I'd watch him furtively as the lights made his cartoon face glow yellow and then black and then yellow again. By 2000 he was earning 35m in a year, making him Britain's highest-paid entertainer. In 2003, he became a writer on Fimbles, and then, in 2004, on the British revival of the Swiss stop motion programme Pingu. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story. Being Frank takes us on a roller-coaster ride from Chris's early days as a struggling musician, through his glory days when Frank Sidebottom fronted his own TV show, through his gradual decline and to his untimely death in 2010 at just 54. Her brother, Patrick Aherne, 56, said: Chris was a larger than life character even without the papier-mch head. Sievey subsequently cut various demos, mailing them to record companies and receiving bushels of rejection slips. The following year he released a solo release, "Camouflage", with the A-side a song, and the B-side being computer programming. 9: A Tribute to The Beatles in Aid of Cambodia", "What's up doc? Our driver, Chris Evans, left us to try and make it in radio. Chris Sievey, who has died aged 54 after suffering from cancer, achieved the kind of success as Frank Sidebottom that often eluded him under his own name. [37] In late 2009 and early 2010 he supported John Cooper Clarke on a UK tour. Mini Bio (1) Chris Sievey was born on August 25, 1955 in Ashton on Mersey, Greater Manchester, England. 66. Play over 320 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. Recorded 1989 - 1991. Despite this, one year later, he was offered a full time place in the band, which he accepted. But it wasnt until he made himself a huge papier mache head for a fancy dress party that Sieveyscareer really took off. Frank Sidebottom made Sievey a star, but did that weighty head stifle the talents of the real Chrisunderneath? Sievey's life was a fantastical, subversive piece of performance art. The old band members had a certain avant-garde loucheness. Paula once recalled: We had loads of money. And thatwas when I realised I was in love with this person, she says. She was best known for performing as the acerbic chat show host Mrs Merton, in various roles in The Fast Show, and as Denise in The Royle Family (1998-2012), a series which she co-wrote. And towards the end of the crowd-funded film, which was a hit at last years South By Southwest Festival in Texas, we see Frank singing: I hope when Im dead Ill be fantastically famous.. A man has been cleared of causing the death of the son of Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey by careless driving. I still lovedhim, but was so fed-up with him., They remained a close family, but it was clear that Chris needed the support of Paula and thechildren to keep him grounded. It was not love at first sight. "Oh I'm very well actually, Mr Ronson," Frank said. 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. 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. There is always a moment failure begins. She became involved in Chriss artily insane schemes, which involved painting their faces blue ordressing as tramps to go into Manchester city centre. An example of this was Caroline Ahernes Mrs Merton character, who made her debut on one ofSieveys radio shows in Manchester. Coreless Stretch Film; Pre-Stretch Film; Hand Roll; Machine Roll; Jumbo Roll; Industrial Plastic Division. tyler . The music journalist Mick Middles recently sent me his not-yet-published biography Frank Sidebottom: Out of His Head. [52][53] Sievey left a daughter, Asher, and two sons: Stirling and Harry (19922017). Which of these men might be Frank? The private service was attended by more than 200 members of his family, friends and former colleagues. When he'd remove the peg after a long stint I'd see him wince in pain. Certainly his wife and children weren't as important. But after the man behind the mask died penniless eight years ago, Chris Sieveys strange alter-ego has become more famous than ever something the tragic star predicted would happen. [26][27] He later recorded "Flying" for another Beatles tribute album, Revolution No. Zonophone released his third EP 'Frank's Sidebottom's Firm Favorites' in August of 1985. Now documentary Being Frank talks to those who knew Chris best to shed light on his troubled life. Sievey died of cancer in 2010, but for years it seemed he might do himself in. But as a talented artist, he got work on kids programme Bob The Builder at the start of the millennium. In 1987 I was 20 and the student union entertainments officer for the Polytechnic of Central London. [citation needed] Frank appeared briefly as a Manchester United fan in an advert for the FIFA 10 video game in 2009. But I was crazy about him and wanted to have babies with him straight away., Paula and Chrisloved being parents, but she had to be the grown-up in the relationship. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, New documentary Being Frank sheds light on Chris Sievey's troubled life behind the mask, Chris Sievey died aged 54 from cancer in June 2010, Frank Sidebottom with Caroline Aherne as Mrs Merton in 1992, Frank pictured with Corrie's Barbara Knox, Chris Sievey's band The Freshies' closest attempt to chart success was reaching number 51 in 1981, Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band's van driver was Chris Evans, Chris would keep his Frank Sidebottom on off stage and would not respond if someone called him 'Chris', Chris cheated on his wife with groupies who would ask to have sex with him while he wore Franks head, Chris Sievey started smoking cannabis at the age of 12 and was experimenting with LSD four years later, Chris brought back Frank in 2006 however the onset of cancer just before Christmas 2009 ripped apart what had been a warmly received comeback, BFI London Film Festival clip from the documentary Being Frank, the story of Chris Sievey, Harry, who died in a crash in 2017 at the age of 24, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). It was really hard to keep things together. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story is in cinemas now. Frank Sidebottom statue moves closer, Frank review engrossing, tender breakdown of the Frank Sidebottom enigma, Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson team up for music comedy Frank, Frank star Domhnall Gleeson and co-writer Jon Ronson: 'We're not very forgiving of transgressions any more' video interview, SXSW 2014 review: Frank into the head of a pop comedy maverick, Frank Sidebottom 'He'd have died to be inthe charts'. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story. The exhibition covered both Frank Sidebottom as well as Sievey's other creative endeavours. He stands off to the side and at the bottom of the back cover photo. 