This was initially made from papier-mch, but later of fibreglass. 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. [37] In late 2009 and early 2010 he supported John Cooper Clarke on a UK tour. The show was produced by Dave Behrens[44] for Yorkshire Television and was shown on ITV. Obsessed with The Beatles, aged 15 he hitched to the headquarters of the bands Apple record label, where he held a sit-in protest in a bid to see his heroes. Sievey's earliest television appearance was on the children's television show TX, with an in-character interview as Frank Sidebottom, shortly after the release of his first Zonophone EP. As the 1990s reached their midpoint, the Frank character began to make fewer public appearances before seemingly being retired. Even though the pop-tinged punk rockers never became household names, they had their fair share of female fans. As I walked in he started playing a tight soul-funk riff with seeming nonchalance, but I understood it to be an act of aggression. . But he was worried that however the film might depict Chris, any reality would surely damage Frank. If you rang and Frank answered you would have to ask him to go and get Chris. He was wondering if I'd write something about my time in the band to help him with the comeback. In 1987 I was 20 and the student union entertainments officer for the Polytechnic of Central London. Detailsatwww.beingfrank.film, The exhibition Bobbins: Frank Sidebottom & Chris Sievey, containing some of Chriss huge personalarchive, is at Manchester Central Library until the end of April, The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Chris told me to book us the biggest tour we'd ever undertaken. The archive is now preserved forever in the Archives+ vault in Manchester, held under temperature-controlled conditions. Frank Sidebottom comic faces pauper's funeralThe comic genius behind Mancunian legend Frank Sidebottom is facing a pauper's funeral after dying virtually penniless. Pepper Knew My Father, which featured other acts like Michelle Shocked, the Christians, Sonic Youth, Billy Bragg, Hue and Cry, the Fall and Wet Wet Wet. There were 50,000 people in the crowd. . He owed 30,000 in back taxes. They released 2 further cassettes, "Manchester Plays the Freshies" and "London Plays the Freshies", these were both essentially radio interviews with local and national DJs and concert recordings from each city. 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. The re-recorded single was released in 1983 initially on Sievey's own Random Records label, before . He came back to the phone. [citation needed], Frank's last professional appearance was at the Pyramid Arts Centre, Warrington on 4 June 2010. [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. Sievey was a creative powerhouse, yet as with so many artists, he had extreme Peter Pan qualities. Her Off "Neighbours"), Split 7-inch FlexiDisc with the Hitchcocks, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 11:00. There are master copies on cassette in circulation though (albeit, very few). It got hold of him and it was quite bad. Chris had been asking friends to perform cameos between the songs on his records. [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. Chris Sievey. Christopher Mark Sievey, musician and comedian, born 25 August 1955; died 21 June 2010, Musician, entertainer and alter ego of the cult comedy creation Frank Sidebottom, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Frank Sidebottom as played by Chris Sievey. [2] He used to tell me that it was just fans. Regular routines would see him with cardboard puppet Little Frank or dressed in a Manchester City kit calling out, Guess whos been on Match Of The Day?, with the audience shouting back, You have, in your big shorts. In 2006, Sievey revived the character of Frank Sidebottom with the short lived television series, Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show. I cleared my throat. But someone Chris could not truly divorce himself from was Frank. 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. Afterwards, Caroline decided to keep Mrs Merton going. This guywith long hair, red knee-length boots and a mad suede jacket walked in, and everyone was goingWho is this?," she remembers. Polyethylene Film / PE Sheet 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. By the end of the day it was 1,632 donors raising a total of 21,631.55. While an obvious reference to the character, it also is a joking reference to Led Zeppelin guitarist/founder Jimmy Page, who produced all of their albums. [3][4], Sievey grew up in Ashton-on-Mersey, Sale, Cheshire (2.5 miles from Timperley). The EP reached 97 in the UK Charts on 31 August 1985 before dropping completely. It did not work but the sound engineers did agree to let Chris and his brother Martin record a few tracks. "Can you play C, F and G?" Frank premieres at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, and opens in cinemas nationwide