Oh Blimey, It's Christmas

HHIBA! DYMMWIWA? Late nights at work and the curse of Facebook has meant that I've neglected this blog for a long time. It's not like there's been nothing happening! The Credit Crunchie, Harry Redknapp, Nelsonica, Light of Day, great gigs from The Godfathers, Carbon/Silicon and The Hold Steady, and hey Ben Folds was pretty good as well!

Time has just flown by, and now it's Christmas already. Hey kids, have you checked your Parents' wardrobe for presents yet? You never know what you might find. Just remember - Santa can be so good for you...

Evil Clown Attacks!

Let's get this straight from the start, I can honestly say that I've never taken any illegal drugs... Time now for a brief report on Frank Sidebottom's Puppet Pantorama @ The Bull & Gate... Frank was joined on stage in his musical extravaganza by various puppet friends - including Little Frank, Little Denise (headless), Tracy Island Puppet (duetting on Zoo Scrapbook), Darth Vader without shoes puppet, Lab Rat and many many more! It was all totally bonkers! The highlight of the night for me was when the one and only SpongeBob SquarePants came out and enthusiastically joined in on an ace cover of Sheena is a Punk Rocker! Oh yes he did, he really did.

SpongeBob is a Punk Rocker
Arrgh, I forgot to mention that Evil Clown was there too! And he was Crowd Surfing! And kicking me in the head with his big shoes in the process! "Oh no he didn't" - Oh yes he did, he really did, actually.

Evil Clown goes Surfin'

Freddie Mercury with Little Frank as Brian May

Hit The North
www.franksworld.co.uk

Pantorama !!!

Yes, this coming Friday December 14th, Frank Sidebottom is back in London for Christmas @ The Bull And Gate, Kentish Town! Francis will be performing his special Xmas Pantorama, backed by a band featuring members of Scritti Politti(?) - And look out for special guest appearances from Little Frank and Little Denise!

www.franksworld.co.uk

Mr Merton

Frank Sidebottom put in another superstar performance tonight, in Wimbledon Library! Taking part in Merton Council's 'Lyrics in Libraries' festival, Frank (and his puppet, Little Frank) provided the after-hours entertainment in between the bookshelves. It was the usual funny Timperley fare with a couple of added poems. Expect a new CD and more shows soon.

www.franksworld.co.uk

Jingle Belles, Little Frank Smells

Oh no he doesn't actually 'cos he's made of cardboard.

Thursday night at the Bull and Gate, Kentish Town, London. MustyMC and I arrived feeling a little down, either due to work problems or manic depression. We hadn't really entered into the Christmas spirit yet but that was soon to change with the help of some young girls, lovely ladies and Frank Sidebottom. The need to stock up on curry and alcohol meant we missed the opening act, however we caught the set by girl group The Duloks. They knocked out some very short, very quirky, fun pop tunes. All the time though I kept thinking 'gosh, they look so young. Shouldn't they be doing their school homework instead?'

Next up were The Actionettes - a barely choreographed all-girl dance troupe. The Actionettes looked perfect for the evening, shaking and moving around in their red and white outfits. They could have done with a big introduction announced over the PA and the music they danced to was played at too low a volume. Despite this they were enjoying themselves, their enthusiasm and unprofessional charm rubbing off on the audience.


OK, hold your nose (blocking your nostrils) and say out loud with me,
'And now... it's time for Frank Sidebottom...'
When Santa Claus walked onto the stage I was a little puzzled. However, he soon took off his red robe to reveal that it wasn't Santa at all, it was Frank!

Timperly's greatest son ran through many of his top hits including Anarchy in Timperly, Zoo Scrapbook and The Robbins aren't bobbins. Little Frank made a swift guest appearance in his Heavy Met-al clothes and sang along on Hit The North before his head was unceremoniously removed and stuck on a microphone stand. Boo!


Something astonishing then followed. Somehow Frank seemed to uncannily channel into himself the spirits of dead pop stars Paul McCartney, Freddie Mer-cury and Elvis Presley. His dead good renditions of Frank Gordon and Bohemian Rhapsody brought tears to my eyes.

At the end of a great night the audience left the warmth of the Bull and Gate to face the damp cold outside and a walk down the high road. Merry Christmas, Kebab House! Merry Christmas, Tube Station! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Estate Agents!

www.franksworld.co.uk

A Timperly Christmas

From one Christmas Extravaganza to another...

Yes the poster says it all.

You know it does...
It really does.

Thank you.

For more dead good Frank Sidebottom news visit Frank's World

World Cup 2006 Extravaganza

Thursday evening, it was Engerland vs Trinidad & Tobago in a World Cup group stage match. I traveled north with Musty MC up to booming Kentish Town. A special footy night was due at the Bull and Gate, a knackered old pub with grumpy old bar staff. The B&G is also however a rock venue. Acts as famous as Keane, British Sea Power and Scrotum Clamp have played the stage of its small darkened back room.

It was a World Cup 2006 Extravaganza night, roughly timetabled as follows:

5pm: England v T&T (with bar snacks and half time Oranges), followed by bands Fractured and I, Ludicrous and then finally at 10pm: a rare performance from the one and only Frank Sidebottom.

It would have been hard to find a worse pub to watch the match in - no big screen plasmas to display the beauty of Gabby Yorath, just a few second hand sub 20 inchers. Still, the crowd banter and oranges made up for the poor viewing experience. The game itself was quite possibly the worst football match in the history of the world... ever! England were shite and didn't have a clue how to beat, with no disrespect to T&T, a side of useless nobodies. Owen Hargreaves wasn't playing so that's not an excuse. Owen, Beckham and Crouch are just not good enough and Lampard played like an over weight fat arse (no longer does he have 'marble buttocks').

After the game we popped out to Kentish Town's high road for some food and were spoilt for choice. A curry later we returned to catch an entertaining set of punk football rants from I, Ludicrous. Then came Timperley's favourite big Frank...

Frank has been quiet for a few years so it's good to see him back and hear that he is planning a new release. At this World Cup Extravaganza performance however he mostly stuck with his tried and tested classics. The crowd laughed and sang along with Zoo Scrapbook, Anarchy In Timperley, Timperley Sunset, Frank Gordon, The Robbins Aren't Bobbins and many many more. Add in Freddie Mecury and Elvis impressions and a guest appearance by his 'stupid stupid stupid' puppet Little Frank and we got a night of top ace entertainment.

Yes Frank is back. You know he is... he really is.

p.s. Little Frank is looking better than he has for a while