Billy Childish (born Steven John Hamper, 1 December 1959) is an English painter, author, poet, photographer, film maker, singer and guitarist. Since the late 1970s, Childish has been prolific in creating music, writing and visual art. He has led and played in bands including the Pop Rivets, Thee Milkshakes,

Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...

, and the Musicians of the British Empire, primarily working in the genres of garage rock,

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

and surf and releasing more than 100 albums. He is a consistent advocate for amateurism and free emotional expression. Childish co-founded the

Stuckism Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.art movement An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defi ...

with

Charles Thomson Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was an Irish-born Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence. As secretary, Thomson ...

in 1999, which he left in 2001. Since then a new evaluation of Childish's standing in the art world has been under way, culminating with the publication of a critical study of Childish's working practice by the artist and writer Neal Brown, with an introduction by Peter Doig, which describes Childish as "one of the most outstanding, and often misunderstood, figures on the British art scene".Brown, Neal (2008). ''Billy Childish: A Short Study''. ondon The Aquarium. He is a visiting lecturer at Rochester Independent College. In July 2014 Childish was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from the University of Kent. He is known for his explicit and prolific work – he has detailed his love life and childhood sexual abuse, notably in his early poetry and the novels ''My Fault'' (1996), ''Notebooks of a Naked Youth'' (1997), ''Sex Crimes of the Futcher'' (2004) – ''The Idiocy of Idears'' (2007), and in several of his songs, notably in the instrumental "Paedophile" (1992) (featuring a photograph of the man who sexually abused him on the front cover) and "Every Bit of Me" (1993). From 1981 until 1987 Childish had a relationship with artist

Tracey Emin Tracey Karima Emin, CBE, RA (; born 3 July 1963) is a British artist known for her autobiographical and confessional artwork. Emin produces work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, neon text and ...

. Thirty years after Childish's first musical releases with Thee Milkshakes and Thee Mighty Caesars, a crop of lo-fi, surf rock and punk groups with psychedelic subtexts has surfaced referencing the aesthetic established by Childish in both their band names and in various aspects of their sonic aesthetic: Thee Oh Sees, Thee Open Sex, Thee Tsunamis, Thee Dang Dangs and many others.

Background

Billy Childish was born, lives and works in Chatham, Kent, England. He has described his father, John Hamper, as a "complex, sociopathic narcissist": Hamper was jailed during Childish's teenage years for drug smuggling. Although he had an early and close association with many of the artists who became known as " YBA" artists he has resolutely asserted his independent status. He was

sexually abused Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assau ...

when he was aged nine by a male family friend: "We were on holiday. I had to share a bed with him. It happened for several nights, then I refused to go near him. I didn't tell anyone". He left secondary school at 16, an undiagnosed dyslexic. Refused an interview at the local art college, he entered

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century ...

, Kent, as an apprentice stonemason. During the next six months (the artist’s only prolonged period of conventional employment), he produced some 600 drawings in "the tea huts of hell". On the basis of this work he was accepted into

Saint Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's became part of ...

, where he was friends with the artist Peter Doig, to study painting. However, his acceptance was short-lived and he was expelled in 1982 before completing the course. He then lived on

the dole Unemployment benefits, also called unemployment insurance, unemployment payment, unemployment compensation, or simply unemployment, are payments made by authorized bodies to unemployed people. In the United States, benefits are funded by a comp ...

for 15 years. In 2006 Childish turned down the offer to appear on Channel 4's ''

Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...

''. Childish has practised

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...

and

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

since the early 1990s.

Painting

As a prospective student lacking the necessary entry qualifications, Childish was accepted into art school four times on the strength of his paintings and drawings. He did a foundation year at Medway College of Design (now the University for the Creative Arts) in 1977–78, and was then accepted onto the painting department of Saint Martin's School of Art in 1978, before quitting a month later. He was re-accepted at St Martins in 1980, but was expelled in 1982 for refusing to paint in the art school and other unruly behaviour. At Saint Martin's, Childish became friends with Peter Doig with whom he shared an appreciation of Munch,

Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

and blues music. Doig later co-curated Childish's first London show at the Cubit Street Gallery. In the early/mid 1980s Childish was a "major influence" on the artist

, whom he met after his expulsion from Saint Martin's when she was a fashion student at Medway College of Design. Childish has been cited as the influence for Emin's later confessional art. Childish has exhibited extensively since the 1980s, and was featured in the

British Art Show The British Art Show (BAS) is a major survey exhibition organised every five years to showcase contemporary British Art. Each time it is organised, the show tours to four UK cities. It usually requires a number of venues in each city to accommod ...

in 2000. In 2010, a major exhibition of Childish's paintings, writing and music was held at The ICA London, with a concurrent painting show running at White Columns Gallery in New York. In October 2012, alongside

Art Below Ben Moore (born 25 May 1978)Nick Curtis''London Evening Standard'', 25 May 2010. is a British art curator, entrepreneur and artist. He is the founder and curator of Art Below, a contemporary art organisation that places art in public spaces and ...