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. Under the head Chris would wear a swimmer's nose clip. A single decision that starts everything lumbering down the wrong path, speeding up, careering wildly, before lurching to a terrible stop in a place where nobody is interested in hearing your songs any more. Former wife Paula Sievey pegs his decline to Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show, a TV series that started in . Among his bandmates were Martin Jackson, later of Magazine, and the future Cult guitarist Billy Duffy. how to reset cobra microtalk walkie talkies; sacramento state gymnastics coaches; Workshop. I had loads of cleaning jobs and cafjobs, and when I came home, hed be painting and making stuff out of cardboard and the wholehouse would be covered in glue and paint. I'd like to say that during the years since Richard the bass player took an instant dislike to me a dislike that only intensified during the months that followed before the band imploded, and climaxed in him yelling that he'd like to break my "keyboard-playing fingers" he went on to have a disappointing life. And he put absolutely no stock in practical things like paying phone bills and the like if he was able to use that money for creative. As the 1990s reached their midpoint, the Frank character began to make fewer public appearances before seemingly being retired. Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings. I couldnt do it any more., Chris and Paula had a brief reconciliation, but eventually divorced. Putting on the guise of Frank Sidebottom, he transformed into a real-life cartoon character whotook his bizarre, anarchic world on the comedy circuit, on radio and television. [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]. [1] Family Harry's parents are Chris Sievey (musician who created comic persona Frank Sidebottom) and Paula Dean. Specifically, Chris wondered, would Chris be in it? Then I became aware of another figure kneeling in the shadows, his back to me. Photograph: ITV/REX, Frank Sidebottom with Jon Ronson in Birmingham in the 1980s Photograph: Jon Ronson, Maggie Gyllenhall, Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson in Frank, Frank review a weird, wonderful movie that dances to a different beat, Panic on the streets of Timperley! Chris had always said we could do what we wanted with the story. [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. A Timperley village councillor, Neil Taylor, started his own fund-raising campaign for a memorial statue Frank cast in bronze. It was very poorly attended. It is published by Picador as an ebook on 16 January. Sievey's life was a fantastical, subversive piece of performance art. He added that his name was Mike, and Frank Sidebottom's real name was Chris. Photo: Lou Rocco/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images. 2023 date, start time and how to watch, From the stripper to the slap: the worst moments in Oscars history, Pedro Pascal is the best actor on TV even behind a mask, Whats on TV tonight: Django, Abbott Elementary, The Mandalorian and more, Anne Reid on her Daniel Craig sex scene: I was very scared. He had first spotted the future Royle Family star working in a bar. But it was also a gentle spoof of the entertainment business itself. The real mystery of the man beneath the mask - the restlessly innovative, incessantly creative writer, musician and performer Chris Sievey - is finally revealed in this painstaking, fascinating, years-in-the-making documentary from filmmaker Steve Sullivan, Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story. [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. Chris Sievey, but people across the country who were fans of the cult character. Franks Fantastic Shed Show introduced Caroline Aherne to the world, with her playing the nosey, grey-haired Mrs Merton a character Chris claimed he had invented. We walked across Kentish Town Road so Chris could buy some cigarettes. Sievey's funeral was held on 2 July 2010 at Altrincham Crematorium. Thank you for standing in at such short notice. [39], Following Sievey's death in June 2010, a social networking campaign was launched to gain Frank his first UK hit. 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. 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. Christopher Mark Sievey (Frank Sidebottom), comedian, singer, songwriter, illustrator, animator: born Ashton-on-Mersey 25 August 1955; married (marriage dissolved; three children); died. The private service was attended by more than 200 members of his family, friends and former colleagues. His single Camouflage saw. Chris Sievey English musician and comedian (1955-2010) . Liz Whitaker, Brian Little, Nick Herbert & Sarah Ball, Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show (Season 1), Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show (Season 2), The Most Annoying Pop Songs. We Hate to Love: Episode 3, Gareth Cornick, Nick Cory Wright, Richard Dean, Chris Hill, Kevin Hylands, Lindsay Jex, Kate Morey & Lyn Rowett, Side A is a song, Side B is a computer program, Demo mini-album, sent to fan club members, With the Freshies; promotional EP meant to promote, Collection of unreleased recordings sold through, Collection of telephone calls answered by Frank. It was lo-tech genius from a hi-spec mind. I didnt think in a million years that he was up to anything. Time passed and the audiences grew to 750 and sometimes even 1,000. 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. He liked the idea of the head, not the boobs.. The record peaked at No 54. He wasnt the kind of man whocould do a proper nine-to-five job. Chris portrayed himself as untroubled. It did not work but the sound engineers did agree to let Chris and his brother Martin record a few tracks. Do you have any tips?". A covering letter supposedly read: "Dear X, I'm thinking of getting into showbusiness. [2] [57], On 8 July 2010, over 5,000 fans of Frank Sidebottom gathered for a party at the Castlefield Arena in Manchester to celebrate Sievey's life. 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 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. 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. Product details Package Dimensions : 6.81 x 5.31 x 0.63 inches; 2.47 Ounces Media Format : Blu-ray Actors : Frank Sidebottom Subtitles: : English The Royle Family Christmas specials attracted audiences of 12 million. . Paula remembers him playing the London comedy circuit and moving in the samecircles as Jack Dee, Frank Skinner, Jo Brand and Steve Coogan. [45] The show only went on for one season. [34][35], He appeared in the Series 3 Christmas special of BBC Scotland's VideoGaiden, performing "Christmas is Really Fantastic", and later appeared on the Series 3 Awards show, and the final web-exclusive episode ("Closedown"). We soundchecked. Sievey was an undoubted success as Frank, but arguably never reached the showbiz heights of hiscontemporaries. The Frank Sidebottom character first appeared on an untitled 1984 EP by Chris Sievey & the Freshies, in a spoken-word track wherein Frank talks to Chris. 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