I've been on a Billy Childish tip recently- his output is so varied and prolific. Music, woodcuts, linocuts, paintings, novels, autobiography, poetry. The music is much more varied than his reputation suggests. There is a lot of Kinksy garage rock, but there's also blues, gospel, English folk, Mod pop-art. He changes the name of the band every time someone leaves or joins (it's a matter of respect according to Billy). The limitations he places on himself seem to be what unleashes the creativity. Really inspiring. The sheer number of records released is also inspiring- a couple of albums a year, and every one contains two or three absolute blinders. On top of that the worldview is great- the Edwardian work clothes, militaria, Victorian whiskers, aversion to the later Twentieth century. I reckon he might do some of his clothes shopping here, which must be very nice if you can afford it. A google image search also reveals he's regularly in demand by photographers for their portfolios. He's got one of those interesting faces, often topped by an interesting hat. Mr Wild Billy Childish- I take my hat off to you sir. Long may you run.
This song is one of Billy's key pieces- recorded and played live with several of his bands, the version here is by his 90s trio Thee Headcoats.
Troubled Times