, Childish presented his work at the exhibition 'Art Below Regents Park' in

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

Tube station to coincide with

Frieze Art Fair Frieze Art Fair is an international contemporary art fair in London, New York, and Los Angeles. Frieze London takes place every October in London's Regent's Park. In the US, the fair ran on New York's Randall's Island from 2012–19 and in 2 ...

, one of the most important international contemporary art fairs that takes place each October in London. In 2013 Childish began a painting collaboration with Edgeworth Johnstone, later titled Heckel's Horse. Since 2013 Heckel's Horse have made over 150 paintings. File:BillyChildish-walkingingodsbuti-2013.jpg, ''walking in gods buti'', Oil and charcoal on linen (274.5 x 183 cm), 2013 File:BillyChildish-Clammingonmaud-2013.jpg, ''clamming on maud'', Oil and charcoal on linen (183 x 305 cm), 2013 File:Childish-in 5 Minits You'll-Know-Me 500.jpg, ''In 5 Minits You'll Know Me'' (sic), oil on canvas, 1997 File:Childish-Thumbprint-500.jpg, ''Thumbprint'', oil on canvas, 1997 File:Childish-Man-in-Snow-500.jpg, ''Man Walking in Snow'', oil on canvas, 1999 File:Childish-BC033-500.jpg, ''Hand on Face'', oil on canvas, 2000 File:Childish-Man-in-Landscape-600.jpg, ''North Beach, San Francisco'', oil on canvas, 2000 File:Childish-Chatham-500.jpg, ''St. John's Church, Chatham'', oil on canvas, 2000 File:Childish-Yellow-Clothes 500.jpg, ''Tea Drinker, High Atlas'', oil on canvas, 2007 File:Medway Steam Boat 2.jpg, ''John H Amos 2'', oil on canvas, 2008

The British Art Resistance

In 2008 Childish formed the "non organisation" The British Art Resistance, and held an exhibition under the title Hero of The British Art Resistance at The Aquarium L-13 gallery in London: A collection of paintings, books, records, pamphlets, poems, prints, letters, film, photographs made in 2008.

Music

Childish made records of punk, garage, rock and roll, blues, folk, classical/experimental, spoken word and nursery rhymes. In a letter to Childish, the musician

Ivor Cutler Ivor Cutler (born Isadore Cutler, 15 January 1923 – 3 March 2006) was a Scottish poet, singer, musician, songwriter, artist and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions record ...

said of Childish: "You are perhaps too subtle and sophisticated for the mass market." Childish's groups include TV21, later known as the Pop Rivets (1977–1980), sometimes spelled the Pop Rivits, with Bruce Brand, Romas Foord (replaced by Russell 'Big Russ' Wilkins) and Russell 'Little Russ' Lax. BillyChildish

He later formed a garage rock inspired band called Thee Milkshakes (1980–1984) with Mickey Hampshire, Thee Mighty Caesars (1985–1989), The Delmonas then

(1989–1999). In 2000 he formed Wild Billy Childish & The Friends of the Buff Medways Fanciers Association (2000–2006), named after a type of poultry bred in his home town. The Buff Medways, or The Buffs, as they were sometimes affectionately known, split in 2006, and Wild Billy Childish & the Musicians of the British Empire were born, recording a song about one of Childish's heroes

George Mallory George Herbert Leigh Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s. Born in Cheshire, Mallory became a student at Winchest ...

titled "Bottomless Pit." In early 2007, Childish formed The Vermin Poets with former Fire Dept singer and guitarist Neil Palmer and A-Lines guitarist and singer Julie Hamper, his wife. Thee Headcoats began their monthly residency at the Wild Western Room in the St John's Tavern, north London, in the early 1990s, and continued after moving to the Dirty Water Club in 1996. The Musicians of the British Empire (MBEs) played at the venue more or less once a month until February 2011. On 11 September 2009, Damaged Goods Records – Childish's current label – issued a message to subscribers stating that Childish's wife Julie (aka Nurse Julie, bassist in the MBEs) was pregnant. Childish has since been recording as bass player with The Spartan Dreggs, with Neil Palmer on vocals and guitar and

Wolf Howard Wolf Howard (born 7 April 1968)Evans, p.36. is an English artist, poet and filmmaker living in Rochester, Kent and was a founder member of the Stuckists art group.Milner, p.80. He is also a drummer who has played in garage and punk bands, cu ...

on drums. From 2013 the MBEs reunited under the name Wild Billy Childish r 'Chyldish'and CTMF and as of the end of 2014 have released three albums. In 2014 Childish produced, played on and co-wrote (with

Dave Tattersall Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

) most of the songs on The Wave Pictures' album ''Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon''. Childish has been namechecked by a number of famous musicians including Kurt Cobain,

Graham Coxon Graham Leslie Coxon (born 12 March 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Cox ...

