Frank Sidebottom
Encyclopedia
Christopher Mark 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.
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
. More recently he had presented Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show in B/W for the Manchester-based television station Channel M. Throughout his career, Sidebottom made appearances on radio stations such as Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and on BBC Radio 1
and BBC Radio 5
, alongside Mark and Lard
.
Sievey died on Monday, 21 June 2010 after a short battle with cancer. Soon afterwards it was reported that Sievey had died penniless and would have a pauper's funeral. A campaign, backed by former collaborators including Jon Ronson
, was set up to raise funds for the funeral and eventually raised £21,631.55 from 1,632 separate donations.
, the town with which Frank Sidebottom would be associated). In 1971 he decided on a career in music and hitch-hiked to London with his brother, staging a sit-in
at the Apple Records
HQ, demanding to see one of The Beatles
. 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. Sievey subsequently recorded several demos, which he sent to record companies, receiving many rejection letters which he later compiled into a book. Unable to get a deal, he set up his own Razz label in 1974.
Sievey released two cassettes under his own name in 1975 and 1976 - Girl In My Blue Jeans and All Sleeps Secrets. He then began working under the name The Freshies, with various other musicians involved including Martin Jackson
, Billy Duffy
, and former Nosebleeds
bassist Rick Sarko. A string of singles and several cassettes were released between 1978 and 1983, most credited to The Freshies but "Baiser" (1979) credited to Chris Sievey, and the Red Indian Music EP credited to 'The Freshies with Chris Sievey'. In 1981, Sievey played on "Some Boys" by Going Red?, the band formed by former-Jilted John star Graham Fellows
. By 1983 he had abandoned The Freshies and began moving in a new direction.
cartoon. This was initially made from papier-mâché
, but later rebuilt out of fibreglass.
Frank, usually dressed in a 1950s-style sharp suit, was portrayed as an aspiring pop star from the small village of Timperley
near Altrincham
, Greater Manchester
. His character was cheerfully optimistic, enthusiastic, and seemingly oblivious to his own failings. 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. His mother was apparently unaware of her son's popularity. Frank sometimes had a sidekick in the form of "Little Frank", a hand puppet who was otherwise a perfect copy of Frank.
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
. Sidebottom's former Oh Blimey Big Band members include Mark Radcliffe
and Jon Ronson, and his driver was Chris Evans.
computer in 1984. The Frank Sidebottom character was initially created to be a fan of Sievey's band The Freshies
but the popularity of the character led Sievey to focus his output on Frank Sidebottom comedy records, many of which were released on Marc Riley
's In-Tape record label of Manchester and previous to that, the 'Regal Zonophone' label.
He reached cult status in the late 1980s/early 1990s thanks to extensive touring of the country, and focusing on large towns such as St Helens
. Performances were often varied from straightforward stand-up comedy and featured novelty components such as tombola
, and a lot of crowd interaction. Sometimes the show also included lectures. Contrasting against the alternative comedians
of the time, Frank Sidebottom's comedy was family-friendly, if a little bizarre for some.
Frank also had his own comic strip in the children's weekly comic Oink!
which was launched around the mid 1980s as the children's alternative to Viz
.
Frank was perhaps most popular in the North West of England, where his success was caught up in that of the Madchester
scene, and for a time was a regular on regional ITV
station Granada
. He even featured as a reporter on its regional news programme, Granada Reports. At one point Frank had his own television show on ITV entitled Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show. He also made numerous appearances on Channel 4
, including the British version of the game show Remote Control which was presented by Anthony H Wilson, where each week he would pose "Frank's Fantastic Question" to the contestants. He also made several appearances on the Television South
/ITV Saturday morning children's show No. 73
.
Along with television, 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 BBC Radio 5, alongside Mark and Lard.
Frank sang the Beatles song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
" on the charity album Sgt. 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
.
He later recorded "Flying" for another Beatles tribute album, Revolution No. 9.
Frank faded into obscurity in the late 1990s, rarely appearing either on TV or live appearances. A one-off performance at Manchester's Club Indigo Vs Manic Street Mania in December 2005 seemed to be the catalyst for a comeback.
