Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British Empire (2 Viewers)

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u:m

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u:mack
Present
Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British
Empire
Friday January 16
Whelans of Wexford Street
Doors 7.30pm (early gig)
TICKETS €18 from Road Records, City Discs, Spindizzy,
Sound Cellar and online at www.tickets.ie/umack
www.myspace.com/themusiciansofthebritishempire
www.myspace.com/umackproductions

Artist, Poet, author and undisputed king of
underground garage rock for over 30 years, wild Billy
Childish makes a welcome return to Whelans on friday
16 of january. This time he brings his new group, The
Musicians Of the British Empire (like a Bhuddist sand
artist allowing the wind to destroy a finished piece,
Childish has split up each of his bands after a couple
of years and started a new band afresh).With MBE
Childish carries on his tradition of home made punk
and wild rhythm and blues.

BILLY CHILDISH BIOGRAPHY

William Charlie Hamper - aka Billy Childish - is
reputed to have recorded over 100 LP's during his
28-year career. As if that's not enough to be getting
on with, he's also painted 2,000 odd paintings,
written 2 novels & penned 30 plus volumes of poetry.



Born in 1959 in Chatham, Kent, Childish left secondary
education aged 16, an undiagnosed dyslexic. After
being denied entry to his local art-school, Childish
began work as an apprentice stonemason at Chatham
Naval Dockyard. During his 6 months on the job (the
only conventional employment he has experienced in his
42 years) he produced 600 drawings in the "tea huts of
hell". This portfolio eventually earned him a place at
St Martin's School of Art studying painting.
Unfortunately, due to his outspoken views & rude
writing, he was expelled & signed on shortly
afterwards. Childish has continued to paint, write and
make music independently ever since.



Billy Childish formed his first band, The Pop Rivets,
in response to the Punk Rock explosion of 1977.
Already a big fan of 50's r'n'r and English r'n'b, a
combination of alcohol & boredom inspired him & his
cohorts, Bruce (gtr), Big Russ (bass) & Little Russ
(drums), to embrace the new breed. Childish, unable to
play an instrument at the time, took the vocal duties.
They soon established a modus operandi; small gigs for
little or no money - building a following on word of
mouth alone. They then borrowed £300 from a friend's
Social Security back pay & set about recording the
"Greatest Hits" LP, released in 1979. The band played
gigs in Switzerland & Germany in the same year &
recorded a 2nd LP, "Empty Sounds From Anarchy Ranch" &
two further EP's before splitting up in 1980. A CD
covering this era, "Fun in the U.K. ".



Childish has continued to make music ever since under
a variety of different monikers (Thee Milkshakes, Thee
Mighty Caesars, Thee Headcoats) - never veering far
from the path mapped out with The Pop Rivets, only
simpler. A great believer in artistic & cultural
devolution, he is the veritable epitome of the
homemade ethic. He makes music because he enjoys it -
simple as that. Ask him if he considers himself
prolific & he'll counter that all other artists
release far too few LP's (or possibility to many).
After all, any Childish band has always been able to
knock up an LP in a couple of days. Thee Milkshakes
once (in)famously released 4 LP's in one day because
they were told they released too many records and were
committing commercial suicide.



Childish bands have long been championed by a
succession of more established artists such as Beck
and Mudhoney; Kurt Cobain liked Thee Mighty Caesars, &
more recently Jack White of the white stripes appeared
on TOTP's with Billy's name scrawled on his forearm
after the BBC refused to let them have Billy paint on
stage with them during their performance.

Childish has the integrity & patience to wait for his
recognition, regardless of the fickle nature of
fly-by-night fashion. Neophytes & long term admires
are welcomed in equal measure - in the grand scheme of
things, Billy Childish isn't going anywhere. Like a
reliable family run garage or a trusty old armchair,
he'll remain until the roof caves in or the stuffing
falls to the floor - only then will future generations
fully appreciate his true worth. Maverick.
 

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