As the crowd caught their breath, Northside readied themselves for a show that could prove make or break. Re-establishing yourself as a player on the music scene is never easy, and this band have more than a little experience of that rocky road. But, as the saying goes, you can always rely on your fans. Despite every crack in the wall and pitfall to be navigated, Northside’s fans always remained loyal till the end. Perhaps it was because they could truly associate with the band – young lads taking trips and making shapes. Maybe, too, it was because they were good, honest Manchester lads that made it good through hard work, but remained eternally faithful to their roots. Either way, there was an unbreakable connection. The band were loved, and Dermo and Co. could be forgiven for feeling a little hesitant prior to this tour as to whether that love still existed. Certainly, signs had been good following the re-release of Chicken Rhythms, but would these same fans come out to play in Liverpool on a rainy Friday night?

The answer, of course, was yes. Watching the venue fill up with thirty-somethings, all with their dancing shoes on, it was clear that this was going to be a special night from the off, and even as the band prepped their equipment, the standing area became flooded with people. It wasn’t a full house, but it didn’t need to be. The atmosphere was surreal. This was 1992 Manchester in 2006 Liverpool. Any locals who had come along for the ride became honorary Mancunians, gleefully joining in with the pre-gig chants of ‘Manchester, La La La’, and getting into that acid-house party spirit the region loves to embrace. When Dermo stormed on stage, replete with ‘Baggy’ clothes, tambourine and Parka, the mood was complete and the cheers went up.

The bit of breathing room afforded by a slightly smaller crowd enabled those in attendance to party like never before, and arms flailed, fingers were waved and people were carried on shoulders in an era-defying display of love that you had to see to believe. This could have been The Hacienda. Northside responded in kind, giving a set of cult classic that the fans lapped up, and everyone in the room felt 18 again, including the band. Opening tack, A Change Is On Its Way, whipped up a storm, and the frenzied audience responded to every second of the music. Pleasuredome and Who’s To Blame followed in blistering fashion, before Weight Of Air turned the whole thing up a notch yet again, with Dermo’s vocals ranging from bubbling whispers to powerful, engaging howls of triumph.

The band, of course, were as tight as can be, each playing to perfection and delivering perfect renditions of absolute classics. They were as happy to be back as the crowd were to be there. The standout performance, however, came from Mr Dermody. Engaging with the audience, he strutted, postured, laughed, deftly twirled his tambourine, danced and made shapes, and, in fact, looked like he hadn’t aged a year. For so many bands, reforming and touring is a mere nostalgia trip, but for Northside it was the real deal. They went out their with the intention of delivering, and they achieved so much more. They looked like a new band, yet held the crowd in the palms of their hands like past masters. They had the energy of teenagers juxtaposed with the experience of seasoned professionals, and they remembered, more than anything, their Manchester roots.

The roof was raised yet again with the onslaught of Funky Munky, one of Northside’s finest moments both in the past and on the night, and this was followed by a delicate, dreamlike performance of Wishful Thinking, yet another Chicken Rhythms classic. By song seven, Tour De World, it was clear that this was a special, legendary night in the making, and both song, singer and crowd were up to the challenge. The party atmosphere spread like a fever, and took hold of everybody. Feet were tapping, hands were in the air, and it just couldn’t get any better than this. Then it did. Dermo announced Cool Idea as, “A song about bank robbers”, then turned in the vocal performance of his life. It was fast, frenetic and powerful, yet still held that classic Northside feel, and the delivery was just perfection.

When My Rising Star hit, the room could barely take anymore. People were on shoulders, sweating, dancing and feeling utterly euphoric – so much so that one fan in particular managed to navigate the crowds, barriers and big speakers to jump onstage and take the microphone alongside Dermo, before thanking the band and making a triumphant exit. The song came to a delicious close, with the fans singing almost every word back to the band, and then Take 5 hit, only for Northside to be joined onstage by The Reason bassist Nick, brandishing a tambourine. The song, of course, was brilliant, taking everybody in the room back to their roots, and self-appointed dancer and crowd pleaser Nick took the sense of fun to the next level, strutting like Liam Gallagher demanding the crowd enjoyed the song. He didn’t need to – they were already swept away on Northside’s euphoric wave – but his presence truly enhanced the party feel.

By the time the triple encore of Moody Places, Yeah Man and Shall We Take A Trip hit, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the crowd would be pretty burned out. But you’d also be way off the mark. Rather than gearing down during the encore, everything was turned up yet another notch, and as Dermo sang, “Moody places and Jekyll faces”, the whole room was as one.

The gig, of course, was capped off with a classic performance of the still-relevant Shall We Take A Trip, and as Dermo sang, “Answers come in dreams”, it felt like both the dream and the answer were unfolding before your very eyes. The crowd, desperate for Northside not to leave, cheered loudly at the end of the set, shook hands with the band and left talking about one of the finest gigs they’ll ever see.