Wigan arts hub hosting online Frank Sidebottom event 10 years after creator's death

Around four hours of footage of and about the man famed for his huge papier-mâché head and connection to the village of Timperley will be broadcast by The Old Courts.

The event commemorates a decade since the death of Chris Sievey, the man behind the character.

And the programme has been put together by Wiganer and Frank’s former driver and road manager Dave Arnold.

The original intention was to bring fans together in memory of Chris and Frank but due to the coronavirus pandemic the memorial night will be a virtual one instead.

Dave said: “This is a significant milestone and we weren’t prepared to just not do anything to mark it.

“The Old Courts has really stepped up with online content and we’re really grateful to them for giving us the platform to do it.

“This is a night for Frank’s fans. You are going to need some liquid refreshment and a comfy chair. It’s going to be like Live Aid made out of cardboard and gaffer tape!”

The evening has a distinct Wigan flavour with footage of Frank’s 1991 gig at The Den in the town centre and his 2005 comeback show at The Tudor, as well as unseen material from a documentary.

Dave said: “I must have seen Frank play 150 times and I never saw a reaction like he got at that gig at The Den.

“It was a punk rock crowd, lots of head shaking and stage diving. It was pretty special.”

Frank Sidebottom became a distinctive and much-loved face on TV throughout the 1980s with a string of appearances.

Having originally been in punk band The Freshies, Chris Sievey created the alter ego for which he would become known.

Frank styled himself as an aspiring singer-songwriter from Timperley and his songs featured the village, his favourite football club Altrincham FC and other snippets of local life, prominently backed by the sound of a Casio keyboard.

In the 90s he got his own TV programme, Frank Sidebottom’s Fantastic Shed Show.

Chris sadly lost his battle with cancer in 2010, aged 54.

The show begins at 7pm on Saturday and is available to watch on The Old Courts’ Youtube channel, on the venue’s website at www.theoldcourts.com/theoldcourtslive or on its Facebook page.