There have been many quirky, eccentric pop/rock types over the past 30 years, quite a few who were born in the punk or post-punk era. Some have been awful; many have been no more than a novelty. But one is still around - Merseyside's wonderful, couldn't-give-a-damn Half Man Half Biscuit. The band was formed in the mid-1980s by Nigel Blackwell, a forthright, self-educated, social-history fan, whose obsession with pop culture and an altogether barking mad view of the world ensured that Half Man Half Biscuit would have many smiling admirers but little widespread success. Propelled by HMHB's engaging view of the idiosyncrasies of the British way of life, their 1986 debut EP, The Trumpton Riots, became a minor success in the indie charts. Song titles often referred to cult television personalities and programmes: 99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd; Rod Hull is Alive, Why?; I Love You Because (You Look Like Jim Reeves); Outbreak of Vitas Geralitis; Four Skinny Indie Kids; while album titles mixed cliched phrases with solid puns, such as Back in the DHSS, Voyage to the Bottom of the Road and Four Lads who Shook the Wirral. The band gave up what could have been a moderate career by retiring in 1987 for three years (for fear of "being too successful", according to Blackwell). They also displayed an admirable accompanying lack of promotional work ethic by refusing to appear on key television programmes if the date clashed with a home game of their beloved Tranmere Rovers. Regrouping in 1990, they released an astounding version of No Regrets, which featured another cult television celebrity (and fellow Liverpudlian), Margi Clarke, on vocals. The band still play around Liverpool and surrounding areas and record for Liverpool's Probe Plus, the label they've stayed religiously close to for the past 15 years. They don't tour and they don't promote their music; they don't care about pleasing their fans and they don't mind if you haven't heard of them; and they'd rather watch footie than prance about on stage in front of bored teenagers and an audience of millions. Wouldn't it be great if more pop artists were like Half Man Half Biscuit? Tony Clayton-Lea
Further information from: www.cobweb.quantisci.co.uk/hmhb