Northern Uproar
Encyclopedia
Northern Uproar are an English rock
band
from Heald Green
, Stockport
. They formed in 1995 and initially disbanded in 1997. The band reunited in 2006 and are currently working on their fourth album. They released three album
s and a number of singles
, several of which charted in the UK Singles Chart
. Their biggest selling single was the double A-sided "From A Window" / "This Morning", which peaked in the UK
's Top 20 in February 1996.
, the band drew praise from the music magazines NME
and Melody Maker
, following several energetic live performances at the Roadhouse in Manchester.
After a bidding war, the group eventually signed with Heavenly Records
and in Monnow Valley Studio in Monmouth
they recorded songs with Manic Street Preachers
' James Dean Bradfield
as producer
and Dave Eringa
as co-producer.
The band released their first single, "Rollercoaster", in late 1995 and appeared on Granada TV. The track peaked at #41 in the UK Singles Chart
. The group's next single, "From a Window", peaked at number 17. During this period of initial success the band made the cover of Melody Maker, and also appeared on the BBC TV programme Top of the Pops
. At around the same time, Meya was featured in tabloid newspapers due to a rumoured relationship with the 1980s pop singer Sinitta.
In April 1996, Northern Uproar's self-titled debut album
was released and the group toured the United Kingdom
and Japan. In 1997, they began recording their second full-length album, Yesterday Tomorrow Today
, featuring songs co-written with the band's guitar technician, Nigel Banks. This album was not as commercially successful as their debut effort.Although it was well received by the UK music press
In 1998 the band issued a fittingly entitled final single, "Goodbye", before parting company with heavenly records
. The band toured Japan for a second time and recorded demo's for a third album . These remained unreleased however as the band split up in 1999 .
In 2004 Meya, and lead guitarist Fletcher, returned to the live circuit under the Northern Uproar name, with two shows in the Manchester area, performing both new and old songs. A reunion was mooted but nothing emerged in 2005. However, the band officially reformed in 2006 with Meya, Fletcher and Meya's cousin, Noel on drums. A new album, Stand and Fight
, was released in July 2007, on the independent record label
, Tiny Rebel, preceded by an album launch gig on March 14 at the Manchester Academy
. A full UK tour followed. In October 2007 the band supported The Coral
at the Oxford Carling Academy. They were invited after Meya met their frontman, James Skelly, on Channel 4
's Transmission show.In addition to this the band performed at a number of festivals in southern Spain .A video including footage of these shows was released for the song 'Nothin' you can do'.
On the 27th May 2011 Northern Uproar headlined the 'This Feeling' Britpop night at The Vibe Bar London , tickets for the event sold out after it was featured in The Sun newspaper and the N.M.E .Leon Meya appeared on the Steve Harris show on XFM
on the 26th of May 2011 , he spoke of the time he had spent living in Barcalona writing a new album and of the bands plans to release new material though the Soundcloud
website ,as well as the possibillity of more live shows in the summer
On the 30th june 2011 Northern Uproar performed at the AAA Shaun Ryder
+ friends Exhibition , by the Manchester based Photographer Karin Albinsson . The band were featured in the exhibition alongside Shaun Ryder
, Noel Gallagher
, David Bowie
, Howard Marks
and others.
On the 8th July 2011 Northern Uproar played to a sold out Sound Control, Manchester as special guests of Rochdale based band Proud Mary (band)
.
In September 2011 Leon Meya gave an interview to music blog Mr Scott:Music, where he gave an update about the recording of the new album, saying "The aim is to deliver an amazing album to the people who want it. We get asked at every gig when there's gonna be new stuff... so it's for those people!"
Northern Uproar have announced that their fourth album will be funded via Pledge music as well as anouncing more live shows.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Heald Green
Heald Green
Heald Green is a suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated in the south-west of the borough and is bordered by Gatley and Cheadle to the north, Cheadle Hulme to the east, Handforth and Styal to the south and Wythenshawe to the west...
, Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centred around the town of Stockport. It has a population of about 280,600 and includes the outyling areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley...
. They formed in 1995 and initially disbanded in 1997. The band reunited in 2006 and are currently working on their fourth album. They released three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and a number of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, several of which charted in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Their biggest selling single was the double A-sided "From A Window" / "This Morning", which peaked in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Top 20 in February 1996.