In 2006, Frank reappeared in Greater Manchester on local television channel, Channel M
. His new show, Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show in B/W, featured celebrity guests and animation. The first showing of each show was in black and white ("so you don't have to turn the colour down"), whilst subsequent repeats were shown in full colour. He has 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.
Frank also 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
, he appeared in their 'Sham-Rock' talent section, performing a medley of songs by The Smiths
. 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.
Frank starred in his own exhibition of drawings, animation and cardboard at London's Chelsea
Space Gallery next to Tate Britain
between 4 July–4 August 2007. He also appeared at "Late" at Tate Britain on 3 August 2007.
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").
In late 2009 and early 2010 he supported John Cooper Clarke
on a UK tour.as per www.Franksworld.co.uk blog of 31 May 2010
He appeared as a Shildon F.C. fan in the FIFA 10
advert.
In December 2010, Frank Sidebottom's 1986 song "Christmas Is Really Fantastic" was re-released in an attempt to become the Christmas number one.
Frank performed to a crowd of old and new fans at Kendal Calling 2008
http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/kendalcalling/2008/photos-FrankSidebottom-KendalCalling08-DJM-.shtml
Frank Sidebottom.
The show was produced by Yorkshire Television
and was shown on most of the ITV
network in the United Kingdom
.
The producer and director was Dave Behrens.
. He collapsed at his home in Hale, Greater Manchester
, and was found by girlfriend, Gemma Woods, who called an ambulance. He was 54 years old. Sievey left a daughter Asher aged 30, and two sons: Stirling, 31, and Harry, 18. After it was reported that Sievey had died virtually penniless and was facing a "pauper's funeral" provided by state grants, a grassroots
movement on various social networking websites quickly rallied round and donated significant sums to help out with the costs, raising £6,500 in a matter of hours. The appeal closed on Monday 28 June with a final balance of £21,631.55 from 1632 separate donations.
Sievey's funeral was held on 2 July 2010 at Altrincham
Crematorium. The private service was attended by more than 200 members of his family, friends and former colleagues.
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. The acts included Badly Drawn Boy
and surviving members of Frank's Oh Blimey Big Band who played in tribute.
Compilations:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
known for fronting the band The Freshies
The Freshies
The Freshies were a punk band from Manchester, England formed in the late 1970s and dissolved in the early 1980s, fronted by singer and comedian Chris Sievey .-Career:...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards.
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
Granada Reports
Granada Reports is the flagship regional news programme of ITV franchisee Granada, presented by Tony Morris and Lucy Meacock, and serving the North West of England and the Isle of Man....
. More recently he had presented Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show in B/W for the Manchester-based television station Channel M. Throughout his career, Sidebottom made appearances on radio stations such as Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and BBC Radio 5
BBC Radio 5 (former)
BBC Radio 5 was a BBC radio network that carried sport, children's and educational programmes.It was transmitted via analogue radio on 693 and 909 kHz, and lasted for three years and eight months. The success of BBC Radio 4's coverage of the Gulf War, on a service known as Scud FM,...
, alongside Mark and Lard
Mark and Lard
Mark and Lard, the stage name of Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley , are former BBC Radio 1 disc jockeys. Mark and Lard joined Radio 1 in October 1993 and left in March 2004...
.
Sievey died on Monday, 21 June 2010 after a short battle with cancer. Soon afterwards it was reported that Sievey had died penniless and would have a pauper's funeral. A campaign, backed by former collaborators including Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson is a Welsh journalist, documentary filmmaker, radio presenter and nonfiction author, whose works include The Men Who Stare At Goats. His journalism and columns have appeared in British publications including The Guardian newspaper, City Life and Time Out magazine...
, was set up to raise funds for the funeral and eventually raised £21,631.55 from 1,632 separate donations.
Early life and career
Sievey grew up in Ashton-on-Mersey (five miles from TimperleyTimperley
Timperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
, the town with which Frank Sidebottom would be associated). In 1971 he decided on a career in music and hitch-hiked to London with his brother, staging a sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
at the Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
HQ, demanding to see one of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. 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
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
Tony King. Sievey subsequently recorded several demos, which he sent to record companies, receiving many rejection letters which he later compiled into a book. Unable to get a deal, he set up his own Razz label in 1974.
