THE MAN WITH THE PAPIERMACHE HEAD

Jim Keoghan explores the bobbins world of Frank Sidebottom aka Chris Sievey

The fantastic showbiz career of Frank Sidebottom (the stage persona of comedian and musician Chris Sievey) is a lesson in how far a papier-mâché head can take you. Television, radio, concerts, records, comic strip art and puppetry; Timperley’s favourite son was a multimedia star before that awful term even existed. The catalyst for this, a moment of clarity in front of the TV, without which it might never have happened at all.

“I never really had any idea of going into showbiz. I had my paper round and my mum wanted me to go and get a proper job in WH Smiths. One night I was watching that show on the television, it’s not on anymore, but it was called Top of the Pops, and there was this band on it. I can’t remember who it was, maybe the Jackson Five or Five Star or Abba, whoever it was they had four members, and I thought I can do that. And that’s what I did.

“I went down to the shed at the bottom of my garden and I started recording songs. I did about seventeen in forty-five minutes and then I sent them to all the major record labels. EMI liked them and what they said was that I should have one of their old labels. They offered me Regal Zonophone, which had been started by the Sally Army and once had The Moves and Brontosaurus on it. I managed to put out three …

by Jim Keoghan
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