The White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums wit ...

(

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...

had Childish's name written in large letters on his arm for an early ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

'' appearance) and Kylie Minogue who named the LP ''

Impossible Princess ''Impossible Princess'' (briefly retitled ''Kylie Minogue'' in Europe) is the sixth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, released on 22 October 1997, by Deconstruction Records, Deconstruction, Bertelsmann Music Group, BMG and M ...

'' after his book .

Poetry

Childish is a confessional poet and has published over 40 collections of his work. In 1979, Childish was a founder member of

The Medway Poets The Medway Poets were founded in Medway, Kent, in 1979. They were an English punk based poetry performance group and later formed the core of the first Stuckists Art Group. The members were Miriam Carney, Billy Childish, Robert Earl, Bill Lewis ...

, a poetry performance group, who read at the Kent Literature Festival and the 1981 international

Cambridge Poetry Festival The Cambridge Poetry Festival, founded by Richard Berengarten (also known as Richard Burns), was an international biennale for poetry held in Cambridge, England, between 1975–1985. The festival was founded in an attempt to combine as many aspe ...

. There were, however, personality clashes in the group, particularly between Childish and

, who said: "There was friction between us, especially when he started heckling my poetry reading and I threatened to ban him from a forthcoming TV documentary." However, a

Television South Television South (TVS) was the ITV franchise holder in the South and South East of England between 1 January 1982 at 9.25 am and 31 December 1992 at 11.59 pm. The company operated under various names, initially as 'Television South plc' and ...

documentary on the group in 1982 brought them to a wider regional audience, though Childish's poetry was "deemed unbroadcastable". According to Childish: "Me & Charles were at war from 1979 until 1999. He even threatened having bouncers on the doors of Medway Poets' readings to keep me out". Childish has twice won commendations in the National Poetry Prize.

Hangman Books

In 1981–82 Childish formed

Hangman Books Billy Childish (born Steven John Hamper, 1 December 1959) is an English painter, author, poet, photographer, film maker, singer and guitarist. Since the late 1970s, Childish has been prolific in creating music, writing and visual art. He has le ...

, publishing poetry and some fiction. (Associated projects are Hangman Films and Hangman Records.) Hangman Books has published poetry books and pamphlets by Childish,

Bill Lewis William Lewis (born 1 August 1953) is an English artist, story-teller, poet and mythographer.Milner, Frank, ed. ''The Stuckists Punk Victorian'', p. 86, National Museums Liverpool 2004, . Pages 6–30, Charles Thomson's essay, "A Stuckist on ...

, Vic Templer, Joe Corkwell,

Sexton Ming Sexton Ming (born 1961) is a British artist, poet and musician who was a founding member of The Medway Poets (1979) and Stuckism art movement (1999). Life and career Ming was born in Gravesend, Kent, England. In 1979 he was one of the founder me ...

Philip Absolon Philip Absolon (born 24 November 1960) is a British artist and a founder member of the Stuckists art group,Milner, Frank, ed. ''The Stuckists Punk Victorian'', p. 50, National Museums Liverpool 2004, . Pages 6–30, Charles Thomson's essay, "A ...

, Chris Broderick, Mark Lowe, Neil Sparks, Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Dan Melchior, Dan Belton, Alfie Howard, Simon Robson, Steve Prince, Joe Machine,

and Amanda Collier, among others. Between 1982 and 1987 the daily running of the press was carried out by Traci Emin (later Tracey Emin). From 1988 to 1999 it was managed by Kyra De Coninck (one of Thee Headcoatees band). Since 2000 Julie Hamper, Childish's wife, has been overseeing it. From 1986 Hangman Records, also run by Childish, released more than 50 LP records, including spoken word, experimental works and punk rock. Many local Medway groups and artists had their first releases on Hangman. Hangman Books and Hangman Records are both independent, non-profit-making and do not receive outside funding.

Tracey Emin

During the 1980s, Childish was an influence on the artist

, whom he met in 1982, after his expulsion from the painting department at

. Emin was a fashion student at Medway College of Design. Emin and Childish were a couple until 1987, Emin selling his poetry books for his small press

. In 1995 she was interviewed in the ''Minky Manky'' show catalogue by Carl Freedman, who asked her, "Which person do you think has had the greatest influence on your life?" She replied: :Uhmm... It's not a person really. It was more a time, going to Maidstone College of Art, hanging around with Billy Childish, living by the River Medway. Emin's work ''

Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 ''Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995'' (1995), also known as ''The Tent'',Brown, p.83. was an artwork by Tracey Emin. The work was a tent with the appliquéd names of, literally, everyone she had ever slept with (not necessarily had se ...