Sievey released two cassettes under his own name in 1975 and 1976 - Girl In My Blue Jeans and All Sleeps Secrets. He then began working under the name The Freshies, with various other musicians involved including Martin Jackson
Martin Jackson
Martin Jackson is a British drummer who has played with several New Wave bands from Manchester, although his most successful roles were with Magazine, in 1978 with the release of the influential Real Life album, and Swing Out Sister, in 1986, with the hit song Breakout.-Biography:His earliest work...
, Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy is an English guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist in The Cult.-Early days:He grew up in Manchester, where he began playing guitar at the age of fourteen...
, and former Nosebleeds
The Nosebleeds
The Nosebleeds was a short-lived punk band formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1976. Though the band never recorded an album and released just one single, it is well known in modern rock history for the later successes of its individual members...
bassist Rick Sarko. A string of singles and several cassettes were released between 1978 and 1983, most credited to The Freshies but "Baiser" (1979) credited to Chris Sievey, and the Red Indian Music EP credited to 'The Freshies with Chris Sievey'. In 1981, Sievey played on "Some Boys" by Going Red?, the band formed by former-Jilted John star Graham Fellows
Graham Fellows
Graham David Fellows is an English comedy actor and musician, best known for creating the characters of John Shuttleworth and Jilted John.-Early life:...
. By 1983 he had abandoned The Freshies and began moving in a new direction.
Frank Sidebottom
The character was instantly recognisable by his large spherical head, styled like an early Max FleischerMax Fleischer
Max Fleischer was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios...
cartoon. This was initially made from papier-mâché
Papier-mâché
Papier-mâché , alternatively, paper-mache, is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste....
, but later rebuilt out of fibreglass.
Frank, usually dressed in a 1950s-style sharp suit, was portrayed as an aspiring pop star from the small village of Timperley
Timperley
Timperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
near Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. His character was cheerfully optimistic, enthusiastic, and seemingly oblivious to his own failings. 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. His mother was apparently unaware of her son's popularity. Frank sometimes had a sidekick in the form of "Little Frank", a hand puppet who was otherwise a perfect copy of Frank.
Comedy character Mrs Merton started out as Frank's sidekick on his radio show Radio Timperley
Radio Timperley
Radio Timperley is the name of a fictional radio station run by the character Frank Sidebottom . The name "Radio Timperley" was first used on Piccadilly Radio in the 80s.Some of the original recordings have been made available on tape and compact disc ....
, and the similarity of the characters is evident, exuding a sense of great ambition which belies a domestic lifestyle in the North of England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
. Sidebottom's former Oh Blimey Big Band members include Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s and remains one of Britain's most recognised DJs. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week alongside Stuart Maconie, called...
and Jon Ronson, and his driver was Chris Evans.
History
Frank was first revealed to the world on a 12 inch promotional record which came free with the Chris Sievey-created video game The Biz for the ZX SpectrumZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
computer in 1984. The Frank Sidebottom character was initially created to be a fan of Sievey's band The Freshies
The Freshies
The Freshies were a punk band from Manchester, England formed in the late 1970s and dissolved in the early 1980s, fronted by singer and comedian Chris Sievey .-Career:...
but the popularity of the character led Sievey to focus his output on Frank Sidebottom comedy records, many of which were released on Marc Riley
Marc Riley
Marc Riley is a British musician, alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music. Formerly a member of The Fall, he had his own record label, In-Tape, and also worked as a record plugger...
's In-Tape record label of Manchester and previous to that, the 'Regal Zonophone' label.
He reached cult status in the late 1980s/early 1990s thanks to extensive touring of the country, and focusing on large towns such as St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
. Performances were often varied from straightforward stand-up comedy and featured novelty components such as tombola
Raffle
A raffle is a competition in which people obtain numbered tickets, each ticket having the chance of winning a prize. At a set time, the winners are drawn from a container holding a copy of every number...
