Clint Planet
Utter Cad.
Am I alone on here is being deeply saddened by Chris Sievey's untimely passing away earlier this week? The man was a complete one-off - touched with true genius.
I lived in Timperley for a while in the late eighties and it was actually not uncommon to see Frank out shopping in the village, papier mache head and suit on, picking up a few vegetables and a can of soup or two. At Christmas, he'd put on a pantomime at Timperley Liberal Club which had an admission price of £2.99. At the entrance, Frank himself would take your three pounds and hand you a piece of paper on which was written "I.O.U. 1p." Also every Christmas - at least until his children cottoned on after several years - Sievey would "nip out" only for Frank Sidebottom to turn up for an hour or so. On Sievey's return, his kids would berate him for once again being absent for Frank's visit.
Finally, this from the Guardian obituary:
In early 1985 Sievey recorded a hopelessly upbeat, Casio-driven version of the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK and posted it to all the major record labels. A covering letter supposedly read: "Dear X, I'm thinking of getting into showbusiness. Do you have any pamphlets?" EMI were foolhardy enough to invite him over, where he arrived in full Sidebottom mode. "Have you been in showbusiness for long?" inquired the A&R chief. Frank took one look at his watch: "Ten seconds."
True genius. 54 really is far too young. My thoughts are with Chris's family and with Little Frank.
I lived in Timperley for a while in the late eighties and it was actually not uncommon to see Frank out shopping in the village, papier mache head and suit on, picking up a few vegetables and a can of soup or two. At Christmas, he'd put on a pantomime at Timperley Liberal Club which had an admission price of £2.99. At the entrance, Frank himself would take your three pounds and hand you a piece of paper on which was written "I.O.U. 1p." Also every Christmas - at least until his children cottoned on after several years - Sievey would "nip out" only for Frank Sidebottom to turn up for an hour or so. On Sievey's return, his kids would berate him for once again being absent for Frank's visit.
Finally, this from the Guardian obituary:
In early 1985 Sievey recorded a hopelessly upbeat, Casio-driven version of the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK and posted it to all the major record labels. A covering letter supposedly read: "Dear X, I'm thinking of getting into showbusiness. Do you have any pamphlets?" EMI were foolhardy enough to invite him over, where he arrived in full Sidebottom mode. "Have you been in showbusiness for long?" inquired the A&R chief. Frank took one look at his watch: "Ten seconds."
True genius. 54 really is far too young. My thoughts are with Chris's family and with Little Frank.
