Northside

Formed in Manchester in 1989. Signed to Factory Records by the late, great, Tony Wilson after seeing

them live at a sold out show in The Boardwalk later that year. Debut single Shall We Take A Trip?/Moody Places was released in June 1990, produced by Iain Broudie (Lightning Seeds) and engineered by Cenzo Townshend. It was banned by daytime radio because of obvious drug references throughout the song, yet still managed to hit the UK Charts at number 50, with virtually no airplay.

Instrumental versions of Trip and Moody both soundtracked weekly by Granada Soccer Night throughout 1990 and 1991. Second single, My Rising Star was released in October 1990 and reached number 32 in the UK Charts. With a video released featuring the band on top of Manchester’s Arndale Centre. A live version of the song (and interviews with the band) also featured earlier that year on the Granada TV music documentary, Madchester- The Sound Of The North.

There was also a live performance recording of the band at The PSV Club in Hulme, the same year which was broadcast by Granada TV throughout the region. Also in 1990 there were two full, sold out UK Tours. A festival in Slough with The Soup Dragons and TFC.

Live shows in New York with Happy Mondays, A Guy Called Gerald and Dee Lite at The Sound Factory as part of the From Manchester With Love tour. In 1991 Northside were invited to play live at the Great British Music Weekend at Wembley Arena (along with the likes of James and The Cure)

With 15,000 people rushing the stage as the band started with Shall We Take A Trip, after being asked by the BBC not to play the song!

Third single, Take 5 was released in May 91 and reached number 41 in the UK Charts. The band were robbed of a higher chart position because of a mix up with the barcode on the record sales, and so as a way of an apology, Top Of The Pops offered the band an appearance on the show, the first time a band has ever played the show with a song outside the top forty. Released simultaneously in America on Geffen Records (the bands US label) the song reached number one in Canada and was featured heavily on US college radio.

Also in 91, Northside played at Elland Road in Leeds alongside The Las, The High and the Mondays. With many saying Northside we’re the highlight of the day. The bands debut (and only) LP, Chicken Rhythms was released on 17th June in 91 (with artwork by Central Station Design, who did the covers of all the singles too) and reached a UK Chart position of 19. The album received great reviews and was recorded in Wrexham, Liverpool and mixed at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire. Later that year the backlash started to begin for the band by the British press, as the grunge scene from America was now starting to take hold of the airwaves. A second album was demo’s in early 92 at Suite 16 in Rochdale but was never released because of the collapse of Factory Records at the same time. These songs still exist.

A fourth single, Cool Idea was intended to be released as Fac 338, but never seen the light of day. Soon after the band split.

A comeback UK tour by all four original members happened in 2014 and was greatly relieved by both fans the industry. Then the band took some time out. Tragically, guitarist Tim Walsh died in 2019 and this hit the band and fans hard. In March/April of 2025, all three original members Dermo, Cliff and Wol will be heading out again (with a new guitarist) on the ‘Let’s Take Another Trip’ Tour.