Career
The band formed in 1995 with Leon Meya (vocalist, bassist), Paul Kelly (guitarist), Jeff Fletcher (guitarist), and Keith Chadwick (drummer). Still in their teens and without a recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
, the band drew praise from the music magazines NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
and Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, following several energetic live performances at the Roadhouse in Manchester.
After a bidding war, the group eventually signed with Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for...
and in Monnow Valley Studio in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
they recorded songs with Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
' James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
as producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and Dave Eringa
Dave Eringa
Dave Eringa is an English record producer from Essex who has engineered, mixed, produced, and played on albums by such bands as Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, Idlewild, 3 Colours Red, South and Johnny Boy...
as co-producer.
The band released their first single, "Rollercoaster", in late 1995 and appeared on Granada TV. The track peaked at #41 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The group's next single, "From a Window", peaked at number 17. During this period of initial success the band made the cover of Melody Maker, and also appeared on the BBC TV programme Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. At around the same time, Meya was featured in tabloid newspapers due to a rumoured relationship with the 1980s pop singer Sinitta.
In April 1996, Northern Uproar's self-titled debut album
Northern Uproar (album)
Northern Uproar is self-titled debut album by British Britpop band Northern Uproar. The album peaked at #22 on the UK albums chart and #55 on the Swedish albums chart.-Track listing:#"From a Window"#"Rough Boys"#Town"#"Kicks"#Breakthrough"#"Memories"...
was released and the group toured the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Japan. In 1997, they began recording their second full-length album, Yesterday Tomorrow Today
Yesterday Tomorrow Today
Yesterday Tomorrow Today is the second studio album by British pop band Northern Uproar.-Track listing:#Any Way You Look#Girl I Once Knew#Down To Me#What's It Gonna Be#Blind#Goodbye#One Of Those Things#Blown Away#So Much#More Than This...
, featuring songs co-written with the band's guitar technician, Nigel Banks. This album was not as commercially successful as their debut effort.Although it was well received by the UK music press
In 1998 the band issued a fittingly entitled final single, "Goodbye", before parting company with heavenly records
Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for...
. The band toured Japan for a second time and recorded demo's for a third album . These remained unreleased however as the band split up in 1999 .
In 2004 Meya, and lead guitarist Fletcher, returned to the live circuit under the Northern Uproar name, with two shows in the Manchester area, performing both new and old songs. A reunion was mooted but nothing emerged in 2005. However, the band officially reformed in 2006 with Meya, Fletcher and Meya's cousin, Noel on drums. A new album, Stand and Fight
Stand and Fight
Stand and Fight is the third album by British band Northern Uproar, and the first after their reunion in 2005. It was released in 2007.-Track listing:#"Long time Coming"#"If Tomorrow"#"Don't Believe Her"#"Caught On A Bad Day"#"Stand And Fight"...
, was released in July 2007, on the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Tiny Rebel, preceded by an album launch gig on March 14 at the Manchester Academy
Manchester Academy
Manchester Academy is a brand name used by the University of Manchester Students' Union for its four concert venues in Manchester, England, which reside on Oxford Road both within and adjacent to the main Students' Union building....
. A full UK tour followed. In October 2007 the band supported The Coral
The Coral
The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula in England. The band first emerged during the early 2000s and found success with their debut album The Coral and follow up Magic and Medicine...
at the Oxford Carling Academy. They were invited after Meya met their frontman, James Skelly, on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Transmission show.In addition to this the band performed at a number of festivals in southern Spain .A video including footage of these shows was released for the song 'Nothin' you can do'.
On the 27th May 2011 Northern Uproar headlined the 'This Feeling' Britpop night at The Vibe Bar London , tickets for the event sold out after it was featured in The Sun newspaper and the N.M.E .Leon Meya appeared on the Steve Harris show on XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
on the 26th of May 2011 , he spoke of the time he had spent living in Barcalona writing a new album and of the bands plans to release new material though the Soundcloud
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings.-History:SoundCloud was originally started in Stockholm, Sweden, but was established in Berlin, Germany in August, 2007 by sound designer Alex Ljung and artist Eric Wahlforss...
website ,as well as the possibillity of more live shows in the summer
On the 30th june 2011 Northern Uproar performed at the AAA Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder
Shaun William Ryder, aka X, is an English musician, occasional newspaper columnist, actor, author, singer-songwriter and television personality, best known as lead singer for Happy Mondays and Black Grape – and more recently as the runner-up of the 2010 version of the British TV Show I'm a...