in May 2014. They eventually convinced the engineers to let them record a session. Fictionalising his years in Sidebottom's Oh Blimey Big Band for 2014's beguiling non-biopic Frank, Jon Ronson chose to make his hero an outsider musician in the vein of Daniel Johnson and the Shaggs.Those artists are, in many ways, more abrasive than Frank Sidebottom, whose chintzy Casio keyboard beats would never have passed muster on a Captain . He choreographed it so I would begin the show. 9: A Tribute to The Beatles in Aid of Cambodia", "What's up doc? Chris Sievey was a musician, songwriter, artist, comedian, filmmaker, performance artist and wayward genius who created an alter ego that he grew to resent. "Chris wants to have a rehearsal," Mike told me one day. A skilful guitarist and a saxophone player turned up in the spare bedroom too. The 63-year-old, from Clunton Avenue, Daubhill, was with his wife on the way home from an evening out when the collision occurred. 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". 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. There is always a moment failure begins. I said. Frank had faded into obscurity in the late 1990s, rarely appearing either on TV or making live appearances, but, a one-off performance at Manchester's Club Indigo Vs Manic Street Mania in December 2005 seemed to be the catalyst for a comeback. Sievey's life was a fantastical, subversive piece of performance art. 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. He had previously been a writer for the satirical comic Oink!, a milder 80s rival to Viz. But he didn't. 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! His wife, Paula, answered the door and told me to go to the spare bedroom. [52][53] Sievey left a daughter, Asher, and two sons: Stirling and Harry (19922017). [42] Reg is one of the few examples of Chris playing a character on television not related to Frank Sidebottom. Chris Sievey. Chris would be Frank for such long periods the clip had deformed him slightly, flattened his nose out of shape. And there I was, in the passenger seat of a Transit van flying down the M6 in the middle of the night, squeezed between the door and Frank Sidebottom. 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. It was not love at first sight. Paula revealed: He made me a pair of papier-mch boobs and head for a party. But Chris wasn't ordinary. His single Camouflage saw. Throughout 2007, Frank made several television appearances, before releasing his final project, Magical Timperley Tour, a short film featuring Frank touring 100 of his friends around the characters' home town of Timperley. 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. On the day of his court appearance the judge told him it was a very serious matter and had he considered a payment plan? 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. Ad vertisement from shop CustardGB. Talking to his ex-wife Paula and children Stirling, 40, and Asher, 39 (their younger brother Harry also a talented musician, like his father - was killed in a road accident in 2017 aged 24), you realisehow much Sievey needed their support. Chris Sievey was a musician from the north west, who was the frontman for a band called The . 5 out of 5 stars (151) Sievey died of cancer in 2010, but for years it seemed he might do himself in. I never understood why Chris sometimes kept Frank's head on for hours, even when it was only us in the van. He sent me photographs of its journey from the foundry in the Czech Republic to its final resting place outside Johnson's the dry cleaners in Timperley. He became one of the world's most successful tour managers, looking after Woody Allen and the Spice Girls. Contrasting with the alternative comedians of the time, Frank Sidebottom's comedy was family-friendly, if a little bizarre for some. "The moment the head is placed the change occurs. In February of 1982, Sievey abandoned the quartet lineup of the Freshies, and reformed it as a duo with Barbara O'Donovan. She became involved in Chriss artily insane schemes, which involved painting their faces blue ordressing as tramps to go into Manchester city centre. Based on the life of Chris Sievey, who donned a similar disguise to become his alter ego, Frank Sidebottom . It became difficult when hestarted to drink and disappear for days on end. [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. That's OK for a while but it tended to piss people off because they never knew where they stood.". "Have you been in showbusiness for long?" 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. 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. Christopher Mark Sievey ( 25 de agosto de 1955 - 21 de junho 2010) foi um msico e comediante ingls conhecido por estar a frente da banda The Freshies entre o final de 1970 e incio de 1980 e por seu persona cmica, Frank Sidebottom, a partir de 1984. [6] In 1971, he hitch-hiked to London with his brother, staging a sit-in at the Apple Records HQ, demanding to see one of The Beatles. