Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey was "a genius". His single Camouflage saw. My story was published in the Guardian. As Frank Sidebottom's popularity dipped in the mid-90s, Sievey began working as assistant to the art director at the Altrincham-based company Hot Animation, on the children's TV shows Pingu and Bob the Builder. Sidebottom's former Oh Blimey Big Band members include Mark Radcliffe and Jon Ronson,[12] and his driver was Chris Evans.[10]. He stands off to the side and at the bottom of the back cover photo. Featuring stars including comedians Johnny Vegas and Ross Noble, it tells how singer, comic and artist Chris descended into a world of cocaine and booze as he allowed his alter-ego Frank to take over his life. He choreographed it so I would begin the show. Young Sievey, born in 1955, grew up in the Greater Manchester area of England, loved the Beatles (nothing surprising there), was . Manchester punk group The Freshies, 7th January 1979. He reminded me of George Bernard Shaw's unreasonable man: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. It got hold of him and it was quite bad. [56], Sievey's funeral was held on 2 July 2010 at Altrincham Crematorium. His last public appearance was on the opening day of the 2010 World Cup, when he commandeered a Manchester pub to launch his World Cup single, Three Shirts On My Line. It wasnt. Another of the men came bounding over to me. In the van I'd listen to Chris's stories, trying to understand him. He inspired the 2014 film Frank, which starred Oscar-nominee Michael Fassbender, a bronze statue of the character has been erected in Chriss home town of Timperley in Greater Manchester and there is even a painting of him in the National Portrait Gallery in London. I said. He also made five appearances on Iain Lee's programme on London's LBC as well as on numerous community radio stations such as Forever Manchester. As I prepare to go to it, I remember something Chris once said to me. I think he was a bit gutted that he didnt get the credit forcreating that character someone else had played Mrs Merton before on one of the shows, saysStirling. In 1989, Sievey re-arranged the Oh Blimey Band, introducing Richard Jones from the recently broken up local band the Desert Wolves on bass guitar, along with a new guitarist and saxophonist. Along his frequent television appearances, the Frank Sidebottom character also made appearances on radio, on stations such as Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 5, alongside Mark and Lard. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story tells the twisted tale of a split personality, exploring the extraordinary secret life of a songwriter, artist, comedian and wayward genius. Nothing makes a young man feel more alive and on an adventure than speeding down a motorway at 2am next to a man wearing a big fake head. I walked up, passing the bathroom and glanced in. The man on the phone said I should meet them at the soundcheck at 5pm. But I began to notice in the listings magazines that he was doing solo shows just him and a keyboard. Producer and Director Steve Sullivan took on the . In the photographs, Frank looked like he'd been kidnapped but was fine with it. "I don't know," he said, looking pleased. Chris was the unreasonable man, except the world never did adapt to him and he never made any progress. Chris, who died aged 54 from cancer in June 2010, would keep the mask on off stage and, if someone called him Chris with the head on, he would not respond until they said Frank. [40] In December 2010, Frank Sidebottom's 1986 song "Christmas Is Really Fantastic" was re-released in an attempt to become the Christmas number one.[41]. When Sievey died in 2010, memories of Sidebottom could have swiftly . The show's promoter, Harvey Goldsmith, was glaring at him from the wings. It was really hard to keep things together. A biography of Chris Sievey was written by Manchester author Mick Middles,[64] and was published in November 2014.[65]. Afterwards he migrated to What's Up Doc?,[30] where Sievey would not only portray Sidebottom, but also create the recurring segment Life with the Amoebas. Undeterred, he predated the DIY punk ethic by starting his own label, Razz, in 1974 and releasing singles and EPs with the Freshies from 1978 onwards. I couldnt do it any more., Chris and Paula had a brief reconciliation, but eventually divorced. Chris Sievey Paula Sievey, nee Dean Stirling John Sievey (born 1980) is the second child of Chris Sievey, creator of Frank Sidebottom, and his wife, Paula. Whereas, say, Caroline Aherne had a single vision and could just pursue that, Chris might have a fantastic idea, and then, just as the point where it might actually get somewhere, he would spin off onto something completely different. Harry Sievey was one of two cyclists involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Corsa in Mauldeth Road, Withington, on Sunday. A pauper's funeral? 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. It was his chance to break through to the mainstream. And in the space of that first song our classic Born in Timperley (to the tune of Springsteen's Born in the USA) the audience veered from fevered anticipation into hoping we were playing a weird joke on them into realising with regret that we were not. He liked the idea of the head, not the boobs.. In 2006, Sievey revived the character of Frank Sidebottom with the short lived television series, Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show. We were just friends. Among the singles and extended EPs were Frank's Firm Favourites and The Magic of Freddie Mercury & Queen, for which Frank struck a cover pose in white vest and thick black moustache. Coreless Stretch Film; Pre-Stretch Film; Hand Roll; Machine Roll; Jumbo Roll; Industrial Plastic Division. Play over 320 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. "Hello, Jon," said the man underneath. His mother was apparently unaware of her son's popularity. I clicked on the link and it said "Frank Sidebottom dead". While many in England had wondered who was inside of the giant paper mache head of Frank Sidebottom, a cultural sensation during the '80s and '90s who might be best known now on American shores as an inspiration for the 2014 Michael Fassbender comedy "Frank," director Steve Sullivan was far more interested in what was going on inside of it after becoming familiar with