Chris Sievey's family say there's no money for a funeral

More heartbreaking news from Manchester, as Frank Sidebottom's children say they haven't got the money to bury their father properly. The Manchester Evening News reports:

Chris leaves sons Stirling, 31, and Harry, 18, and daughter Asher, 30. Stirling said the family have been in discussion with hospital bereavement officers and a funeral director.

He said: “My father has not left any money behind and we are struggling to try and sort his funeral out. He spent money as it came in and was always a man for the moment. He never planned ahead. We have spoken to a funeral director and the sort of figures that they are talking about are too high.

“We would not know how to go about getting that sort of money at the moment. They said that applying for a pauper's funeral would be an option.

“He would not want us worrying about trying to sort it all out. We would not want our dad to have a pauper's funeral but we would not want something over the top for him too. Just something simple and dignified.”

Radio 2 DJ Mark Radcliffe, who played alongside Chris in the Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band in the 1980s, said a pauper's funeral would be a tragedy. He said: “Something needs to be organised to give Chris the send-off that he deserves. It would be tragic for a man who brought so much enjoyment and laughter to the region to have a pauper's funeral.”

After the MEN published the original report, it updated the story to suggest that a campaign is already under way to raise the money needed for a fitting send-off.

Gennaro Castaldo Watch: With a ladder and some glasses, he can see to Hackney Marshes

Whoever would have thought we'd live long enough to see a chart battle between Gracie Fields and The Courteeners? One a clapped-out act beloved only of a few older types, and the other... oh, you know where I'm going with that, don't you?

Who can explain this strange chart race? How about HMV's Controller of Press (Dead People v Skinny Trousers Department), Gennaro Castaldo?

HMV's chart commentator, Gennaro Castaldo, said: "The recent No.1 album from Vera Lynn demonstrates that age need not be a barrier to chart success. There is an audience out there for almost everyone if you can find a way to connect with them through music that's timeless. Whether it's the current economic climate or a simple yearning for more optimistic times, you get a real sense that nostalgia has a growing appeal right now. There's a whole generation of heritage artists - who were huge stars in their day, that we could very easily become re-acquainted with, not least Gracie Fields.

"Gracie was Britain's first true pop star at a time when recorded-music really began to take off among the wider public. With Dame Vera having opened the door, the Gracie Fields Collection is flying off the shelves. To think that a singer born in the 1800s is outselling some of the very best new musical talent around is truly remarkable."

Is it? Really?

Of course, this chart battle isn't quite as violent as the story may lead you to believe, as the tussle between the Courteeners and Gracie is only taking place in the minds of the Manchester Evening Newsin Rochdale.

Indeed, the story concludes that it's not even a skirmish nationwide:

In the national album charts The Courteeners debuted at six with Dame Gracie at 29.

Outside of Rochdale, then, few care about either.

Oasis versus the local press

It's probably quite heartening for the Manchester Evening News to discover that Oasis care quite so much about their columnists.

Not even the music columnists. Oh, no. Oasis are obsessed with Angela Epstein, who suggested that Heaton Park might not be the best place for 70,000 music fans. Liam responded by dedicating a song to her.

And the only people who like a bit of attention more than rock stars are local paper journalists, so Epstein used her column to mention the tribute.

And the only person who likes attention more than local paper journalism are the Gallaghers, so of course, Noel couldn't let it lie:

I feel though that I must just give one final little bit of "kudos" (her word, not mine) to Angela Bernstein (sic) – a ginger whinger from the MEN who has written a couple of sh***y little pieces over the last few days.

"In them she claimed that we – and by that I mean YOU – had no 'right' to 'come up here' from London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Tokyo, LA, Milan, all over the world in fact, to 'her' wonderful piece of England and enjoy ourselves and leave a little bit of mud.

"What a joyless old husk!!"

A joyless old husk? I suppose it does raise the question of why Oasis do their homecoming gigs so far from where they've made their home, but the big question is will Epstein respond? Will there be more about this in the papers? Must check the papers... read the papers...

 

[via @bridetorr]