Northside - Biography
By Eric Brightwell
Northside were late comers to the Madchester Scene. After scoring several modest hits, the sole album was almost inevitably met with skepticism and mixed critical response. A new line-up reformed after years of absence with the promise that more is yet to come.
Northside were formed in North Manchester in February 1989 by Man City supporter Cliff Ogier (bass) and Man United fan Warren “Dermo” Dermody (vocals) (whose brother provided the band’s name). Soon after they were joined by Michael “Upo” Upton (guitar) and Paul “Wal” Walsh (drums). Their professed influences were New Order, Love, Talking Heads, Big Audio Dynamite, acid house, Tim Dog, The Wedding Present, Yellowman, Public Image Limited, Young MC, The Chameleons, Stiff Little Fingers, Joy Division and Nick Drake. Conspicuously absent were any baggy bands but from the beginning they were seen by many as attempting to jump on the Madchester bandwagon.
In August they recorded a demo at The Cutting Rooms, part of Abraham Moss College. They received some airplay by Tony the Greek’s on Piccadilly Radio and Craig Cash on KFM, Stockport. They capitalized on their growing local fame with their September live debut at Manchester’s Boardwalk which sold out. Not long after, Tony Wilson visited them at their rehearsal space and offered them a contract with Factory and they accepted. Some cynics suggested Wilson’s interest was primarily due to the fact that he’d slept on The Roses. They closed out the year opening for Happy Mondays at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall in November and a performance (supported by Paris Angels) at the Haçienda Christmas Party.
Northside finally signed their Factory contract in the following February, after Upo was replaced by Timmy Walsh. The following month the band were profiled on the Granada documentary, Madchester – The Sound of the North. In April they headed to the capital to record their debut single with producer Ian Broudie. The acid-celebrating “Shall We Take a Trip” was dedicated to the band’s friend Robo and Dermo’s brother, Steven, who’d both recently passed. Upon its release, it was not surprisingly banned from daytime radio and several stores but nonetheless charted at #50. Meanwhile, its double A-side, “Moody Places,” was picked up as the theme for Granada Soccer Night, used until 1992.
They band next embarked on a tour that saw them play Europe, Japan and the US where, in July, they signed with Geffen Records. Afterward they returned to the studios with Broudie. They embarked on a UK tour and “My Rising Star” was released in October, ultimately reaching #32. In January 1991, Northside opened the Great British Music Weekend which was broadcast live on Radio one. “Take 5,” released was released on June 1, the same day they pleat Leeds’ Elland Road stadium with Happy Mondays, The Farm and The La’s. It reached #1 in Canada but only #41 in the UK due to a barcode mix-up. To make amends, Top of the Pops invited them to perform and, in doing so, they were the first band to appear on the program who hadn’t made the Top 40. Chicken Rhythms (Factory-1991) came out the same month and reached the Top 20 but, faced with the inevitable Madchester backlash, reviews were mixed.
In 1992, following another tour, Northside returned to the studios and began work on their next scheduled single, “Want a Virgin” and demos for their next album. However, with the demise of Factory, neither the single nor the album saw the light of day. They nonetheless continued, opening for Peter Hook’s Revenge and looking for a new label. Over the next couple of years, Danny Yates (guitar) Paul Ankers (guitar) and Dean Dermody (drums) came on as replacements, leaving Dermo the sole original member. In December 1996, the band played their final performance at the Haçienda.
After their dissolution, Dermo formed another line-up in 2006 for a reunion tour. In 2008. Walsh rejoined the band and announced the two were working on new material. Nothing has surfaced as yet although they spent their efforts on a Facebook campaign to return “Shall We Take A Trip” to the charts. The result was nearly 1,000 users downloading the song.