'' (1995) was first exhibited in the show, and Childish's name was displayed prominently in it.

The Stuckists

In 1999 Childish and Thomson co-founded the Stuckist

art movement An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defi ...

. Thomson coined the group name from Childish's "Poem for a Pissed Off Wife" (''Big Hart and Balls'' 1994), where he had recorded Emin's remark to him: :"Your paintings are stuck, you are stuck! – Stuck! Stuck! Stuck!" 2000 Real Turner Prize Show

The group was strongly pro-figurative painting and anti-conceptual art. Childish wrote a number of manifestos with Thomson, the first of which contained the statement: :"Artists who don't paint aren't artists." The Stuckists soon achieved considerable press coverage, fuelled by Emin's nomination for the

Turner Prize The Turner Prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Between 1991 and 2016, only artists under the age of 50 were eligible (this restriction was removed for the 2017 award) ...

. They then announced the inauguration of a cultural period of

Remodernism Remodernism revives aspects of modernism, particularly in its early form, and follows postmodernism, to which it contrasts. Adherents of remodernism advocate it as a forward and radical, not reactionary, impetus. In 2000, Billy Childish and Charl ...

to bring back spiritual values into art, culture and society. The formation of The Stuckists directly led to Emin severing her 14-year friendship with Childish in 1999. Childish has said: "The Stuckist art group was formed in 1999 at the instigation of Charles Thomson, the title of the group being taken from a poem of mine written and published in 1994. I disagreed with the way Charles presented the group, particularly in the media. For these reasons I left the Stuckists in 2001. I never attended any Stuckist demonstrations and my work was not shown in the large Stuckist exhibition held in the Walker Art Gallery in 2004." British artist

Stella Vine Stella Vine (born Melissa Jane Robson, 1969) is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting, with subjects drawn from personal life, as well as from rock stars, royalty, and other celebrities. In 2001, she ...

, who was a member of the Stuckists for a short time in 2001, first joined the group having developed a "crush" on Childish while attending his music events.Januszczak, Waldemar
"The Paint Stripper"
The Sunday Times, 10 June 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2008. In June 2000, Vine went to a talk given by Childish and fellow Stuckist co-founder

on Stuckism and

, promoted by the

Institute of Ideas Claire Regina Fox, Baroness Fox of Buckley (born 5 June 1960), is a British writer, journalist, lecturer and politician who sits in the House of Lords as a non-affiliated life peer. She is the director and founder of the think tank Institute of ...

at the Salon des Arts, Kensington.Stella Vine the Stuckist in photos
Stuckism.com. Retrieved on 2013-02-03. Vine formed The Unstuckists one month after joining, and has since said she did not agree with Stuckism's principles,Lifestyle – Scotsman.com
Living.scotsman.com. Retrieved on 2013-02-03. and described them as bullies.Billen, Andrew
"I Made More Money As A Stripper..."
Timesonline.co.uk. 15 June 2004. Retrieved 9 December 2008.

Conceptual art

As a young man, Childish was highly influenced by Dada, and the work of

Kurt Schwitters Kurt Hermann Eduard Karl Julius Schwitters (20 June 1887 – 8 January 1948) was a German artist who was born in Hanover, Germany. Schwitters worked in several genres and media, including dadaism, Constructivism (art), constructivism, surrealism ...

in particular. Childish has a Kurt Schwitters poem tattooed on his left buttock and made a short film on Schwitters's life, titled The Man with Wheels, (1980, directed by Eugean Doyan). In his poetry, Childish mentions that he once had a bank account under the name of Kurt Schwitters. As to what is now termed conceptual art, Childish has said "I respect the right of detractors and champions alike as we live in a democracy."

The Chatham Super 8 Cinema

In 2002, along with

, Simon Williams and Julie Hamper, Childish formed The Chatham Super 8 Cinema. The group makes super 8 films on a second-hand camera Wolf Howard bought at a local flea market. In 2004, Childish released a 30-minute documentary titled ''Brass Monkey'', about a march undertaken in Great War uniform commemorating the 90th anniversary of the British retreat from Mons in 1914.