Chris Sievey, the . "From the Desert Wolves.". Sidebottom was fully inhabited by Sievey. My next-door neighbour Mani had a band. It is understood entertainer Chris Sievey collapsed at his home in Hale, Greater Manchester, in the early hours. One day I was sitting in the office when the telephone rang. I think heleft a very clear message that its not about the money; moneys not important and you dont need itto make you happy. Christopher Mark Sievey (25 August 1955 21 June 2010) 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. [ 1] He began to turn. I thought I saw a flash of something under there, some contraption attached to his face. Asher describes she and Stirling as having the responsibilities that Dad didnt have; steady jobs andmortgages that he didnt have to worry about, but I think were still easy-going and fun. She runsher own child-care business where she works with Paula, and Stirling and his wife are child-carers. He loved the work but missed Frank and wanted to bring him back from retirement. Although drawing from Ronson's memoir, the story is set in contemporary Ireland and America, and the Frank character combines elements of Sievey with Daniel Johnston and Captain Beefheart. Stirling and Asher remember a happy childhood with their dad, playing Subbuteo and watching StarWars and Beatles programmes on video, staying up all night to watch The Prisoner or playingMonopoly. tyler . "Chris wants to have a rehearsal," Mike told me one day. Chris Sievey was a hugely talented musician and artist whose pop band The Freshies made terrificpop music but barely troubled the charts in the Eighties. His backing band, dubbed 'The Oh Blimey Band' consisted of Mike Doherty on drums, Rick Sarko on guitar (both formerly of the Freshies), Patrick Gallagher on bass, and later, Jon Ronson on keyboards. "How did you lose so much weight?" I sent out a tweet. The synth brass tone the most stirring of all the Casio tones. Sievey subsequently cut various demos, mailing them to record companies and receiving bushels of rejection slips. In early 1985 he recorded a hopelessly upbeat, Casio-driven version of the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK and posted it to all the major record labels. [8] A string of singles and several cassettes were released between 1978 and 1983. Frank's Oh Blimey Big Band, which included the DJ Mark Radcliffe, the journalist Jon Ronson and a then-unknown Chris Evans, toured the halls of Britain, playing ramshackle covers of Bohemian Rhapsody and the Benefit of Mr Kite, to an increasingly fervent fan base. But it was at a fancy dress party the couple went to that the idea of Frank was born. EMI were foolhardy enough to invite him over, where he arrived in full Sidebottom mode. Chris and the band, whilst disgruntled by the success of a character created for Frank now detached from Frank, did not resent it, with drummer Mike Doherty saying that while she had taken the characters name, she had crafted her own thing out of it.[21]. Paula remembers him playing the London comedy circuit and moving in the samecircles as Jack Dee, Frank Skinner, Jo Brand and Steve Coogan. We soundchecked. But he was worried that however the film might depict Chris, any reality would surely damage Frank. I picked it up. [7] Sievey subsequently recorded several demos, which he sent to record companies, receiving many rejection letters which he later compiled into a book. And if Chris was secretly more obsessive about Frank than he let on, how would he feel if the film reflected that? Do you have any tips?". Frank, usually dressed in a 1950s-style sharp suit, was portrayed as an aspiring pop star from the small village of Timperley, near Altrincham. The old band members had a certain avant-garde loucheness. The premise was simple but hilariously effective an aspiring suburban pop star who still lived at home with his mum, and whose chirpy ambition only served to magnify an innate lack of talent. Starring Chris Sievey, Martin Sievey, Paula Sievey, Jon Ronson, Ross Noble, Johnny Vegas and Bernard Kelly. A week after I returned, I saw Frank Sidebottom's name trending on Twitter. [2][7] When they were asked to leave they insisted on recording something, and were booked into the studio after playing a song to head of A&R Tony King. Christopher Mark Sievey (25 August 1955 - 21 June 2010) 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. I think itwas easy for him to be behind the head, as it wasnt something that he really wanted to do. It could be a fable instead of a biopic a tribute to people like Frank who were just too fantastically strange to make it in the mainstream. If you rang and Frank answered you would have to ask him to go and get Chris. But and Chris and I shuffled awkwardly around the question what would the film actually be about? . (1992), No 73 (1982) and TX (1985). Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. This was a huge stage for Frank his biggest ever, by about 49,500 people. [18], At the same time as touring, Frank would become a semi-regular cast member on the two final seasons of the ITV children's programme No. Former girlfriend Michelle, 56, told The Sun: I think he would just laugh about him being more famous now. Fame beckoned instead for former member Billy Duffy, who became lead guitarist in The Cult, and Lisa Stansfield, who had performed backing vocals on one of Chriss songs. The show was produced by Dave Behrens[44] for Yorkshire Television and was shown on ITV. The mood was pumped. Chris never actually said to me: "You're fired." "Frank Sidebottom was possibly the strangest pop star in history. His wife, Paula, answered the door and told me to go to the spare bedroom. He currently manages the Pixies. The 54-year-old was pronounced dead at Wythenshawe Hospital, a spokeswoman. Chris Sievey passed away in 2010 and left behind not just memories of some brilliant, silly, smart, daft, wonderful performances as Frank, but an attic full of notebooks, records, tapes, art and home movies. A tender and funny new documentary, Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story, exploreshis talent and the ambivalent relationship Chris had with the wide-eyed alter ego that brought himfame and fortune both of which he then proceeded to fritter away. In 1987 I was 20 and the student union entertainments officer for the Polytechnic of Central London. 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