The papier-mch headed Frank hit the heights of fame during the 'Madchester' music period. I can barely believe it, Frank: watch Michael Fassbender in the world exclusive trailer for the comedy inspired by Frank Sidebottom - video, SXSW 2014 review: Frank into the head of a pop comedy maverick, Panic on the streets of Timperley! Christopher Mark Sievey (25 August 1955 - 21 June 2010) was an English musician and comedian known for fronting the band The Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards. An article in The Guardian by Jon Ronson, a former member of Frank's band, tells his story and mentions the book. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. [2], Sievey, under the guise of Sidebottom, made regular appearances on North West television throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, even becoming a reporter for Granada Reports. . Then Mike phoned and asked if I wanted to be in Frank's band full time. Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey was "a genius". My next-door neighbour Mani had a band. Caroline had the Mrs Merton idea.. In 1987 I was 20 and the student union entertainments officer for the Polytechnic of Central London. One track from this, "Lazy Rising More Slowly, Where R.U, Oh 'Chele'", was released on the 2019 outtakes and rarities compilation Being Frank.[33]. I set off for America to research other great musicians who'd ended up on the margins Daniel Johnston, Captain Beefheart, the Shaggs. Chris Sievey English musician and comedian (1955-2010) . The longest-serving line-up, however, comprised Barry Spencer (guitar), Rick Sarko (bass, ex-Ed Banger & The Nosebleeds) and Mike Doherty (drums, ex-Smirks) and lasted from 1980 until 1982. Mr Sievey, known to his friends as Harry, had been cycling along Mauldeth Road West, Withington . So my grandson Billysaid: Im going to dig a hole on the beach and bury Pop in the sand and he might grow back.. I think heleft a very clear message that its not about the money; moneys not important and you dont need itto make you happy. After this, Frank began to make semi-regular guest appearances on the final season of ITV programme and No. I wondered why Chris had decided to kill off Frank. [8] The Freshies biggest UK hit was "I'm in Love with the Girl on the Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk", released initially on his own Razz label (RAZZ 10), it was reissued by the US giant MCA Records with a slightly different title ("I'm in Love with the Girl on a Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk") as there were objections about using the Virgin brand name. Immediately after creating the character, Sievey would record an in-character cover 'Material Boy', and send it to several major labels with the note ''I'm thinking of getting into showbiz. Then I became aware of another figure kneeling in the shadows, his back to me. Frank Sidebottom comic faces pauper's funeralThe comic genius behind Mancunian legend Frank Sidebottom is facing a pauper's funeral after dying virtually penniless. Chris's ex-wife Paula who he wooed by pushing into a canal said in Mick's book: "I was so naive because girls would often ring up and ask for him. Sidebottom's Radio Timperley show, recorded in his shed, became a cult fixture on Manchester's Piccadilly Radio, helping launch the career of Caroline Aherne's Mrs Merton. Chris remained a crew member until the show's sixth season, but continued to work on the series' specials until 2005. But it wasnt until he made himself a huge papier mache head for a fancy dress party that Sieveyscareer really took off. The closest his band The Freshies got to chart success was reaching number 54 in 1981 with track Im In Love With The Girl On the Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk. Hundreds of online tributes have been paid to the 24-year-old musician.. [60][61], It was announced in April 2019 that GCHQ had cracked the hidden codes and messages that Sievey had left around the borders of his Frank Sidebottom books and recordings.[62]. I am writing this 26 years later. Producer and Director Steve Sullivan took on the . [16] It was likely the failure of his third Zonophone EP, Sci-Fi, that caused him to be dropped by the label. Once the outsized head and 1950s suit were on (the effect not unlike an Oliver Postgate version of the US avant-garde group the Residents), he would answer only to "Frank". By Ian Wolf 29 April 2019. "Maybe we could run through the songs? But Chris wasn't ordinary. The old band members had a certain avant-garde loucheness. The roadie for Franks Oh Blimey BigBand was a young man called Chris Evans, who Paula remembers inviting them to a barbecue in agraveyard next to his house, where the catering was one big steak and some tomatoes between theentire party. And Chris and Frank would send each other letters and drawings.. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Chris Sievey, who has died at the age of 54, was the man behind comedy cult icon Frank Sidebottom. Specifically, Chris wondered, would Chris be in it? He died on June 21, 2010 in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England. It was late one night, and we were in the van, reminiscing about a show we'd played a few weeks earlier at JB's nightclub in Dudley. Photo: Lou Rocco/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images. Her Off "Neighbours"), Split 7-inch FlexiDisc with the Hitchcocks, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 11:00. He'd previously self released two EPs as Frank in 1985, titled 'Frank's Summer Special' as well as an early version of 'Firm Favorites'. [48] A publicly funded statue of Frank by Colin Spofforth was unveiled on 20 October 2013 at 11:37 in Timperley village,[47] the timing a reference to one of the character's catchphrases. Chris would be Frank for such long periods the clip had deformed him slightly, flattened his nose out of shape. When Sievey died in 2010, memories of Sidebottom could have swiftly . After that night the greatest of my life a year passed. Chris Sievey as Frank Sidebottom in 1992. In this spirit he had asked his brother-in-law's friend Caroline Aherne to voice the part of Frank's neighbour, Mrs Merton. It was not love at first sight. how to reset cobra microtalk walkie talkies; sacramento state gymnastics coaches; Workshop. When I got to the bar it was empty except for a few men fiddling with equipment. There are master copies on cassette in circulation though (albeit, very few). After Motormouth's cancellation, Frank was given his own show, titled Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show, a television programme shown in 1992 featuring Chris Sievey as fictional character Frank Sidebottom. Did he never take it off? The band's biggest-selling 45 was I'm in Love With the Girl On the Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk retitled I'm in Love With the Girl On a Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk, after complaints from the Virgin boss Richard Branson which reached No 54 in February 1981. [3][4], Sievey grew up in Ashton-on-Mersey, Sale, Cheshire (2.5 miles from Timperley). In 2014, a feature-length documentary about the life and art of Chris Sievey, entitled Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story[11] was announced and was released in March 2019. He is survived by his children Stirling, Asher and Harrison from his marriage to Paula, which ended in divorce, and by his brother Martin. I found Chris in a dressing room at the back, Frank's head in a bin bag at his feet. What if we fictionalised the whole thing? Chris Sievey was a musician from the north west, who was the frontman for a band called The . Afterwards he was signed to Marc Riley's In Tape label, on which he would release two albums and four EPs.[17]. His greatest creation, the mysterious Frank Sidebottom, became a star - a manic, insane . Never the committed romantic, their wedding reception had been a bag of fish and chips in a shop doorway during his lunch hour. With a swimmers clip over his nose, Franks songs included Timperley 969 1909 (which was Chriss home telephone number), Born In Timperley (to the tune of Born In The USA) and his own version of Kylie Minogues I Should Be So Lucky, where he rhymed Tizer with synthesiser. Chris Sievey Sievey as Frank Sidebottom at the Bull and Gate, Kentish Town, London, in December 2006 Pseudonym Frank Sidebottom Born Christopher Mark Sievey (1955-08-25)25 August 1955 Ashton-on-Mersey, Sale, Cheshire, England[1] Died 21 June 2010(2010-06-21)(aged 54) Wythenshawe, Manchester, England Medium Comedy Music Years active 1969-2010 As the careers of his former bandmates and co-stars grew, his began to decline. Play over 320 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. By the end of the day it was 1,632 donors raising a total of 21,631.55. "From the Desert Wolves.". Chris and Paula married at a registry office during their lunch hour and went back to workafterwards. This was initially made from papier-mch, but later of fibreglass. Published on May 23, 2020 12:00 PM. He gave me a sheepish smile, as if to say he was sorry that I had to endure all the weirdness of the past few minutes but it was out of his hands. [43] Guests included Caroline Aherne, Phil Cornwell, Midge Ure, Gerry Anderson, the Farm, Pop Will Eat Itself, Oceanic and Keith Chegwin. Paula revealed: He made me a pair of papier-mch boobs and head for a party. TV Appearance, debut of Frank Sidebottom. Chris told me to book us the biggest tour we'd ever undertaken. 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. Chris Sievey, but people across the country who were fans of the cult character. Frank sauntered over to him and said, "I'm thinking of putting on a gig at the Timperley Labour Club. [24] During the band introductions at the end of the show, Ronson noted a negative reaction to his presence, but found that his microphone had been almost completely muted, leaving him completely unheard by the audience. But instead he chose to perform a series of terrible Bros cover versions for five minutes and was bottled off. The all-star supporting cast includes Chris O'Dowd as a volatile butcher, M. Emmet Walsh as a suicidal writer, Kelly Reilly as the priest's daughter who feels he abandoned her, and Domhnall. In his huge papier-mch mask, Chris Sievey was an unlikely star, enjoying cocaine and booze but without it, he ended up bitter and bankrupt. Paula couldnt take anymore, and decided to leave her husband. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story. Being Frank is also a very human tale of the lives he touched: interviews with Chris's former wife, children, friends, fans and bandmates including journalist Jon Ronson and broadcaster Mark. Chris Sievey was a musician, songwriter, artist, comedian, filmmaker, performance artist and wayward genius who created an alter ego that he grew to resent. Harrison Sievey's loved ones now say they will try and 'piece their lives. A MAN has been cleared of causing the death of Harrison Sievey, the son of Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Based on the life of Chris Sievey, who donned a similar disguise to become his alter ego, Frank Sidebottom . [20], In 1987, Frank released his first album, a spoken word cassette called 'Fantastic Tales', released through his own 11:37 label. His popularity peaked in the early 1990s, with the TV series Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show and guest slots on the children's Saturday morning ITV show No 73. As we played I watched it all the band assiduously emulating the tinny pre-programmed sounds of a cheap, children's keyboard, the enraptured audience, and Frank, the eerie cartoon-character frontman, his facial expression immobile, his singing voice a high-pitched nasal twang. [36], Frank performed at Bloom Festival in 2007 and Kendal Calling in 2008. And meanwhile we were crisscrossing Manchester and Bury and Leeds and Sheffield and Liverpool in our Transit van. In the 1990s after Mrs Merton became famous, Chris was after some kind of payout, but it never happened. [2] Ithought he was hilarious; I couldnt wait to get to work as we worked on opposite sides of the samebench and every so often Id get this screwed-up piece of paper thrown over to me and it would saysomething really funny. This act of extensively touring the country would develop Frank's status. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Kate Shaw, and Chris Hayes attend the 2014 Women's Media Awards at Capitale on October 29, 2014 in New York City. This is an edited extract from Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie. [32] After the first two seasons, Sievey left the show. Frank premieres at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, and opens in cinemas nationwide in May 2014. He liked the idea of the head, not the boobs.. The 2014 film Frank was largely inspired by the Frank Sidebottom character, telling the story of a young wannabe musician who joins a group led by the enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender). Chris Sievey - Camouflage - YouTube 0:00 / 3:39 Chris Sievey - Camouflage The Micro Museum 403 subscribers Subscribe 953 views 2 years ago Back in 1983 the artist Chris Sievey recorded. Although supposedly 35 years old (the age always attributed to Frank irrespective of the passage of time), he still lived at home with his mother, to whom he made frequent references. Side One Camouflage (4:24) Off Key Siren (2:45) Warning To Women (3:56) I Am The Walrus (3:53) Side Two Amoco Cadiz (2:03) Hey (2:15) Return To Thunder City (2:02) On A Bender (3:43) Under Water (3:57) Caroline Mary Aherne [1] (24 December 1963 - 2 July 2016) was an English actress, comedian and writer. [2], In 1969, when he was 14, Sievey began writing and recording his own music,[5] and by the age of 15 was playing in local bands. 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. His wife, Paula, answered the door and told me to go to the spare bedroom. EMI were interested and offered him an interview. Things became so bad that Paula took their three kids to live in a hostel following their eviction for not paying the rent. Although he never knew his granddad, you can see a glimpse of his playfulness in his cherubicface as he shows us all the fantastic colouring in-hes done of Chriss artwork in a Frank Sidebottomcolouring book (he hasnt gone over the edges once). I had similar concerns. The synth brass tone the most stirring of all the Casio tones. Comedy character Mrs Merton started out as Frank's sidekick on his radio show Radio Timperley, and the similarity of the characters is evident, exuding a sense of great ambition which belies a domestic lifestyle in the North of England. It was consequently baffling for me to become aware of a growing sense of discontent in the van. inquired the A&R chief. Vithal Visavadiya, 63, denies causing the death of Harrison. He became one of the world's most successful tour managers, looking after Woody Allen and the Spice Girls. Fromthinking shed never fancy him, she literally fell for him when he inexplicably pushed her into a canal; after he pulled her out, they ended up kissing on the canal bank. He resurrected Frank in 2006, with a five-yearplan which was supposed to culminate with Chris publically removing Franks head and revealinghimself as the power behind Sidebottom. His greatest creation, the mysterious Frank Sidebottom, became a star - a manic, insane, mercurial star who obscured his own creator. EMI were foolhardy enough to invite him over, where he arrived in full Sidebottom mode. He became a comedycult hero, especially around his home town of Manchester, being daft and singing out-of-tune songsin a nasal voice provided by the use of a swimmers nose clip. What the hell was Frank Sidebottom, anyway? Among his bandmates were Martin Jackson, later of Magazine, and the future Cult guitarist Billy Duffy. You just need wife who doesnt mind cleaning jobs she adds with a big laugh. When he'd remove the peg after a long stint I'd see him wince in pain. Young Sievey, born in 1955, grew up in the Greater Manchester area of England, loved the Beatles (nothing surprising there), was . Sievey's funeral was held on 2 July 2010 at Altrincham Crematorium. Paula met Chris when they were both working in a factory. Chris Sievey was an English musician and comedian known for fronting the band The Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards. 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