Discography

Solo LPs

*''I've Got Everything Indeed'' (1987) *''The 1982 Cassettes'' (1988) *''"i remember..."'' (1988) *''50 Albums Great'' (1991) *''Torments Nest'' (1993) *''Made With a Passion – Kitchen Demo's'' (1996) ;Compilations *''I Am the Billy Childish'' (1991) *''Der Henkermann – Kitchen Recordings'' (1992) *''Native American Sampler – A History 1983–1993'' (1993) *''Crimes Against Music-Blues Recordings 1986–1999'' (1999) *''25 Years of Being Childish'' (2002) *''My First Billy Childish Album'' (2006) *''Archive From 1959 – The Billy Childish Story'' (2009) *''Punk Rock Ist Nicht Tot – 1977–2018'' (2019) ;Spoken word albums *''Poems of Laughter and Violence'' (1988) *''The Sudden Fart of Laughter'' (1992) *''Trembling of Life'' (1993) *''Hunger at the Moon'' (1993) *''Poems of a Backwater Visionary'' (2007)

Collaborations

*''Laughing Gravy'' (1987) Wild Billy Childish & Big Russ Wilkins *''Long Legged Baby'' (1989) Wild Billy Childish & the Natural Born Lovers *''At the Bridge'' (1993) Billy Childish with

The Singing Loins ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

*''Devil in the Flesh'' (1998) Billy Childish/

Dan Melchior Dan Melchior is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, often labeled a garage rock musician. He has formed the named groups of musicians Broke Revue and Dan Melchior und Das Menace. Background Melchior grew up in Shepperton, Surrey, just o ...

*''In Blood'' (1999) Billy Childish & Holly Golightly

with
Sexton Ming Sexton Ming (born 1961) is a British artist, poet and musician who was a founding member of The Medway Poets (1979) and Stuckism art movement (1999). Life and career Ming was born in Gravesend, Kent, England. In 1979 he was one of the founder me ...

*''Which Dead Donkey Daddy?'' (1987) *''Plump Prizes & Little Gems'' (1987) *''YPRES 1917 Overture (Verdun Ossuary)'' (1988) *''The Cheeky Cheese'' (1999) *''Here Come the Fleece Geese'' (2002) *''Muscle Horse Was in the War'' (2002) *''Dung Beetle Rolls Again'' (2012)

with ''The Pop Rivets''

*(1979) ''Greatest Hits'' *(1979) ''Empty Sounds from Anarchy Ranch'' *(1985) ''Fun in the U.K'' (Compilation) *(1990) ''Live in Germany '79'' (Live) *(1997) ''Chathams Burning – Live 77 & 78 Demo's'' (Compilation)

with ''Thee Milkshakes''

; LPs *(1981) ''Talking 'Bout... Milkshakes'' *(1982) ''Fourteen Rhythm and Beat Greats'' *(1983) ''After School Sessions'' *(1983) ''The Milkshakes IV – The Men with Golden Guitars'' *(1984) ''Thee Milkshakes vs. The Prisoners'' *(1984) ''20 Rock & Roll Hits of the 50s & 60s'' *(1984) ''Nothing Can Stop These Men'' *(1984) ''They Came They Saw They Conquered'' *(1984) ''Thee Knights of Trashe'' *(1987) ''Thee Milkshakes Revenge – The Legendary Missing 9th Album'' *(1992) ''Still Talking 'Bout... Milkshakes!'' ; Compilations *(1984) ''Showcase'' *(1990) ''19th Nervous Shakedown''

with '' Thee Mighty Caesars''

; LPs *(1985) ''Thee Mighty Caesars'' *(1985) ''Beware the Ides of the March'' *(1986) ''Thee Caesars of Trash'' *(1987) ''Acropolis Now'' *(1987) ''Wiseblood'' *(1987) ''Live in Rome'' tudio recordings with overdubbed 'live' effects*(1987) ''Don’t Give Any Dinner to Henry Chinaski'' (1987) emos*(1989) ''John Lennon’s Corpse Revisited'' *(1992) ''Caesars Remains'' (demos etc) ; Compilations *(1987)''Punk Rock Showcase'' *(1989) ''Thusly, thee Mighty Caesars (English Punk Rock Explosion)'' (LP Comp U.S.) *(1989) ''Surely They Were the Sons of God'' (C.D. Comp U.S.) *(1994)''Caesars Pleasure'' (CD Comp)

with ''The Delmonas''

*''Dangerous Charms'' (1985) *''The Delmonas 5'' (1986) *''Do the Uncle Willy'' (1988) *''The Delmonas'' (1989)

as Wild Billy Childish & the Blackhands

*''Play: Capt'n Calypso's Hoodoo Party'' (1988) *''The Original Chatham Jack'' (1992) *''Live in the Netherlands'' (1993)

as Jack Ketch & the Crowmen

*''Brimful of Hate'' (1988) as Jack Ketch & the Crowmen

as ''
Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...
''