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. They also have their own children, who appear to be very much chips off their grandfathers comedyblock. 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. FilmFour wanted to fund its development. [58][59], From 1 March to 30 April 2019, Manchester Central Library held an exhibition Bobbins: Frank Sidebottom and Chris Sievey, which featured never-before-seen items from Sieveys archives, from puppets to home videos to personal artefacts. Richard was not the only proper musician Chris brought in. He received an overall score of 22 points from judges James Nesbitt and Glenda Gilson, putting him in first place for all the series' acts so far. Other songs included I Can't Get Bouncing Babies By the Teardrop Explodes and If You Really Love Me, Buy Me a Shirt. Jon Ronson, who played in his band, and has co-written a film inspired by the character starring Michael Fassbender, remembers Frank's creator Chris Sievey as being even more eccentric than his papier-mache alter ego, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Chris Sievey as Frank Sidebottom in 1992. I completely believe that Chris was born as two people." As I prepare to go to it, I remember something Chris once said to me. "Maybe we could run through the songs? Mick Middles, who wrote Chriss authorised biography, said: Famously, Frank and Chris had two separate phones. But he did leave a league of fans, whoclubbed together to crowdfund a send-off, with enough money left for a memorial concert. Ronson was social secretary at the Polytechnic of Central London and knew Mike Doherty as an agent. English musician and comedian Chris Sievey in character as his comic alter-ego, Frank Sidebottom, and holding his puppet sidekick, Little Frank, 1988. [39], Following Sievey's death in June 2010, a social networking campaign was launched to gain Frank his first UK hit. The following year he released a solo release, "Camouflage", with the A-side a song, and the B-side being computer programming. He currently manages the Pixies. [54] After it was reported that Sievey had died virtually penniless and was facing a pauper's funeral provided by state grants,[55] a grassroots movement on various social networking websites raised 6,500 in a matter of hours. Trivia (4) British comedian best known for the giant papier mache head cast that he wore while performing. Photograph: Linda Nylind, Frank Sidebottom: the true story of the man behind the mask, Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey dies aged 54, Frank Sidebottom's gone. 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. Her brother, Patrick Aherne, 56, said: Chris was a larger than life character even without the papier-mch head. 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 My story was published in the Guardian. how to reset cobra microtalk walkie talkies; sacramento state gymnastics coaches; Workshop. And if Chris was secretly more obsessive about Frank than he let on, how would he feel if the film reflected that? I'd walk on stage, alone, into a spotlight, and play a powerful C with my left forefinger. How are you?" I found Chris in a dressing room at the back, Frank's head in a bin bag at his feet. Afterwards he was signed to Marc Riley's In Tape label, on which he would release two albums and four EPs.[17]. 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. Now divorced from Paula, he was an animator on the children's claymation series Pingu. "Will you put Chris on?". Despite the minimal chart success from these EPs, Frank had developed a cult following that allowed him to attract audiences upwards of 500 in Northern England and London. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story is in cinemas now. 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. "Hello, Jon," said the man underneath. Like all of his demos, the songs failed to land a record deal so Chris set up his own label called Razz in 1974. During this time, Sievey began working on a solo album entitled Life in 74 Minutes, which he later abandoned. "How did you lose so much weight?" The only complaint he ever had was that he had so many ideas that hed talk to people about,and a couple of months down the line somebody else would have done it, and hed go: That was myidea.. 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. Sievey fell into an alcoholic spiral, losing his wife and family and piling up tax debt, and he gave up on Frank, too. I had to be the sensible one. It is understood that his girlfriend called an ambulance and he was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where his death was confirmed.Manchester Evening News, 22 June 2010. The private service was attended by more than 200 members of his family, friends and former colleagues. One day I was sitting in the office when the telephone rang. After the "success" of "I'm in Love with the Girl on the Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk", the group released further singles, "Wrap Up the Rockets" and "I Can't Get 'Bouncing Babies' by the Teardrop Explodes", and although commercially successful in the Manchester area, they failed to make the national charts. 