Happy Mondays

Happy Mondays are an English alternative dance and rock group from Little Hulton, in Greater Manchester. Formed in 1985 and active until 1992, they are associated with the Madchester scene and the wider blend of indie, electronic and post-punk styles that combines guitar music with dance rhythms.

Formation and line-up

The group is fronted by Shaun Ryder, who forms the band with his bass-playing brother Paul Ryder. The classic line-up also includes Bez, who dances and plays percussion, guitarist Mark Day, keyboard player Paul Davis and drummer Gary Whelan. Other members linked to the band include Rowetta and Gaz Whelan.

Sound and scene

The band helps define the neo-psychedelic indie-dance movement often called Madchester. Their music mixes pop guitars with rhythms influenced by house, techno and northern soul, and it also draws on funk, pop and rock. Their recordings are frequently remixed by DJs, which pushes the dance element further. Their style also combines hippy fashion with 1970s glamour, and they are part of the psychedelic revival associated with acid house.

Recordings and labels

Happy Mondays debut with Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) in 1987. It is followed by Bummed in 1988, Hallelujah in 1989, Madchester Rave On in 1989, Pills ’n’ Thrills and Bellyaches in 1990, Live in 1991, Yes Please! in 1992, Loads in 1994, Greatest Hits in 1999, Step On - Live In Barcelona in 2005, The Platinum Collection in 2005 and Uncle Dysfunktional in 2007.

Several of these releases appear in the United States on Elektra Records. The band also signs to Factory Records after being spotted at a battle-of-the-bands event at the Hacienda nightclub. Later they sign to Sanctuary Records.

Career highlights

By the late 1980s, Happy Mondays are a major part of the Madchester movement and a visible part of rave culture. Their profile is affected by drug problems and label interference, which makes their recording and touring schedule uneven. Even so, they influence later groups including EMF, The Stone Roses and The Charlatans.

Among their better-known songs is “Lazyitis”, which features a duet between Shaun Ryder and country singer Karl Denver. “The Boys Are Back In Town” appears during a later reunion, and “Playground Superstar” is released from the soundtrack to the film Goal!.

Breakups and reunions

The band splits in 1992. Shaun Ryder and Bez then form Black Grape with Paul Wagstaff, also known as Wags, and Paul Leveridge, also known as Kermit.

Happy Mondays reform in 1999 without Paul Davis and Mark Day, with Wags and other musicians close to Ryder replacing them. That version is short-lived and ends in 2000 after the band supports Oasis on the Standing on the Shoulder of Giants tour.

Another reformation follows in 2004 with Shaun Ryder, Bez and Gary Whelan. The group issues a live DVD recorded in Barcelona and plays festival dates including Glastonbury in 2005. They also perform a one-off show in Liverpool in 2006 and appear at Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, where only Shaun, Bez and Gaz Whelan are from the original line-up.

In 2007 the band completes Uncle Dysfunctional with producers Sunny Levine and Howie B. They also tour medium-sized venues in England, play festivals in the UK and New York, and perform before Rage Against the Machine at Coachella.

In 2012 the original line-up reforms again, with Shaun Ryder, Paul Ryder, Gary Whelan, Rowetta, Mark Day and Paul Davis. They tour the UK, play in South America and Europe, and release the compilation Double Double Good alongside a live recording from Brixton. They later tour Europe and the UK, mark anniversaries of Bummed and Pills ’n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, and continue performing after Paul Ryder’s death in 2022.

Film and media

The band appears in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People. Danny Cunningham plays Shaun Ryder, Paul Ryder makes a cameo as a gangster, and Rowetta appears as herself.