leads tributes as Manchester legend Alfonso 'Fonzo' Buller dies". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Liam Gallagher, Ian Brown and Bez lead tributes to "Manchester vibes in the area" music legend Alfonso 'Fonzo' Buller". NME. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d "Manchester legend MVITA talks of Stones Roses, raves and the Madchester madness". Louder Than War. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e Buller, Kya (3 February 2026). "'Manchester is the centre of the partying universe – we have Fonzo to thank'". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  5. ^ "MVITA profile". Soul Underground. November 1989.
  6. ^ "FAC 169 Pleasure Crew - I Could Be So Good". Factory Records. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  7. ^ "The Pleasure Crew - So Good". Discogs. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  8. ^ Christian, Terry (23 March 1990). "The Word". Manchester Evening News. p. 8.
  9. ^ a b c Christian, Terry (13 April 1990). "No one should get this much fun". Manchester Evening News. p. 12.
  10. ^ "Dancedaze (TV Series 1990)". IMDb. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  11. ^ "M-Vita discography". Discogs. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Stone Roses Spike Island". British Culture Archive. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  13. ^ ""Are you Man U, you" – A Gig Goers Account of Happy Mondays at Elland Road 1991". Shiiine On. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Glastonbury Festival 1990 – Pyramid Stage". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  15. ^ "808 State, MVITA, Video – Heaton Park, 1998". Manchester Digital Music Archive. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  16. ^ "The Reno Club". Historic England. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  17. ^ a b Brogan, Linda (17 October 2018). "Evaluating Excavating the Reno: Alphonso Buller". The Reno. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  18. ^ "Resurrecting the Reno: Unearthing the soul of a boundary-pushing Manchester club". Current Archaeology. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  19. ^ Brogan, Linda (3 February 2017). "Reno Video Memoir Season Two: Alfonso Buller". The Reno. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  20. ^ "Manchester, Carlos Buller". Come Dine with Me. 25 August 2008. Channel 4.
  21. ^ "Come Dine with Me: Manchester, Carlos Buller". IMDb. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  22. ^ Ian Brown (3 February 2026). "Ian Brown tribute". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  23. ^ Robb, John (3 February 2026). "Aphonso 'Fonso' Bullah RIP". Louder Than War. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  24. ^ "Breaking: Alfonso 'Fonzo' Buller dead". Daily Express. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  25. ^ "Liam Gallagher leads tributes to Happy Mondays legend". Daily Mirror. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
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