Formed in Salford, Manchester in the early 80's, the band's original
line-up was Shaun Ryder on vocals, his brother Paul on bass, lead
guitarist Mark Day, Paul Davis on keys, and drummer Gary Whelan.
Completing the line-up was dancer/percussionist Bez and backing
vocalist Rowetta.

Happy Mondays were first discovered by music impresario Tony Wilson
during a battle of the bands at Hacienda, the iconic nightclub founded
by Factory Records and New Order. Their music was the first to fuse
indie-rock guitars with a rhythmic style that owed much to house,
funk, and northern soul. Happy Mondays, and later The Stone Roses,
became the poster boys for this fresh new sound coming out of the
north-west of England, personifying rave culture with their larger
than life antics, rock & roll lifestyle and ultimately, the music to
back it up.

1987 saw the release of their debut album, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty
Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), with John
Cale on production duties. But it was their next two albums; the
Martin Hamnet produced Bummed in 1988, and the platinum selling Pills,
Thrills and Bellyaches produced by Paul Oakenfold/Steve Osborne in
1990 which really put Happy Mondays on the map as one of the most
influential bands to come out of the UK. The albums went on to inspire
up-and-coming Manchester bands such as Inspiral Carpets and The
Charlatans, as well as attract the attention of popular DJs to remix
many of the tracks, further emphasizing the dance music influences.

Their 4th album, Yes Please, recorded at Eddy Grant's studio in
Barbados and reaching number 5 in the UK charts, would be the last
time that the original members recorded together, with the band
disbanding in 1994.

The following 19 years saw a number of reincarnations of and releases
by the Happy Mondays, but it wasn't until 2012 that the band finally
reformed in their full, 100% original line-up. Currently in the studio
and working on material for a new album, the band provided support for
the newly reformed The Stone Roses at their monumental Heaton Park
shows last Summer, and went on to headline tour the UK, giving fans
exactly what they'd been missing since 1994!

CATCH THEM LIVE AT OISO HACIENDA FESTIVAL, APRIL 27-28!!!

http://www.happymondaysonline.com/

iFLYER