*''Headcoats Down!'' (1989) *''The Earls of Suavedom'' (1990) *''Beach Bums Must Die'' (1990) *''The Kids Are Square – This is Hip!'' (1990) *''Heavens to Murgatroyd, Even! It’s ! (Already)'' (1990) *''W.O.A.H! Bo in Thee Garage'' (1991) *''Headcoatitude'' (1991) *''The Wurst is Yet to Come'' (1993) *''The Good Times Are Killing Me'' (1993) *''Cavern by the Sea'' (1993) *''Connundrum'' (1994) *''The Sound of the Baskervilles'' (1995 – Thee Headcoats featuring Thee Headcoatees) *''In Tweed We Trust'' (1996) *''Knights of the Baskervilles'' (1996) *''The Jimmy Reid Experience'' (1997) *''The Messerschmits Pilots Severed Hand'' (1998) *''Sherlock Holmes Meets the Punkenstien Monster'' (1998 Japanese Compilation) *''Brother is Dead…but fly is gone!'' (1998) *''17% Hendrix Was Not the Only Musician'' (1998) Billy Childish & His Famous Headcoats *''English Gentlemen of Rock‘N’Roll/the Best Vol.2'' (1999) ''(Japanese Compilation)'' *''I Am the Object of Your Desire'' (2000) *''Elementary Headcoats – Thee Singles 1990–1999'' (2000 – compilation)

as Thee Headcoats Sect (with
The Downliners Sect Downliners Sect are an English R&B and blues-based rock band, formed in the 1960s beat boom era. Stylistically, they were similar to blues-based bands such as The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things and the Rolling Stones, playing basic R&B on thei ...
)

*''Deerstalking Men'' (1996) *''Ready Sect Go!'' (2000)

as ''The Buff Medways''

*''This is This'' (2001) *''Steady the Buffs'' (2002) *''The XFM Sessions'' (2003) *''1914'' (2003) *''Medway Wheelers'' (2005)

as ''The Chatham Singers''

*''Heavens Journey'' (2005) *''Juju Claudius'' (2009) *''Kings of the Medway Delta'' (2020)

as ''The Musicians of the British Empire''

*''Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall'' (2007) *''Christmas 1979'' (2007) *''Thatcher's Children'' (2008)

as ''The Vermin Poets''

*''Poets of England'' (2010)

as ''The Spartan Dreggs''

*''Forensic R & B'' (2011) *''Dreggredation'' (2012) *''Coastal Command'' (2012) *''Tablets of Linear B'' (2012) * ''Archeopteryx vs. Coelacanth'' (2014) * ''A Tribute To A. E. Housman'' (2013 – CTMF & The Spartan Dreggs)

with ''CTMF''

* ''All Our Forts Are With You ''(2013) * ''Die Hinterstoisser Traverse'' (2013) * ''Acorn Man'' (2014) * ''SQ1'' (2016) * ''Brand New Cage'' (2017) * ''In The Devil's Focus (10" BBC 6 Music Sessions)'' (2017) * ''Brand New Cage'' (2017) * ''Last Punk Standing...'' (2019) * ''Brave Protector'' (ltd ed) (2019) * ''Where The Wild Purple Iris Grows'' (2021)

as ''The William Loveday Intention''

* ''People Think they Know Me But They Don't Know Me'' (2020) * ''Will There Ever Be A Day That You're Hung Like A Thief?'' (2020) * ''The New Improved Bob Dylan'' (2020) * ''Set of 8 lathe cut 7″ singles released by L-13 and Hangman Records'' (2020) * ''The Bearded Lady Also Sells the Candy Floss'' (2021) * ''Blud Under The Bridge'' (2021) * ''The New Improved Bob Dylan, Vol 2'' (2022) * ''Where The Black Water Slid'' (2022) * ''Cowboys Are SQ'' (2022) * ''The New Improved Bob Dylan, Vol 3'' (2022) * ''They Wanted The Devil But I Sang Of God'' (2022) * ''The Baptiser'' (2022) * ''Paralysed By The Mountains'' (2022)

Various artist compilations

* ''

Time's Up Live Thee Majesty was a British industrial music group. History In 1998, Genesis P-Orridge was ending their association with the name Psychic TV, the band they created after the termination of Throbbing Gristle. At the same time, they began conce ...

'' (2001) * The Smoking Dog Presents An Evening of Medway Blues (2005) (contributes three a cappella tracks "The Bitter Cup", "Black Girl" and "Out on the Western Plains") * '' Children of Nuggets'' (2005) (two songs included by Mickey and the Milkshakes – "It's You" and "Please Don't Tell My Baby")

Books

Selected fanzines and early written works

*Chathams Burning (1977)　 *Bostik Haze (1978)　 *Fab 69 (1978) *The Kray Twins Summer Special (1978) *The Arts and General Interest (1978) *Hack Hack (1978) *Goat Gruff (1979) *Book of Nursary Rhimes (1979) *Kinda Garten (1980) 　 *The Cuckoo's Cukoo (1980) *Mertz in Chatham (1980) *Shed Country (1980) 　 *The Cheesy Bug Gazet – with Sexton Ming (1980) 　 *Bo-Pug – The Six Tails – with Sexton Ming (1980) 　 *Mussel Horse in Holland – with Sexton Ming (1980) *Dog Jaw Woman(1981)

