Track of the Week - 28 April 2019
About seven years ago I chipped into a Kickstarter that was trying to raise funds to make a documentary film about comedian/musician Frank Sidebottom and his creator Chris Sievey.
The project turned into a bit of a monster for director Steve Sullivan. Sieveydied in 2010 and left behind a massive archive of his (and Frank's) work that had to be looked through and there were hours of interviews with friends, family, fans and collaborators to be shot.
As the project wore on it became clear that there was a chance to do Sievey/Sidebottom justice and the film was given premieres at festivals and a general cinema release. I don't suppose many backers were upset at having to wait to see it as the more people who get to see the work of this genius (two geniuses?) the better to my mind.
The DVD Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story landed on my doormat this week and I couldn't wait to watch it. It's fantastic (as Frank might say.) I won't say too much here other than please watch it. If you have any interest in music, comedy or how creative people work then I don't see how you can't be enchanted and enthralled by it.
The one spoiler I will give is that this week's selection features. Sievey's pre-Frank band The Freshies didn't manage a hit single but might have done in the early 1980s with I'm In Love With The Girl On The Virgin Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk had circumstances been different.
If this had got the Freshies on Top of the Pops and steamed into the top ten (as it surely deserved to) would Sievey have persisted with the pop music route and kept Frank as a minor character as Freshies superfan? Or was he the sort of man who had to act on his ideas and would Frank have been born whatever the level of his success? Watch the film and see if you can decide.
No comments:
Post a Comment