Rising from the ecstasy-fuelled hedonism of New Order's legendary club, the
Hacienda, Shaun Ryder's gang ushered in a new era of swaggering, indie that
embraced rave culture, hip-hop and 1960s psychedelia under one baggy groove.
Working class lads who looked more at home on a football terrace than a stage,
the Happy Mondays were discovered by colourful impresario Tony Wilson at a
Battle of the Bands competition before capturing the mood of the new Madchester
scene with classic third album Pills'n'Thrills And Bellyaches (1990). Top 5
singles "Step On" and "Kinky Afro" set them up ...