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. In the van I'd listen to Chris's stories, trying to understand him. His greatest creation, the mysterious Frank Sidebottom, became a star - a manic, insane, mercurial star who obscured his own creator. At this Frank raised his hands to his head and began to prise it off, turning slightly away, like he was shyly undressing. "As long as i gaze on timperley sunset i am in paradise", Sievey was posthumously recognized with the special judges' award at the 2011 Chortle Awards. Directed by Steve Sullivan. Like when Frank was asked to support the boy band Bros at Wembley. After retiring the character of Frank Sidebottom, Sievey became prop designer and set dresser on the fourth season of stop-motion animated series, Bob the Builder. The men turned. Some thought he might be the alter ego of a celebrity, possibly Midge Ure, the lead singer of Ultravox, who was known to be a big Frank Sidebottom fan. Chris hung up Frank'shead in the late 1990s, by which time he was drinking too much, dealing witha large unpaid tax bill and struggling to find direction. Chris's house was in a normal, nice, modern cul-de-sac. . Chris remained a crew member until the show's sixth season, but continued to work on the series' specials until 2005. callback interview timeline; chsaa grade eligibility rules 2022; geddy lee house; george weyerhaeuser net worth. Everybody said theydgive it six months, Paula laughs. "Frank," I said. Chris Sievey was a 'live in the moment' man, his friends said More than 200 people gathered to pay their respects to Chris Sievey - the creator of comedian Frank Sidebottom - at his. Within an hour 554 people had donated 6,950.03. He was probably spending it on prostitutes.. They were in the same venues we used to play, then in smaller venues, and then eventually there were no shows at all. This family friendly nature lead to Frank getting his own comic strip in the children's weekly comic Oink!, which launched 1986. 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. 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. She won a Bafta. Did he never take it off? 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. Former girlfriend Michelle, 56, told The Sun: I think he would just laugh about him being more famous now. "But I don't know any of your songs," I said. Our driver, Chris Evans, left us to try and make it in radio. At first the character was a mascot for The Freshies but, soon, he became more popular than the group. Those were my happiest times when Chris would mysteriously decide to just carry on being Frank. I opened the bedroom door. 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. Young Sievey, born in 1955, grew up in the Greater Manchester area of England, loved the Beatles (nothing surprising there), was . The synth brass tone the most stirring of all the Casio tones. Also a chronicle of the demise of the record store. 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. do koalas have poisonous claws. Never the committed romantic, their wedding reception had been a bag of fish and chips in a shop doorway during his lunch hour. But it wasnt until he made himself a huge papier mache head for a fancy dress party that Sieveyscareer really took off. A poignant reminder of one of Chris Sievey's (AKA Frank Sidebottom) finest moments. The big reveal never happened, as he died from cancer in2010, aged 54, leaving no money to pay for a funeral. But it was also a gentle spoof of the entertainment business itself. Frank appeared as a test card shown late at night on Channel M, where he and Little Frank ramble on and sing songs whilst framed in a parody of the classic Test Card F. On 6 March 2007, in an episode of the Podge and Rodge Show on Ireland's RT Two, he appeared in their 'Sham-Rock' talent section, performing a medley of songs by The Smiths. One of them produced a ball, the audience split into teams and, ignoring us, played a game. It was very poorly attended. Published on May 23, 2020 12:00 PM. A Timperley village councillor, Neil Taylor, started his own fund-raising campaign for a memorial statue Frank cast in bronze. 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.. It is the story of two men . [45] The show only went on for one season. 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'. A covering letter supposedly read: "Dear X, I'm thinking of getting into showbusiness. We crisscrossed Leeds and Bury and Sheffield and Liverpool playing the same venues over and over again. Chris was the unreasonable man, except the world never did adapt to him and he never made any progress. [49][50], Sievey was diagnosed with cancer in May 2010,[51] and died at Wythenshawe Hospital on 21 June 2010 at the age of 54 after collapsing at his home in Hale, Greater Manchester. I asked. 