+ friends Exhibition , by the Manchester based Photographer Karin Albinsson . The band were featured in the exhibition alongside Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder
Shaun William Ryder, aka X, is an English musician, occasional newspaper columnist, actor, author, singer-songwriter and television personality, best known as lead singer for Happy Mondays and Black Grape – and more recently as the runner-up of the 2010 version of the British TV Show I'm a...
, Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Howard Marks
Howard Marks
Dennis Howard Marks is a Welsh author and former drug smuggler who achieved notoriety as an international cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases, supposed connections with groups such as the CIA, the IRA, MI6, and the Mafia, and his eventual conviction at the hands of the American Drug...
and others.
On the 8th July 2011 Northern Uproar played to a sold out Sound Control, Manchester as special guests of Rochdale based band Proud Mary (band)
Proud Mary (band)
Proud Mary are an English country/blues/rock band from Royton, Oldham, England. The band was discovered by Noel Gallagher in 2001, and was the first to sign to the Oasis star's Sour Mash label....
.
In September 2011 Leon Meya gave an interview to music blog Mr Scott:Music, where he gave an update about the recording of the new album, saying "The aim is to deliver an amazing album to the people who want it. We get asked at every gig when there's gonna be new stuff... so it's for those people!"
Northern Uproar have announced that their fourth album will be funded via Pledge music as well as anouncing more live shows.
Members
- Leon Meya (current)
- Jeff Fletcher (current)
- Paul Kelly
- Keith Chadwick
- Noel Meya
- Nick Harty
- Chris Gorman (current)
- Alex Stubbs (current)
Albums
- Northern UproarNorthern Uproar (album)Northern Uproar is self-titled debut album by British Britpop band Northern Uproar. The album peaked at #22 on the UK albums chart and #55 on the Swedish albums chart.-Track listing:#"From a Window"#"Rough Boys"#Town"#"Kicks"#Breakthrough"#"Memories"...
(1996) - #22 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... - Yesterday Tomorrow TodayYesterday Tomorrow TodayYesterday Tomorrow Today is the second studio album by British pop band Northern Uproar.-Track listing:#Any Way You Look#Girl I Once Knew#Down To Me#What's It Gonna Be#Blind#Goodbye#One Of Those Things#Blown Away#So Much#More Than This...
(1997) - Stand and FightStand and FightStand and Fight is the third album by British band Northern Uproar, and the first after their reunion in 2005. It was released in 2007.-Track listing:#"Long time Coming"#"If Tomorrow"#"Don't Believe Her"#"Caught On A Bad Day"#"Stand And Fight"...
(2007)
Singles
- "Rollercoaster/Rough BoysRollercoaster/Rough Boys"Rollercoaster"/"Rough Boys" is the debut single from self-titled debut album by British band Northern Uproar. It reached number 41 on the UK Singles Chart in 1995....
" (October 5, 1995) - #41 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... - "From A Window/This MorningFrom A Window/This Morning"From a Window/This Morning" are songs by Northern Uproar, released together as a single in 1996. The single was released in January 1996 and reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, making it by far their highest chart placing to date. The single also charted at #44 in Sweden....
" (January 25, 1996) - #17 UK - "Livin' It UpLivin' It Up (Northern Uproar song)"Livin' It Up" is the third single from the band, Northern Uproar, and is from their self-titled debut album. The single peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart in 1996....
" (April 1, 1996) - #24 UK - "TownTown (Northern Uproar song)"Town" is a song by Northern Uproar, released from their album Northern Uproar. It reached number 48 on the UK Singles Chart in 1996....
" (June 1, 1996) - #48 UK - "Any Way You LookAny Way You Look"Any Way You Look" is a 1997 single by the britpop band Northern Uproar. It was the first to be released from their second album Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today. It peaked at 36 on the UK Top 40 singles chart in May 1997. The song has a noticeable Motown influence...
" (May 1, 1997) - #36 UK - "A Girl I Once KnewA Girl I Once Knew"A Girl I Once Knew" was a single released in 1997 by the britpop band Northern Uproar. It peaked at number sixty-three in the UK Singles Chart....
" (August 1, 1997) - #63 UK - "Goodbye" (October 20, 1997)