, and a lot of crowd interaction. Sometimes the show also included lectures. Contrasting against the alternative comedians
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
of the time, Frank Sidebottom's comedy was family-friendly, if a little bizarre for some.
Frank also had his own comic strip in the children's weekly comic Oink!
Oink! (comic)
Oink! was a British comic for children which was published from 3 May 1986-22 October 1988. It set out to be deliberately anarchic, reminiscent of Viz but for children....
which was launched around the mid 1980s as the children's alternative to Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
.
Frank was perhaps most popular in the North West of England, where his success was caught up in that of the Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
scene, and for a time was a regular on regional ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
station Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
. He even featured as a reporter on its regional news programme, Granada Reports. At one point Frank had his own television show on ITV entitled Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show. He also made numerous appearances on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, including the British version of the game show Remote Control which was presented by Anthony H Wilson, where each week he would pose "Frank's Fantastic Question" to the contestants. He also made several appearances on the Television South
Television South
Television South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
/ITV Saturday morning children's show No. 73
No. 73
No 73, later re-titled 7T3, was a British 1980s children's TV show produced by Television South for the ITV network. It was broadcast live on Saturday mornings and ran from 1982 to 1988...
.
Along with television, 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 BBC Radio 5, alongside Mark and Lard.
Frank sang the Beatles song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song from the 1967 album by The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was composed by John Lennon...
" on the charity album Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father
Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father
Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father is a 1988 multi-artist compilation of 1980s artists recording new versions of the songs on The Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album was produced by the New Musical Express to raise money for Childline, the charity founded by the now-defunct BBC...
, which featured other acts like Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.-History:Shocked received her first international exposure in Europe, particularly Britain, with her debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes .Her first U.S...
, The Christians, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, Hue and Cry
Hue and Cry
Hue and Cry is a pop duo formed in 1983 in Coatbridge, Scotland by the brothers Pat Kane and Greg Kane . They had a number of modest hits in the UK Singles Chart in the late 1980s, and early 1990s, and have released sixteen albums from 1987 to date.-Career:Their first single "Here Comes...
, The Fall and Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish pop rock band that formed in the 1980s. They scored a number of hits in the British charts and around the world. The band is composed of Marti Pellow , Tommy Cunningham , Graeme Clark and Neil Mitchell...
.
He later recorded "Flying" for another Beatles tribute album, Revolution No. 9.
Frank faded into obscurity in the late 1990s, rarely appearing either on TV or live appearances. A one-off performance at Manchester's Club Indigo Vs Manic Street Mania in December 2005 seemed to be the catalyst for a comeback.
In 2006, Frank reappeared in Greater Manchester on local television channel, Channel M
Channel m
Channel M is a regional television station, based in Manchester, England. It began broadcasting on 14 February 2000 as Manchester Student Television and is owned and operated by the Guardian Media Group.-Coverage:...
. His new show, Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show in B/W, featured celebrity guests and animation. The first showing of each show was in black and white ("so you don't have to turn the colour down"), whilst subsequent repeats were shown in full colour. He has also made five appearances on Iain Lee
Iain Lee
Iain Lee is a British comedian, and a television and radio presenter. His career began when he performed stand-up comedy gigs across venues in London. He subsequently became co-presenter of the comedy current affairs show The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4 and RI:SE...
's programme on London's LBC
LBC
LBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
as well as on numerous community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
stations such as Forever Manchester.
Frank also appeared as a test card
Test card
A test card, also known as a test pattern in North America and Australia, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast...
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
Test Card F
Test Card F is a test card that was created by the BBC and used on television in the United Kingdom and in countries elsewhere in the world for more than four decades...
. On 6 March 2007, in an episode of the Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show is an Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, featuring the popular Podge and Rodge as hosts...
, he appeared in their 'Sham-Rock' talent section, performing a medley of songs by The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. He received an overall score of 22 points from judges James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster...
and Glenda Gilson
Glenda Gilson
Glenda Gilson is an Irish model and television presenter.-Career:In August 2006, Gilson embarked on a presenting career, appearing as the face of Irish music channel Bubble Hits hosting the news and entertainment show Glenda's Showbiz Gossip...
