Michael Clifford Badger is an English singer-songwriter, artist and sculptor from

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England. Co-founder of

The La's The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from 1983 until 1992. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group are best known for their hit single " There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badge ...

he went on to form alternative country/roots rockabilly band

The Onset The Onset were formed in 1987 by Mike Badger after he left his former band The La's. Badger teamed up with locals Danny Dean on guitar, Hamish Cameron on piano and Colin Becket on drums. The first demo "Let's Go Home" can be found on the 20 ...

in 1988 and Mike Badger and The Shady Trio in 2010. In addition he is co-owner of Liverpool's independent

Viper Label The Viper Label is an independent record label from Liverpool, England and was founded in 1999 by musicians Mike Badger and Paul Hemmings both former members of The La's and The Onset. Hemmings also played with Ian Broudie in The Lightning S ...

with

Paul Hemmings Paul Jeremy Hemmings is an English musician and photographer. Hemmings is a supporter of Everton F.C Career He played with The La's, Mike Badger and The Onset and Ian Broudie and the Lightning Seeds. He is also a partner in Liverpool's indepen ...

Career

In 1997 Badger's first one-man exhibition of recycled art titled Lost and Found was displayed in Warrington Museum, later shown in Bristol Museum 1998, and Leicester City Gallery in 1999. Also, in 1997 Badger created several tin sculptures for Liverpool band

Space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

's album ''

Tin Planet ''Tin Planet'' is the second studio album by English band Space, released on 9 March 1998. Recorded in late 1997 following a tumultuous year for the group, ''Tin Planet'' was a continuation of the eclectic blend of musical styles explored on th ...

'', and for their video of "Avenging Angels". He has released solo badger albums including ''Volume'' in 1999 and ''Double Zero'' in 2000 and has recently archived much of his previously unreleased material with albums that include: ''Lost La's'', '' Lo-Fi Acoustic Excursions'', '' Lo-Fi Electric Excursions'', and ''

Mike Badger's Country Side ''Mike Badger's Country Side'' is an album which features a compilation of Mike Badger's country style songs from 1988 to 2008, including previously unreleased material from his solo projects and his back catalogue with The Onset. It was released ...

''. In 2006, Badger's sculpture was selected by

The Prince's Foundation for Children and The Arts Children & the Arts is an independent charity that provides access to professional arts venues for young people in the UK who would otherwise grow up having had no, or very limited opportunity, to engage with the arts. The charity works across th ...

for UK primary school education package, and later that year he began work as Artist in Residence at

ITV Granada ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...

(celebrating 50 years of broadcasting). Badger appeared at the

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

music festival in Austin, Texas, in 2009 and again in 2010, where he performed with local and international acts and featured on Country Music Radio USA. In 2010 he was commissioned to create a permanent suspended sculpture, which he titled
A Musical Composition
', which hangs in Cavern Walks, Mathew Street, Liverpool, to celebrate what would have been

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's 70th birthday. Mike Badger and The Shady Trio formed in summer 2010 and have released two studio albums and two singles. In 2015 Badger's autobiography ''

The Rhythm & The Tide ''The Rhythm & The Tide'' ''(Liverpool, The La's And Ever After)'' is a 2015 book chronicling the early years of band The La's and the City of Liverpool in the 1980s, as well as being an autobiography of Mike Badger's life and career. Co-written b ...

(Liverpool, The La's And Ever After)'' was released; it was co written with music journalist Tim Peacock and published by

Liverpool University Press Liverpool University Press (LUP), founded in 1899, is the third oldest university press in England after Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. As the press of the University of Liverpool, it specialises in modern languages, li ...

Personal life

Badger resides in Liverpool, England. He married his long term girlfriend Jeanette in 1999, and they have two children. Badger is a lifelong supporter of

Everton FC Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has compe ...