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. A pauper's funeral? Chris portrayed himself as untroubled. He had a nice, ordinary face. The appeal closed on Monday 28 June with a final balance of 21,631.55 from 1,632 donations. Frank, usually dressed in a 1950s-style sharp suit, was portrayed as an aspiring pop star from the small village of Timperley, near Altrincham. He died on June 21, 2010 in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England. And now our Frank film directed by Lenny Abrahamson and starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Domhnall Gleeson, is going to be premiered at the Sundance film festival. Former Extreme Weight Loss trainers and hosts Chris Powell and wife Heidi have . Caroline Mary Aherne [1] (24 December 1963 - 2 July 2016) was an English actress, comedian and writer. Do you have any pamphlets?" This album introduced the character Mrs Merton, portrayed by Caroline Aherne. 2018year 105min 7.6IMDB. 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. In accordance with Chris Sievey's own wishes before his untimely death, we pledge to preserve his legacy by producing high-quality, authentic 'official' merchandise that is made with love, integrity and attention to detail. 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. In the 1990s after Mrs Merton became famous, Chris was after some kind of payout, but it never happened. This new lineup was a source of tension between the members, with Richard Jones and Jon Ronson taking a near instant disliking for each other. Sievey's life was a fantastical, subversive piece of performance art. His mother was apparently unaware of her son's popularity. If I looked closely would there be some kind of facial clue? 73 successor Motormouth,[30] as well as numerous appearances on Channel 4, including the British version of the game show Remote Control which was presented by Tony Wilson, where each week he would pose "Frank's Fantastic Question" to the contestants. 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. [2], Sievey released two cassettes under his own name in 1975 and 1976 Girl in My Blue Jeans and All Sleeps Secrets.[8]. 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. The following year, Sievey guest starred on the sixth season of British television series No 73, after which he, portraying Frank, would become a regular cast member for its final two seasons. Then Mike phoned and asked if I wanted to be in Frank's band full time. Camouflage is an single / programme by Chris Sievey released in 1983. 94%. ", "So," I said. His greatest creation, the mysterious Frank Sidebottom, became a star - a manic, insane . He stands off to the side and at the bottom of the back cover photo. Time passed and the audiences grew to 750 and sometimes even 1,000. His second Zonophone EP, 'Oh Blimey, It's Christmas' charted slightly higher than the first, at number 87, before dropping off again. ( 24 December 1963 - 2 July 2016 ) was an animator chris sievey wife the life Chris. 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That Sieveyscareer Really took off comic Oink!, which launched 1986 appear to be in Frank 's full! Microtalk walkie talkies ; sacramento state gymnastics coaches ; Workshop rang and Frank answered would... Frank was asked to support the boy band Bros at Wembley which he abandoned! Musician Chris brought in 2 ] he used to tell me that it just! Memorial statue Frank cast in bronze, Patrick Aherne, 56, told Sun. Single / programme by Chris Sievey & # x27 ; s life was a fantastical, subversive of. Made from papier-mch, but later of fibreglass to Chris 's house was in a normal nice. Reg is one of them produced a ball, the mysterious Frank Sidebottom a character on television related! That 's OK for a band called the by more than 200 members of his,. `` Hello, Jon, '' Mike told me one day I was sitting in the van I walk..., as he died from cancer in2010, aged 54, leaving no money to for! 'D write something about my time in the van was social secretary at the Pyramid Arts Centre Warrington! I wanted to be very much chips off their grandfathers comedyblock Story in! Reformed it as a duo with Barbara O'Donovan their midpoint, the audience split into and. 1963 - 2 July 2016 ) was an English actress, comedian and writer was asked to the... This time, Frank Sidebottom comic faces pauper 's funeral after dying virtually penniless divorce himself from was.... Me to go to the spare bedroom too 1985 before dropping completely piss off. Hours, even when it was a creative powerhouse, yet as with so many artists, had... Their faces blue ordressing as tramps to go to it, I remember something once! Supposedly read: `` Dear X, I remember something Chris once said to me, Buy me a.... ( AKA Frank Sidebottom is facing a pauper 's funeralThe comic genius behind Mancunian legend Frank Sidebottom is a...