, putting him in first place for all the series' acts so far.
Frank starred in his own exhibition of drawings, animation and cardboard at London's Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
Space Gallery next to Tate Britain
Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...
between 4 July–4 August 2007. He also appeared at "Late" at Tate Britain on 3 August 2007.
He appeared in the Series 3 Christmas special of BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
's Videogaiden
VideoGaiden
VideoGaiden is a Scottish computer games television show broadcast by BBC Scotland. Its creators and presenters, Robert Florence and Ryan Macleod, are responsible for the internet-distributed videogaming show Consolevania, upon which the show is based...
, performing "Christmas is Really Fantastic", and later appeared on the Series 3 Awards show, and the final web-exclusive episode ("Closedown").
In late 2009 and early 2010 he supported John Cooper Clarke
John Cooper Clarke
John Cooper Clarke is an English performance poet who first became famous during the punk rock era of the late 1970s when he became known as a "punk poet"...
on a UK tour.as per www.Franksworld.co.uk blog of 31 May 2010
He appeared as a Shildon F.C. fan in the FIFA 10
FIFA 10
carlos leivaFIFA 10 is the 17th title in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it was published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on 2 October 2009 in Europe, 30 September in Australia and 20 October 2009 in North America...
advert.
Music releases
Follow the death of Mr Sievey in June 2010, a social networking campaign was launched to gain Frank his first UK hit. "Guess Who's Been on Match of the Day" entered the charts at No. 66.In December 2010, Frank Sidebottom's 1986 song "Christmas Is Really Fantastic" was re-released in an attempt to become the Christmas number one.
Frank performed to a crowd of old and new fans at Kendal Calling 2008
http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/kendalcalling/2008/photos-FrankSidebottom-KendalCalling08-DJM-.shtml
TV work
Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show was a television programme shown in 1992 featuring Chris Sievey as fictional characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Frank Sidebottom.
The show was produced by Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
and was shown on most of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The producer and director was Dave Behrens.
Guests
Guests included:- James WhaleJames Whale (radio)Michael "James" Whale is a British radio and television host. He is known for his plain-speaking, often ascerbic and confrontational, broadcasting style; during phone-ins he frequently hangs up on callers he disagrees with or who do not make their point quickly enough.-Early life:Whale was born...
- Caroline AherneCaroline AherneCaroline Mary Aherne is an English comedian and BAFTA winning writer and actress, best known for Mrs Merton and The Royle Family.- Background :...
- Lee ChapmanLee ChapmanLee Chapman is an English former footballer who scored almost 200 first-team goals as a striker. He was best known for his spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United...
- Dennis TaylorDennis TaylorDennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
- Kevin LloydKevin LloydKevin Reardon Lloyd was a British actor, born in Derby, and trained at East 15 Acting School, London. Best known for his part of DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines in Thames Television's The Bill....
- John StalkerJohn StalkerJohn Stalker is a former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, now residing in Lymm. He headed the Stalker Inquiry that investigated the shooting of suspected members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1982. He has also had a television and literary career.-Career:Stalker...
- Phil CornwellPhil CornwellPhil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
- OceanicOceanic (band)Oceanic were a two-member 1990s house/techno group from wirral, England, most famous for the dance hit song, "Insanity", which was released in 1991. This was the group's biggest commercial success, reaching number 3 in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks...
- AdamskiAdamskiAdamski is an English dance music producer, prominent at the time of acid house for his tracks "N-R-G" and "Killer" .-Career:...
- Dennis LocorriereDennis LocorriereDennis Locorriere was the lead vocalist, guitarist of the pop group Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, later Dr Hook...
- Midge UreMidge UreJames "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
- The FarmThe FarmThe Farm may refer to:In places:* The Farm , a government residence in Canada and home to the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons* The Farm , a community center in California, U.S....
- Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
- Pop Will Eat ItselfPop Will Eat ItselfPop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band, originally formed in Stourbridge in 1986, with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample driven indie and industrial rock...
- Nicholas ParsonsNicholas ParsonsNicholas Parsons OBE is a British actor and radio and television presenter.-Early life:...