Poetry

*Back on Red Lite Rd (1981) *2 Minits walk from 10am (1981) *The First Creacher is Jellosey (1981) *Black Things Hidden in Dust (1982) *You Me Blud N Knuckle (1982) *Big Cunt (1982) *Prity Thing (1982) *7 by Childish (1982) *Will the Circle be Unbroken (1983) *10 No Good Poems of Slavery, Buggery, Boredom and Disrespect (1983) *Noting Can Stop This Man (1983) *The Unknown Stuff (1983) *Poems from the Barrier Block (1984) *Tear Life to Pieces (1985) *Poems Without Rhyme, Without Reason, Without Spelling, Without Words, Without Nothing (1985) *Monks Without God (1986) *Companions in a Death Boat (1987) *To the Quick (1988) *The Girl in the Tree (1988) *Maverick Verse (1988) *Admissions to Strangers (1989) *En Carne Viva (1989) Spanish/English *Death of a Wood (1989) *The Deathly Flight of Angels (1990) *Like a God i Love all Things (1991) *The Hart Rises (1992) *Trembling of Life (1993) *Poems of Laughter and Violence -Selected Poems 1981–1986 (1993) *Hunger at the Moon (1993) *Days with a Hart Like a Dog (1994) *Poems to Break the Harts of Impossible Princesses (1994) *Big Hart and Balls (1995) *This Puerile Thing (1996) *In 5 Minits You’ll Know Me -Selected Poems 1985–1995 (1996) *A Terrible Hunger for Love (1997) Unpublished poems 1982–84 *"I’d Rather You Lied" Selected Poems 1980–1998 (1999) *Chatham Town Welcomes Desperate Men (2000) *Evidence Against Myself (2003) *The Boss of All English Riters (2003) *Calling Things by Their Proper Names (2003) *Knite of the Sad Face (2004) Chap Book *The 1st Green Horse God has Ever Made (2004) *The Man with Gallows Eyes – Selected Poetry 1980–2005 (2005) *The River be My Blud: Medway Poems (1980-05) *This is My Shit and it Smells Good to Me (2008) *Old 4 Legs (2008) *Where the Tiger Prowls Stripped and Unseen (2008) *Gods Fantasic Colours (2008) – Hand stamped covers. ''Note: some copies appear with different titles and
different author and publisher: 'Art War, Man Taken from Guts' and 'Insolunce in the Face of Art' being examples.'' *Unknowable but Certain (2009) *Paraffin Van (2011) (Also published under the title "I Fuckt Frida Kahlo" as a Faber and Faber lookalike.) *the sudden wren or painting lessons for poets and other mediochur cunts (2013) *In the Teeth of Deamons (2015) *1 of the rist (2016) *The Uncorrected (2018 *If you fly with the crows... Selected Poetry 2015 – 2019 (2019) *Vipers Tongue Press Poetry Pamphlets (2020) – includes '100 yds of crash barrier' (Pamphlet 001), 'Cancer of the gallows' (Pamphlet 002), 'Poems nobody wants' (Pamphlet 003)

Fiction

* ''Conversations with Dr X'' (1987) * ''Cannon-fodder'', by

Louis-Ferdinand Céline Louis Ferdinand Auguste Destouches (27 May 1894 – 1 July 1961), better known by the pen name Louis-Ferdinand Céline ( , ) was a French novelist, polemicist and physician. His first novel ''Journey to the End of the Night'' (1932) won the '' Pr ...

. Trans. K. De Coninck and Billy Childish (1988) * ''The Silence of Words'' (1989) * ''9 Stories of the River Medway Recounted in the Language of Idiots for People of Little Discernment'' (2005)

Novels

*''My Fault'' (1996) *''Notebooks of a Naked Youth'' (1997) *''Sex Crimes of the Futcher'' (2004) *''the idiocy of idears'' (2007) *''Bombs, Buggery and Buddhism or Diaries of a Mock Human (Part one)'' (2010) *''The Stonemason'' (2011) *''The Ward Porter'' (2015) *''The Student - a novella in 13 parts'' (2021-2022)

Lyrics

*''Child's Death Letter'' (1990) *''Gun in My Fathers Hand: Selected Lyrics 1977–2006'' (2006)

