Northside

Northside at Brudenell Social Club

Northside formed in Manchester in 1989 and were signed to Factory Records by the late Tony Wilson after he saw the band play a sold-out show at The Boardwalk later that year.

Their debut single, Shall We Take A Trip?/Moody Places, was released in June 1990, produced by Iain Broudie (The Lightning Seeds) and engineered by Cenzo Townshend. Despite being banned from daytime radio due to its obvious drug references, the single still reached No. 50 in the UK Charts with virtually no airplay.

Instrumental versions of both tracks became regular features on Granada Soccer Night throughout 1990 and 1991.

The second single, My Rising Star, followed in October 1990 and reached No. 32 in the UK Charts. The accompanying video famously featured the band performing on top of Manchester’s Arndale Centre. A live version of the track, along with interviews with the band, appeared on Granada TV’s Madchester – The Sound Of The North. Granada also broadcast a live Northside performance filmed at The PSV Club in Hulme during the same year.

1990 also saw the band complete two sold-out UK tours, appear at a festival in Slough alongside The Soup Dragons and Teenage Fanclub, and play shows in New York with Happy Mondays, A Guy Called Gerald and Deee-Lite at The Sound Factory as part of the From Manchester With Love tour.

In 1991, Northside were invited to perform at the Great British Music Weekend at Wembley Arena alongside artists including James and The Cure. During the performance, 15,000 people reportedly surged towards the stage as the band launched into Shall We Take A Trip — despite the BBC requesting that they not play the song.

Their third single, Take 5, was released in May 1991 and reached No. 41 in the UK Charts. A barcode error affecting record sales is believed to have cost the band a higher chart position. As an apology, Top Of The Pops invited Northside to perform — making them the first band to appear on the show with a song outside the Top 40.