- Don E
- Keith ChegwinKeith ChegwinKeith Chegwin is an English television presenter, former child actor and singer.-Early career:Chegwin's early roles were in works of the Children's Film Foundation, appearing as Egghead Wentworth in The Troublesome Double Egghead's Robot . He also appeared as a stowaway in Doomwatch episode...
- Bob Holness
- Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
Death, funeral and memorial concert
Sievey was diagnosed with cancer in May 2010. On Monday, 21 June 2010, Sievey died at Wythenshawe HospitalWythenshawe Hospital
The University Hospital of South Manchester is a major acute teaching hospital in Wythenshawe, south Manchester, England. It provides services for adults and children at Wythenshawe Hospital and Withington Community Hospital...
. He collapsed at his home in Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale, Greater Manchester
Hale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
, and was found by girlfriend, Gemma Woods, who called an ambulance. He was 54 years old. Sievey left a daughter Asher aged 30, and two sons: Stirling, 31, and Harry, 18. After it was reported that Sievey had died virtually penniless and was facing a "pauper's funeral" provided by state grants, a grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
movement on various social networking websites quickly rallied round and donated significant sums to help out with the costs, raising £6,500 in a matter of hours. The appeal closed on Monday 28 June with a final balance of £21,631.55 from 1632 separate donations.
Sievey's funeral was held on 2 July 2010 at Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
Crematorium. The private service was attended by more than 200 members of his family, friends and former colleagues.
On 8 July 2010, over 5,000 fans of Frank Sidebottom gathered for a party at the Castlefield Arena in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to celebrate Sievey's life. The acts included Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
and surviving members of Frank's Oh Blimey Big Band who played in tribute.
Awards
Sievey was posthumously recognised with the special judges' award at the 2011 Chortle Awards.Solo/as Chris Sievey
- Girl In My Blue Jeans cassette (1975), Hey Boss
- All Sleeps Secrets cassette (1976), Razz
- "Baiser"/"Last" 7-inch single (1979), Razz
- Denigration Now VHS Video (1982), Razz
- Chris Sievey's Big Record LP (1986), Cordelia
Albums
- Fantastic Tales (1987), 11:37 - cassette
- 5:9:88 (1988), In Tape
- 13:9:88 (1988), In Tape
- Medium Play mini-LP (1990), In Tape
Compilations:
- Radio Timperley (1991), 11:37
- A B C & DA B C & DABC & D is Frank Sidebottom 's first compilation album. It contains songs from his first two albums and multiple EP's and singles.-Tracks:* "Anarchy In Timperly"* "Timperly Blues"* "Timperly Sunset"* "Born In Timperly"...
(1997) - Soundreel A (2005), mail-order only CD-R
- E F G & H (2009)
- Radio Timperley 2 (2010), Sidetrack
- Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Show Biz Box Set (2010), Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
- 4 CD's + DVD
Singles
- Frank's Firm Favourites EP (1985), Regal Zonophone - UK #97
- Oh Blimey It's Christmas EP (1985), Regal Zonophone - UK #87
- "I'm the Urban Spaceman" (1986), Regal Zonophone
- Sci-Fi EP (Playlist1) (1986), Regal Zonophone
- Sci-Fi EP (Playlist2) (1986), Regal Zonophone
- "Christmas Is Really Fantastic" (1986), In Tape
- The Oink! 45 (1986), Oink! - Frank Sidebotton with Uncle Pigg & The Oinkletts
- Frank Sidebottom Salutes The Magic Of Freddie Mercury And Queen And Also Kylie Minogue (You Know, Her Off Neighbours) EP (1987), In Tape
- Frank Sidebottom Salutes The Magic Of Freddie Mercury And Queen (1987), In Tape
- Timperley EP (1987), In Tape
- World Cup EP (1990), Rodney Rodney! - with Frank Sidebottom's World Cup Mexico '90 Togger Annual book
- Panic EP (1993) - credited to The Sidebottoms
- "Guess Who's Been On Match Of The Day?" (2010), Cherry Red - UK #66
Computer Games
- The Biz Virgin Games (1984)