Following on from the news that Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder has married in a surprise ceremony, here we list ten classic Ryder moments that illustrate just how tough a task taming the wildman of baggy will be for his lucky new wife Joanne.

1. Arguably Shaun’s most hellraising period came during recording sessions for the Happy Monday’s ill-fated 1992 album Yes Please.

With Ryder heavily addicted to heroin, the band’s manager Nathan McGough shipped the group out to Barbados to finish the already much-delayed record at Eddy Grant's house.

McGough had chosen the Caribbean island due to it being completely clean of smack. While this proved to be the case, the island was unfortunately in the midst of a major crack cocaine epidemic.

Within 48 hours of the Mondays arriving, the band had managed to develop a new drug dependency with Ryder eventually racking up a habit of up to 50 rocks a day.

The group soon ran out of money, prompting them to start flogging the studio’s equipment before holding the master tapes ransom from their record label Factory.

2.Shaun has a lifetime ban from appearing live on Channel 4 after swearing on two separate occasions while appearing on TFI Friday in the 1990’s.

He is the only person to be specifically referred to by name in Channel 4's Compliance Manual, which states: "Please note that the Channel 4 Board has undertaken to the ITC that Shaun Ryder will not appear live on Channel 4".

3. While on tour in Newcastle, Ryder went for a few drinks on his own and returned to the venue to find the band were already on.

After explaining he was in the act, he was hurriedly rushed through the bowels of the hall, only to find himself on stage with Simply Red. The Mondays were playing down the road.

4. Shaun has been involved in a number of musical collaboration over the years, including a memorable team-up with Damon Alban’s Gorillaz. In 2000 he paired up with tenor Russell Watson for this rather bizarre rendition of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé’s Barcelona.

5. He agreed last year to appear in Channel 4 drama Shameless - as long as he didn’t have to say or do anything.

He said at the time: "I don't really like doing owt like that, but the part was cool because I didn't have to speak or anything. I tried, I can't do it - I'm hopeless.

"I had a go at acting once and that was enough for me."

The cameo eventually saw him walking his dog Oscar along the street.

6. Famously documented in the movie 24-Hour Party People in the clip below, during the early days of the Happy Mondays, Ryder along with his sidekick Bez poisoned thousands of pigeons on a rooftop, causing their bodies to plummet from the sky and litter Manchester city centre.

7. Compared by the late Factory Records chief Tony Wilson to Keats, Ryder’s often witty lyrics are the stuff of legend. Choice lines include:

"Bring all the family, out to the funeral/ It's only grandbags that's died" (Grandbags Funeral)

"Old Pope he got the Nazis/ To clean up their messes/ In exchange for gold and paintings/ He gave them new addresses." (Reverend Black Grape)

8. In a Most Haunted spin off series called Ghost Hunting With..., presenter Yvette Fielding took Shaun and his bandmates to a haunted house, resulting in some truly genius television.

9. Shaun's hedonistic past has left him with heartburn so severe that he now has a dependency on Rennies.

When arrested by police in Jersey in 1989 for cocaine possession, he was asked if he wanted an advocate and replied: "I don't want any poncy southern drinks".

10. Shaun once had a girlfriend called Felicia, who he insisted on introducing to everyone as "Fellatio". Somewhat unsurprisingly the relationship didn't last long.

