Medway Wheelers (Single)

The second single taken for the latest Wild Billy Childish & The Buff Medways album also entitled ‘Medway Wheelers (Damgood 239)

The 7” is backed with a cover version of the Who’s classic ‘A Quick One’ and as a bonus on the CD version there is the video, made by Billy himself of ‘Medway Wheelers’.

The video was shot in Chatham and Whitstable and features Billys mum cycling around by the beach.

‘Medway Wheelers’ was the name of the cycling club his mum used to belong to in the 1950’s.

Both formats are limited to 1000 copies only.

Forthcoming Buff Medways shows…

8th April   London: Dirty Water Club, Tufnell Park

With The first and only performance by The Buff-Ettes!

24th June   London: Dirty Water Club, Tufnell Park

22nd July   London: Dirty Water Club, Tufnell Park

More info…

www.billychildish.com

Wild Billy Childish & The Friends of the Buff

Medways Fanciers Assoc.  – A Biography

Fronted by Billy Childish – he of well known rock n roll bands such as The Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Caesars, The Pop Rivets and Thee Headcoats. Actually Billy has written over 100 albums, over 30 poetry books and novels, illustrated over 2000 paintings and until recently was better known on his home turf as Tracey Emin’s (well-know UK artist) ex-boyfriend.

Without a manager or an agent, or the clout of a major record company or publishing compan, Billy has built up a very dedicated following across the world particularly inUSA, Japan, Germany, and UK including many other performers and creative minds. LARRY CLARK, the director of ‘Bully‘ and ‘Kids‘ is making a film of Billy’s autobiography ‘My Fault‘. KYLIE MINOGUE phoned Billy up to ask if she could use the title of one of his poems for one of her albums. The WHITE STRIPES asked Billy to paint live on stage with them on Top Of The Pops, and took a day out of their hectic schedule to do a gig in his honour co-headlining with the Buff Medways at the now-legendary gig at 93 Feet East. The HIVES bowed down and prayed on receiving a copy of the Buff Medways single ‘A Strange Kind Of Happyness‘.

Billy is a cult figure respected as a musician, painter, poet, and writer, as well as for his uncompromising attitude by a long list of people including film director/ playwright MIKE LEIGH, PJ HARVEY, ROBERT PLANT, BECK, and EINSTURZENDE NEUBATEN. The late KURT COBAIN was also a fan. Billy has exhibited his paintings across the world and recorded albums for cool US labels like Sympathy For The Record Industry, Sub Pop, and K as well as his own Hangman imprint.

BILLY CHILDISH was recently signed to Graham Coxon’s equally cool Transcopic label o/s. Coxon is a long-term admirer of Billy’s stance and sound, and has been looking for a chance to get involved with him for several years. The friendship has proved fruitful with Billy reaching a whole new audience. Graham even drummed for The Buffs on XFM. The BUFF MEDWAYS have all garage punk and rock’n’roll credentials of Billy’s previous groups The Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Caesars, The Pop Rivets, and Thee Headcoats. The Milkshakes were the last band to play the infamous Star Club inHamburg, where The Beatles kick started their career. Billy has been going against the grain throughout his career. But after years where everything from music to art, and from football to politics is slick, sanitised, and spun, the success of the White Stripes and others indicate that people maybe coming round to Billy’s way of doing things.

The BUFF MEDWAYS are Billy Childish (vocals, guitar), along with ex- Prisioner Graham Day (bass, vocals) (Replacing Johnny Barker) and Wolf Howard (drums). Wolf, who was in also in the original line-up of The James Taylor Quartet, managed a month of gigs while nursing a broken arm but it didn’t stopped him bashing the shit out of his drum kit like Keith Moon. The BUFF MEDWAYS cut a dash with their Victorian army uniforms and their vintage Vox amps. The gear may be old but as one critic wrote the band are “the snarled lip embodiment of rock’n’roll spirit rather than nostalgia or shabby revivalism“. Live and on record The BUFF MEDWAYS are all about great songs and vibrant raw energy – no frills.

Some Recent Press Quotes:

The three Medways crank out almost unbearably perfect early rock’n’roll” NME

BILLY CHILDISH is….

a seething, dyslexic, better-looking British Bukowski” THE OBSERVER

the most garage and most punk rocker alive” NME

a musician, artist, writer, and rabble-rouser” DAZED & CONFUSED “The three Medways crank out almost unbearably perfect early rock’n’roll” NME

“a seething, dyslexic, better-looking British Bukowski”

 

THE OBSERVER

“the most garage and most punk rocker alive”

NME

“a musician, artist, writer, and rabble-rouser”

DAZED & CONFUSED