Art

*Hendrix was Not the Only Musician (1998) *Paintings of a Backwater Visionary (2005) *Thoughts of a Hangman – Woodcuts (2006) *Field Trip Kraków/Auschwitz (2008) – under Guy Hamper *Field Trip High Atlas/Marrakech (2008) – under Guy Hamper *i am their damaged megaphone (2010) – neugerriemschneider, Berlin *Field Trip Dockyard/Estuary Dreck (2010) – under Guy Hamper *Love the Art Hate (2010) – L-13 London *The soft ashes of Berlin snowing on Hans Falladas nose (2010) – neugerriemschneider, Berlin *Frozen Estuary and Other Paintings of the Divine Ordinary (2012) – No.1 Smithery,

The Historic Dockyard Chatham ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

*Billy Childish (3 Volume Catalogue Set in Slipcase – details 3 exhibitions at International Art Objects Galleries, Los Angeles, Lehmann Maupin, New York and neugerriemschneider, Berlin) – co-published & distributed by all 3 galleries and Koenig Books *walking in god's buti: selected paintings 2013–2014 *unbegreiflich aber gewiss – Complete Catalogue of Paintings 2014–2017 (2017) *skulls wolfs nudes rope pullers and a nervous breakdown – neugerriemschneider, Berlin (2020)

Critical

*''Billy Childish: A Short Study''; By Neal Brown (2008) *''Levity and Mystery: an introduction to the films of Billy Childish'' by Neil Palmer in ''No Focus: Punk on Film'' (Headpress, 2006)

Photography

* Photo Booth (2003) * Dark Chamber- Pinhole Photography from the IGPP – contributor- (2007) * Dark Chamber 2 – Pinhole Photography from the IGPP- contributor- (2008) * Billy Childish Photography 1974 – 2020 (2020)

Selected films

*''The Man With Wheels'' (1980) *''Quiet Lives'' (1983) *''Cheated'' (1993) *''The Flying Mustache'' (2002) *'' Shooting at the Moon'' (2003) *''Brass Monkey'' (2004) *''

Billy Childish Is Dead ''Billy Childish Is Dead'' is a 2005 rock n’ roll-themed documentary on the life of Billy Childish. It is directed by Graham Bendel. It features live footage of his bands Thee Headcoats, Thee Milkshakes, and others. Awards It was nominated for ...

'' (2005) *''Wild Billy Childish & CTMF Live in Margate DVD Box Set'' (L-13, 2019)

References

External links

Billy Childish official site

Guardian Interview 2009

Art Basel 2010 – Billy Childish interview at Theartnewspaper.tv

Slashstroke Magazine 2011 – Billy Childish interview and photoshoot
{{DEFAULTSORT:Childish, Billy 1959 births Living people Alumni of the University for the Creative Arts 20th-century English painters English male painters 21st-century English painters 21st-century English male artists 20th-century English novelists 21st-century English novelists English male singers English male poets English punk rock guitarists English punk rock singers People from Chatham, Kent Punk blues musicians Sympathy for the Record Industry artists British indie rock musicians Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Musicians from Kent English contemporary artists English male novelists 20th-century English male writers 21st-century English male writers English male guitarists 20th-century English male artists

Background

Painting

The British Art Resistance

Music

Poetry

Hangman Books

Tracey Emin

The Stuckists

Conceptual art

The Chatham Super 8 Cinema

Discography

Solo LPs

Collaborations

with Sexton Ming Sexton Ming (born 1961) is a British artist, poet and musician who was a founding member of The Medway Poets (1979) and Stuckism art movement (1999). Life and career Ming was born in Gravesend, Kent, England. In 1979 he was one of the founder me ...

with ''The Pop Rivets''

with ''Thee Milkshakes''

with '' Thee Mighty Caesars''

with ''The Delmonas''

as Wild Billy Childish & the Blackhands

as Jack Ketch & the Crowmen

as ''Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...''

as Thee Headcoats Sect (with The Downliners Sect Downliners Sect are an English R&B and blues-based rock band, formed in the 1960s beat boom era. Stylistically, they were similar to blues-based bands such as The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things and the Rolling Stones, playing basic R&B on thei ...)

as ''The Buff Medways''

as ''The Chatham Singers''

as ''The Musicians of the British Empire''

as ''The Vermin Poets''

as ''The Spartan Dreggs''

with ''CTMF''

as ''The William Loveday Intention''

Various artist compilations

Books

Selected fanzines and early written works

Poetry

Fiction

Novels

Lyrics

Art

Critical

Photography

Selected films

See also

References

External links

with
Sexton Ming Sexton Ming (born 1961) is a British artist, poet and musician who was a founding member of The Medway Poets (1979) and Stuckism art movement (1999). Life and career Ming was born in Gravesend, Kent, England. In 1979 he was one of the founder me ...

as ''
Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...
''

as Thee Headcoats Sect (with
The Downliners Sect Downliners Sect are an English R&B and blues-based rock band, formed in the 1960s beat boom era. Stylistically, they were similar to blues-based bands such as The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things and the Rolling Stones, playing basic R&B on thei ...
)