Discography

;Studio albums * '' The Pool of Life'' -

(1988) * '' The Pool of Life Revisited'' -

(1994) * ''Volume'' - Mike Badger (1999) * ''Double Zero'' (2000) - Mike Badger * ''

'' -

(2005) * ''Rogue State'' - Mike Badger (2011) * ''Lucky 13'' - Mike Badger and The Shady Trio (2013) * ''Honky-Tonk Angels on Motorbikes'' - Mike Badger and The Shady Trio (2011) ;Archive albums * ''Breakloose: Lost La's 1984–1986'' The La's (1999) * ''Callin' All: Lost La's 1986–1987'' The La's (2001) * '' Lo-Fi Acoustic Excursions - Mike Badger/ Onset/ La's'' (2003) * '' Lo-Fi Electric Excursions - Mike Badger/ Onset/ La's/ Kachinas'' (2004) * ''

'' - Mike Badger/ Onset (2009) * ''Breakloose: Lost La's 1984–1986'' (remastered) - The La's (2009) * ''Callin' All: Lost La's 1986–1987'' (remastered) - The La's (2010) * ''Badger Tracks'' - The La's/ The Onset/ Mike Badger/ Roy G. Biv (2014) ;Compilation appearances * ''A Secret Liverpool'' (one sided album) - Roy G. Biv (1984) * ''A Secret Liverpool'' - The La's (1985) * ''Elegance, Charm and Deadly Danger'' - The La's (1985) * ''Unearthed: Liverpool Cult Classics Volume 1'' - The Onset (2001) * ''Unearthed: Liverpool Cult Classics Volume 2'' - The Kachinas (2002) * ''The Great Liverpool Acoustic Experiment'' - Mike Badger (2002) * ''Viper 100'' - Mike Badger (2014) * ''Mellowtone'' - Mike Badger and The Shady Trio (2014) ;Singles & EPs * ''The What Say You'' EP - The Onset (1990) * "Another Christmas Carol"/"Everybody's Drinking" single - Mike Badger and The Shady Trio (2011) * "John Got Shot" single - Mike Badger and The Shady Trio (2014)

Art biography

* ''An Exhibition of Modern Art'' Exhibition, The Pilgrim Gallery (Liverpool 1984) * ''Merseyside Unknowns'' (Liverpool 1991) * British Craft Room, Liberty, (London 1996) * ''Tin Can Alley'' Exhibition, Art Reach (Liverpool 1996–97) * ''Lost and Found'' Exhibition, (Warrington Museum 1997) * Installation for Manchester's Festival of Food. 14-foot long floating tin fish, toured UK waters (1998–present) * ''Lost and Found'' Exhibition, Tubal Cain Gallery, (Harrogate 1998–99) * ''

'' Album Cover/ Billboards/ Memorabilia,

(1998) * '' Avenging Angel'' Music Video/ Memorabilia/ TV advert, (Bristol Museum 1998) * ''Lost and Found'' Exhibition, Bristol Museum (Bristol 1998–99) * ''Lost and Found'' Exhibition, Leicester City Gallery (Leicester 1999) *
This Morning
' Television Appearance, (ITV 1999) *
Blue Peter
' Television Appearance, (BBC 1999) * Joint Exhibition with Amanda Ralph, Gostin Gallery (Liverpool 2000) * ''Transformations''

Pitt Rivers Museum Pitt Rivers Museum is a museum displaying the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford in England. The museum is located to the east of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and can only be accessed t ...

(Oxford 2000) * Installation, The Sorting House, (Manchester 2002) * Installation Artist for Mersey River Festivals (Merseyside 2000–2004) * Installation Artist for Festivals of Street Art (Merseyside 1996–2004) * Memory Block English Heritage, Liverpool Community Arts Projects (Liverpool 2004) * ''Celebrating Fifty Years of Broadcasting'' ITV Granada Artist in Residence (2006–2007) * '' Go Superlambananas'
Competition Artist
ITV Granada (Liverpool 2008) * ''The Beat Goes On'' Exhibition, Liverpool World Museum (Liverpool 2008–2009) * ''Go Penguins'' Mab Lane Youth Centre (Huyton 2009) * ''Mike Badger's Reclaimed World'' The Vitreum, Merchant Taylor's School for Girls (Merseyside 2010) *
A Musical Composition
' Installation, Cavern Walks (Liverpool 2010) * Mosaic Installation, Huyton Station Underpass, Knowsley Community Radio (Huyton 2010) * ''Honky Tonk'' Exhibition, The Bluecoat Gallery (Liverpool 2011) * ''

Robot'' Museum of Liverpool (Liverpool 2011) * In The Window, Bluecoat Gallery display centre (Liverpool 2013–14) * ''Mike Badger's Post Pop Art Show'' Exhibition The Vitreum, Merchant Taylor's School for Girls (Merseyside 2014) * Installation, The Pen Factory (Liverpool 2015) * Recycled Art Workshops, throughout North West England (2001–present)Badger, Mike & Peacock, Tim - ''

'', ''

'', Published Liverpool (2015)

References

External links