The Onset Biography

The Onset started playing live in 1988 (arguably the UK's first alternative country band),firstly in and around Liverpool, then touring Germany/Austria in 1989 ,1990 and 1991,gradually becoming more electric,mixing the roots with a more Indie guitar based sound.They also toured the UK playing with Half Man Half Biscuit, the Edinburgh Fringe Circuit and with Jonathan Richman in 1992.(The debut album- 'The Pool of Life Revisited' Probe Plus 40)- Now also available 'The Onset' gen10

The Onset European Radio: Emma Peel (Bayerischer Rundfunk) 1989,La Session Noire (France Inper)1990, Planet Claire (Paris Aligre)1991and American College Radio Stations W.F.M.U (New Jersey).

The Onset on Television -Music Box (Satellite Channel) in 1990 ,Granada Celebration in 1991 and in the same year were featured on Granada Reports- also Live from East Berlin broadcast in 1991.

Band Line up :

Mike Badger : Vocals, Guitar.
Danny Dean : Lead Guitar, Backing vocals.
Simon Cousins : Bass ,Backing Vocals.
Paul Hemmings :Guitar ,Lap Steel, Mandolin.
Tony Russell : Drums.

Now available - this collection of studio recordings from 1989 to 1995 (GEN 10)

More Onset recordings also feature on Lo Fi Acoustic Excursions
(GEN 9).
and LOfi ELECTRIC excursions-(GEN 11)

Record Collector Review- The Onset (Gen 10)

From the lost hidden folds of early Britpop,
The Onset formed around the guiding talents
of Mike Badger, who had departed the La’s.
The Onset became a central force of Liverpool’s
hugely innovative Probe Plus label, which operated
from the record shop of the same name.
It’s curious to note that these twelve studio recordings
hail from the half decade which preceded the mid-90s
Britpop explosion, and yet appear to have stemmed
precisely from that era. In short,they sound as if they
should be post Ocean Colour Scene, if not post Oasis.
If nothing else this is a testament to the song writing
vision of Badger ,who cleverly plucks references from
from the pop edge of 60s R&B and filters them into
a bunch of downbeat Merseyside. This is a young
precocious album shot through with good old scally suss.

Mick Middles (issue306)

THE ONSET - (Generator; 2004)

After a couple of compilation appearances (mostly on their hometown based Viper label), here’s an album worth of unreleased tracks, recorded between ’89-’94, and all (co)written by The Onset frontman and The La’s founding member Mike Badger. Naturally enough, the comparision just can’t be avoided, and Mike tends to support it by occasionally clearly showing off what his contribution in The La’s was, through the Lloyd Cole-ish beat-pop jangle of tracks such as “First I feel you”, “Set for destruction” and “Where love is”. My personal fave is “Walking tall”, an acoustic folk rock piece of the kind that fellow Scousers, The Great Northwestern Hobos, are doing their best to deliver these days, “Endless sun” is an electrified form of the same formula, while “Rhapsody” might be something like a folky chamber pop. On a 12-bar side of things, there’s a couple of them providing some late’60s bluesy-psych mood (“Sun and moon”, “Touch the moon”, “You’re not alone”), while “I do what I can” comes out like a Stones-ish garage type.
I’ve never had a chance to hear The Onset’s official album, but if it’s at least as good as the unreleased stuff, Mike surely deserves his place along his old partners in the pop crime.

Goran Obradovic / POPISM radio show; Serbia & Montenegro

On Tour With Jonathan Richman 1992:

‘Who can forget Glastonbury 1992, Jonathan sings ‘People all over the world are starving for affection’ and within two minutes, the entire audience are swapping addresses and resolving to phone their mothers.’

Peter Paphides -Time Out

The Onset: I Do What I Can
08/07/05

‘The Secret Life of Liverpool’s Other Band'
Poptones Review www.poptones.co.uk

When Mike Badger split from the La’s, Lee Mavers went on with the La’s and into the stratosphere. Yet, Badger continued, formed the Onset. Now the surprise. The Onset were on par with the La’s. This collection from Mike Badger’s own label collates all the supremely rare singles that the Onset have recorded. And man is it good! Like a proto-Stone Roses, Badger’s hushed vocals immediately recall Ian Brown whilst the band’s own jingle-jangle morning contain a rough Oasis street-tuff mod edge. Whilst listening to the collection I was in disbelief ... how could this band be forgotten about? It truly is a wonder. Mike Badger flames on his best impression of a cosmic scouse Ray Davies. Truly inspiring music.

The Pool Of Life Revisited - Probe Plus 40