Thee Wild Billy Childish

Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Been meaning to start this thread for ages. Just saw this 'best of' mix via BTI and tbh it set me off cursin'! Beat me to it! :mad:(good selection by the way, but I reckon I could do better!)

So who likes Billy's stuff here? I've not kept up with his last few records but for my money The Milkshakes, thee Mighty Caesars and Thee headcoats were some of the best garage rock bands ever, especially the Milkshakes. His homemade blues recordings are great too, and they really capture something of the original spirit of American country blues while avoiding the traps that most retro stuff falls into.

After an initial infatuation with his stuff a few years ago, I've now totally rejected Billy's philosophy of 'authenticity' (although he does argue his case very convincingly in interviews), but I still love his music and his voice. And I enjoy the poetry, novels and paintings I've seen too. Legend!
 
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martin

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yeah, the bloke's a legend. Have you got any Milkshakes recommendations, as I wasn't really them into that much? Really like 'Still Talkin' About...' but the other one I heard (can't remember the name) wasn't so hot, all instrumentals if I remember right, but I probably don't.

Have you heard the Pop Rivets LP? Bit hit and miss, but the title track's pretty good, and there's some weirder post-punky stuff on the flip. I once went to Filthy McNasty's with a girl on a Sunday afternoon, cos Billy Childish was meant to be playing a free gig with someone else (think it was just him and another guy), only to find it had been cancelled and it was some really awful poetess instead.

Still, really like that Musicians of the BE stuff, would be great to catch him live.

Yeah, spill all, recommendations appreciated...
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
RE: The Milkshakes. I suppose they based their sound on Hamburg era Beatles, a bit less punky than most of Billy's other bands. The one that really got me hooked on them was their covers LP, '20 Rock n Roll hits of the '50s and '60s which is great from start to finish.

Damaged Goods reissued a couple of their early albums a while back, 'In Germany' and 'Nothing can stop these men'. Apparently they released four albums in one day as a fuck off to the music industry!

There's also a brilliant compilation of really early demos and live material from a German tour they did (can't remember the name offhand), loads of funny banter with the audience (Billy drunkenly berating them for not dancing cos they had their 'legs shot off in the war'!). Also the 'Billy Childish is dead' DVD is a pretty decent documentary and includes good footage of a Milkshakes gig on it. Billy was a heavy drinker back then.

I think that 'Still talkin' about..' was a sort of reunion album they did and was made a lot later than their other stuff, haven't heard that one.

The best way of getting into them is to get a copy of the '19th Nervous Shakedown' cd compilation, its got most of their best songs on it: 'Please don't tell my baby', 'After Midnight', 'Don't love another'...brilliant stuff.

I've only heard a couple of Pop Rivets songs, but I really like 'Beatle Boots'.

I'm gonna dig out all my Billy Childish records over the weekend (I've got TONS) and I'll get back to you.
 
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simon silverdollar

Guest
oh i love billy childish.
buff medways Who cover, 'Ivor' is absolutely mighty.

and thee headcoats 'what's wrong with me'.

his voice on those recordings is amazing.
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Yes, I love his voice most I think. And his sense of humour!

Possibly my favourite Childish record though is the Headcoatee's 'Girlsville' album. Best garage rock girl-group album ever!

I'm gonna do a mix of his stuff at the weekend. Haven't listened to his stuff in ages so I think it'll be a lovely way to spend a Sunday going through my collection.
 
swears

swears

preppy-kei
He's just awful! All that "stuckist" and "remodernist" stuff... it's just a capitulation to postmodernism more than anything.
 
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martin

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swears said:
He's just awful! All that "stuckist" and "remodernist" stuff... it's just a capitulation to postmodernism more than anything.
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Yeah but you're just saying that cos you're into kimono-wearing synth groups and you're not cool enough to join our gang. That's right, me, Benny and Simon S have formed a gang on Dissensus. Our only rules are 1) derail all threads and mention thee Headcoats at every opportunity from now on 2) fuck the forum moderators - they're all too scared to ban us or tick us off 3) next time there's a Dissensus meet up, we'll be taking 50p per head.
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Yeah! :p

Here's my mix, really enjoyed putting this together.

http://www.mediafire.com/?lj2g1jrmtu2

1. I am Billy Childish
2. Can't judge a book- Thee Headcoats
3. Sit right down and cry - The Milkshakes
4. Give it to me - Thee Mighty Caesars
5. Baby who mutilated everybody's heart - Thee Mighty Caesars
6. Dirty old man - Thee Headcoatees
7. I love that girl Ammonia - Billy Childish
8. I love my woman - Billy Childish and the Blackhands
9. Late at night - The Milkshakes
10. Round every corner - Thee Headcoats
11. Ain't that lovin' you baby - Thee Headcoats
12. Gotta get inside that girl's mind - Thee Headcoats
13. You'll be sorry now - Thee Mighty Caesars
14. I dreamt last night (that I lay dead) - Thee Milkshakes
15. For the deceived - Billy Childish
16. We're gone - Thee Headcoats
17. Melvin - Thee Headcoatees
18. Don't wanna be ruled by women and money no more - Thee Mighty Caesars
19. Cosmetic woman - Billy childish and the natural born lovers
20. Too late - Thee Headcoats
21. Please Don't tell my baby (I saw her last night) - The Milkshakes
22. After midnight - The Milkshakes
23. I feel so bad - Billy Childish & Dan Melchior
24. Lets Stomp (Live in Germany) - The Milkshakes
25. Black Elk Speaks - The Delmonas
26. No mercy - The Buff Medways
 
