The Fall were an English post-punk group, formed in 1976 in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. They underwent many line-up changes, with vocalist and founder Mark E. Smith as the only constant member. The Fall's long-term musicians included drummers Paul Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft and Karl Burns; guitarists Marc Riley, Craig Scanlon and Brix Smith; and bassist Steve Hanley, whose melodic, circular bass lines are widely credited with shaping the band's sound from early 1980s albums such as Hex Enduction Hour to the late 1990s.
Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the UK's own shoegaze music scene. The movement brought British alternative rock into the mainstream and formed the backbone of a larger British popular cultural movement, Cool Britannia, which evoked the Swinging Sixties and the British guitar pop of that decade.
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwriting partnership. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from the 1980s British independent music scene.
The Rutles were a rock band that performed visual and aural pastiches and parodies of the Beatles. This originally fictional band, created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes for a sketch in Idle's mid-1970s BBC television comedy series Rutland Weekend Television, later toured and recorded, releasing two albums that included two UK chart hits. The band toured again from 2002 until Innes' death in 2019.
Damon Albarn is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer, best known as the frontman and primary lyricist of the rock band Blur and later the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual band Gorillaz.
Mark and Lard was the stage name of Mark Radcliffe (Mark) and Marc Riley (Lard), who presented various weekday shows on BBC Radio 1 from 1991 to March 2004.
Mark Radcliffe is an English radio broadcaster, musician and writer. He is best known for his broadcasting work for the BBC, for which he has worked in various roles since the 1980s.
Marc Riley is an English radio DJ, alternative rock critic, musician, and former music businessman. He currently presents on BBC Radio 6 Music.
Elbow are an English rock band formed in Bury, Greater Manchester, in 1997. The band consists of Guy Garvey, Craig Potter, Mark Potter and Pete Turner. They have played together since 1990, adopting the name Elbow in 1997. Drummer Alex Reeves replaced Richard Jupp in 2016.
Neville John "Noddy" Holder is an English musician, songwriter & actor. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the English band Slade, one of the UK's most successful acts of the 1970s. Known for his unique and powerful voice, Holder co-wrote most of Slade's material with bass guitarist Jim Lea including "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Merry Xmas Everybody". After leaving Slade in 1992, he diversified into television and radio work, notably starring in the ITV comedy-drama series The Grimleys (1999–2001).
Christopher Mark Sievey was an English musician, comedian and artist known for fronting the band the Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards.
Stuart Maconie is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of pop music and popular culture. He was raised in Prescot, Merseyside. Roger Waters referred to Maconie as a "Little Prick". He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music where, alongside Mark Radcliffe, he hosts its weekend breakfast show which broadcasts from the BBC's MediaCityUK in Salford. The pair had previously presented an evening show on BBC Radio 2 and the weekday afternoon show for BBC Radio 6 Music.
Skrewdriver were an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, in 1976. Originally a punk band, Skrewdriver changed into a white supremacist rock band after reuniting in the 1980s. Their original line-up split in January 1979 and Donaldson reformed the band with different musicians in 1982.
Liam Frost is a musician from Manchester, England. He recorded and played with his backing group 'The Slowdown Family' on his debut album Show Me How The Spectres Dance but now performs solo under the name Liam Frost.
Our Kid Eh is the second album from the spoof band the Shirehorses, comprising two BBC Radio 1 DJs, Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley. This album's title is a play on the name of Radiohead's 2000 album Kid A. Our Kid Eh reached #20 on the UK Albums Chart.
The worst...album in the world...ever...EVER! is the first album from Shirehorses, a spoof English band. The title is a dig at the long-running series of compilation albums popular in the UK.
The Lovely Eggs are a two-piece lo-fi psychedelic punk rock band from Lancaster, England. They consist of married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell. Ross was formerly the lead singer and guitarist in the all-female band Angelica.
Simon Hanson is an English drummer, songwriter and producer. He was the former drummer of Death in Vegas and is the current drummer of British band Squeeze.
Grab Grab the Haddock was an English indie pop group that was formed in 1984.
"Hit the North" is a 1987 song by British post-punk band the Fall. The lyrics are by vocalist Mark E. Smith accompanied with music written by Simon Rogers and Brix Smith. It was released as a single in October 1987 and reached number 57 on the UK singles chart.
