When compiling my first ‘10 Manc’s’ Exhibition in 1998, it felt important to include Frank Sidebottom. Frank had been a well known and loved character in Manchester since the early eighties. I gave my friend Chris Sievey a call. Frank answered in his typical voice and spoke a lot of nonsense, finally I asked him if he could go and get Chris for me, who then returned with his normal voice!
I asked if he was up for a shoot with Frank. I was going to make a room set – with walls decorated with photos of Frank, mounted in gold frames. Frank was going to be admiring himself, dressed as the lord of the manor. Chris loved the idea and we did the shoot!
While looking through the images from the films taken (that had eaten a big hole into the 10 Manc’s Exhibition budget ) I was still not convinced I had the right image for the exhibition, something was missing – Chris!
Another phone call and I explained to Chris that I would like to capture the man behind the head. Would it be possible to take portraits of both Frank and Chris and display the photos side by side? Chris told me that he didn’t want to do this as the person behind Frank should be kept a secret from the public.
A couple of days later Chris gave me a call. “I was thinking about your idea Karin and I think it’s time to reveal the face behind Frank. I will do the shoot.”
That image is now on the cover of the authorised Biography of Chris Sievey. I spoke to the author Mick Middles, who told me that the book is the strangest he has ever written, as Chris was a strange guy. A man trapped inside a huge childlike papier-mâché head. He revealed stories of the imaginative child, who grew up continuing to be creative. Sadly he never got the recognition he deserved, he died penniless in 2010 at the age of fifty-four.
When his fans found out that there was no money for the funeral, they got together to help and raised over twenty thousand pounds. In his home town of Timperley sixty thousand pounds was raised for a life-size bronze statue of Frank and in May 2014 the film ‘Frank’ – based on the character Frank Sidebottom – was released.
The book by Mick Middles, ‘Frank Sidebottom out of his head’ will be launched in November 2014. I’m looking forward to reading the inside stories about Chris Sievey – the comic genius behind the Mancunian legend, Frank Sidebottom.