Northside

Northside occupied a peripheral position within the Madchester movement. The quartet came together in Manchester, England, during 1989 when Warren Dermody handled vocals, Michael Upton played guitar, Cliff Ogier covered bass duties, and Paul Walsh sat behind the drums. Although Factory Records provided staunch independent-label support, the musicians never matched the creative reach of contemporaries the Stone Roses or the Happy Mondays. Critics in the British press charged that the band had merely latched onto the prevailing Madchester trend, replicating the signature shuffling guitars and club rhythms without introducing fresh ideas.

During 1990 the group issued two singles, “Shall We Take a Trip” and “My Rising Star,” both designed to ride the wave of Madchester popularity. Radio stations across the United Kingdom refused to play “Shall We Take a Trip” because of its drug references, yet the track still climbed to number 50 on the domestic charts. Timmy Walsh stepped in for Upton that same year. In July 1990 the band secured a deal with Geffen Records for the American market, and “My Rising Star” advanced to number 32 on the British charts by October.

Northside unveiled its first full-length effort, Chicken Rhythms, on 17 June 1991; Ian Broudie of Care and the Lightning Seeds served as producer, and the album entered the Top 20 shortly afterward. The single “Take 5” became one of the final British pop tracks to register strongly on U.S. modern-rock radio before grunge reshaped the format in the early 1990s, marking the group’s nearest brush with American success. In 1993 the musicians toured alongside Revenge while seeking a new label following the collapse of Factory Records. Over the ensuing years Northside experienced repeated personnel shifts as the members attempted to compose material for a follow-up album. The band ultimately dissolved in December 1996 after a closing show at the Hacienda in Manchester, England.