Biography

Just as Nirvana inspired a legion of yelping, angry youths with loud, fuzzy guitars in America, Oasis' Beatles-like popularity in Britain unleashed a flock of imitators in the mid-'90s. Northern Uproar was among Oasis' spiritual offspring. Northern Uproar formed in Oasis' hometown of Manchester, England, in 1995. Featuring Leon Maya (vocals, bass), Paul Kelly (guitar), Jeff Fletcher (guitar), and Keith Chadwick (drums), Northern Uproar adopted Oasis' notorious cockiness and the punk sensibilities of the Clash and the Manic Street Preachers. Still in their teens and without any records out, the band was engulfed in the hype machine of the U.K. press because of their energetic live performances at the Roadhouse in Manchester. After a bidding war, the group eventually signed with Heavenly. The band moved to Monnow Valley Studio in Monmouth to record songs produced by Dave Eringa and James Dean Bradfield, both from the Manic Street Preachers. Northern Uproar released their first single, "Rollercoaster," in 1995. The track hit number 41 on the British charts. The group's next single, "From a Window," peaked at number 17. The band became cover boys in one issue of Melody Maker, and they also appeared on Top of the Pops. In April 1996, Northern Uproar's self-titled debut album was released. The group toured throughout England and Japan and began recording their second full-length in 1997. Called Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today, the album was a commercial failure. Except for the continuing success of Oasis, the public started to lose its taste for Brit-pop, and Northern Uproar was caught in the inevitable backlash. Unable to receive the airplay from radio and TV they once had, the band issued a fittingly titled final single, "Goodbye," and then broke up. Maya relocated to Spain, but returned to England and became a hairdresser, an occupation that fascinated him since stylists used to prepare his locks for Northern Uproar promo shots. ~ Michael Sutton, Rovi