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ether

Well-known member
i like him, always enjoy listening/reading interviews with him. only really familiar with his visual work. so this should provide a good introduction I'm sure. cheers.
 
R

routes

we can delay.ay.ay...
Benny B said:
1. I am Billy Childish
2. Can't judge a book- Thee Headcoats
3. Sit right down and cry - The Milkshakes
4. Give it to me - Thee Mighty Caesars
5. Baby who mutilated everybody's heart - Thee Mighty Caesars
6. Dirty old man - Thee Headcoatees
7. I love that girl Ammonia - Billy Childish
8. I love my woman - Billy Childish and the Blackhands
9. Late at night - The Milkshakes
10. Round every corner - Thee Headcoats
11. Ain't that lovin' you baby - Thee Headcoats
12. Gotta get inside that girl's mind - Thee Headcoats
13. You'll be sorry now - Thee Mighty Caesars
14. I dreamt last night (that I lay dead) - Thee Milkshakes
15. For the deceived - Billy Childish
16. We're gone - Thee Headcoats
17. Melvin - Thee Headcoatees
18. Don't wanna be ruled by women and money no more - Thee Mighty Caesars
19. Cosmetic woman - Billy childish and the natural born lovers
20. Too late - Thee Headcoats
21. Please Don't tell my baby (I saw her last night) - The Milkshakes
22. After midnight - The Milkshakes
23. I feel so bad - Billy Childish & Dan Melchior
24. Lets Stomp (Live in Germany) - The Milkshakes
25. Black Elk Speaks - The Delmonas
26. No mercy - The Buff Medways
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Rar fuckin awesome mix

'Upside Mine' is my favourite song of his. I love that someone could make a 26 track billy bestof and not even include it...
 
D

dubversion

Guest
Unknowable But Certain

(long time no post but I heard my Childish mix got a mention).

Loving your one too, Benny, nice one.

I think Childish is one of the most intriguing figures around - you may not buy his take on art and authenticity but he talks a good game and he's wilful and consistent, which counts for a lot. And, of course, the music is just brilliant - for someone to on the one hand release so much, with so little self-editing, and yet still release so little that sucks is pretty remarkable...
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Yeah, I've got about 30 to 40 of his albums and I like pretty much all of them, they just sound fantastic and his personality is stamped all over every one. And he's probably done about another 60 I've never heard! Its like he hit upon a certain way of doing things early on that works, and he just stuck with it. But I think its a myth that all his records sound the same. He's got a wide range of influences and styles, just none from after 1977!
 
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Ness Rowlah

Norwegian Wood
I make a point of seeing him live once a year (normally around xmas time), but I don't have a single one of his records ... Seen him walking around London daytime a couple of times and he really dresses like a character from Blackadder Goes Forth (the WWI one) in tweed and strapped to a very non-technical rucksack.

The stuckist movement is a dead-end though.
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
i have no idea what the lot of you are on about here in this thread.

will check out the mix though and see if it's worth investigating further.
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Ness Rowlah said:
The stuckist movement is a dead-end though.
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Billy distanced himself from the Stuckists quite soon after the movement start iirc.

Where do you go to see him play, the Dirty Water club? I know he used to play there once a month. I'd love to see him live.
 
N

Ness Rowlah

Norwegian Wood
Benny B said:
Billy distanced himself from the Stuckists quite soon after the movement start iirc.

Where do you go to see him play, the Dirty Water club? I know he used to play there once a month. I'd love to see him live.
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Yup at least the last times, first time was at some pub near Tufnell Park (might have been DW's old place).

His crowd seems to get younger and younger, if that is because he becoming trendier or the newer venue is trendier I don't know.
 
B

Brother Randy Hickey

formerly Dubversion
Billy still plays at Dirty Water Club (sometimes as often as every month). DW is no longer weekly at the Boston Arms, but the Arms is still one of the venues they use, and where they normally put Billy on. He's all about the Musicians of the British Empire at the moment, although there was a brief rebirth of The Buff Medways when Nurse Julie from the MBEs had a kid.

This is excellent - http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/apr/03/billy-childish-interview

"As it happens, I had mild acne and a good few too many women. No doubt attracted by my jutting cheekbones and wounded, piercing eyes."
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