By 1990 Gary was the only former Drunkard still formally active, so 'Sein Kampf' covers his career 1991-1995 and the Drunkards 'estate' from 1994-1995 - our Gazza being designated 'keeper of the flame'. 'Sein Kampf II' covers Gary's career/the Drunkards 'estate' 1996-2000. Both volumes contain addenda for earlier periods too.
This website is the biobliography for 2001 plus, so there is a slight overlap. Ok? Good, glad that's clear...
DATES: 1958-1976
STORY: Gary was born in North London on 31/12/1958. Moving first to Cookham in Berkshire, then to Henley-In-Arden, Warwickshire, he lived the 'Swinging Sixties' by quickly developing the love of history, 'adventure gaming', football, rock and roll and sci-fi that was to later characterise his work. Inspired by The Beatles' example the mould was set.
In 1970, starting at Henley-In-Arden High School - and encouraged by his teachers and further inspired by Monty Python - Gary discovered a previously hidden talent for acting and writing humour, a gift unfocused until age 17 when he became 'base player' in The Drunkards'...
And THIS is where the adventure really begins...
DATES: 1976-1980, 1985-1989
STORY: Four Warwickshire sixth-formers with time to kill and a social life to build formed this legendary comedy group in 1976. Based around their ensemble performance and recording of (mainly) Mitchell's 'angry young man' sketches, insightful proficiency was quickly established.
From 1978 and under Holland's laconic guidance, dispersed as they were around the UK in higher education and employment, they graduated to more scholarly recording-free work from Autobiography onwards. The epic Somewhere In Britain gained a priceless foothold in BBC Radio comedy that was criminally unexploited by a group heading for minor acrimony by 1980.
The Drunkards re-convened as a sideline in 1985 - even
recording again in '87 - only to call it a day when
safely domesticated.
At times the combination of Mitchell's composition, Holland's range of character voices and King's charisma could be awesome, whilst less appreciated is Batchelor's thought-provoking poetry.
KEY WORKS:
TEXTS: Autobiography (1978), Somewhere In Britain (1979), After The War is Over (1980)
RECORDINGS: Recorded Highlights (1978), Beyond A Joke (1987) (AVAILABLE AS 'REVISED REPEAT' - see 'For Sale' ), Live And Posthumous (1993)
SHOWS: Live Piss-Up In Stratford (1977)
BROADCASTS: Week Ending (BBC, 1980)
Coda: Graham (ironically) now runs a pub back in Warwickshire, specialising in fine ales and live music. His web address is at http://www.jolly-abbot.co.uk/ . Andy is training for ordination by the Church of England and Harry is... well, possibly the nicest bloke in the universe. See 'Raiders Of The Lost Archives' - The Drunkards Estate for the 'saloon's' current activity (it's unofficially a 'saloon' because it's not really big enough to be an 'estate' - boom, boom!)
DATES: 1980-1981
STORY: A brief but crucial learning curve. Mat
and Gary met at
library school and began writing for BBC Radio. Mat went
onto achieve great things for that august institution,
Gary to self-driven anarchy...
KEY WORKS:
TEXTS: The So-Called Second Attempt To Crack The Commercial Coconut (1980), The Long Overdue (1980), It Ain't Half The Oval Office Mum! (1981)
BROADCASTS: The Jason Explanation (BBC, 1981)
Mat is now a much more famous writer than Gary and his website is http://www.matcoward.com. His very funny book about writing 'Success... And How To Avoid It' (TTA Press, 2004), contains annecdotes on the duo's time together, and is worth buying for anyone interested in the writing disease.
KEY WORKS:
TEXTS: ARNOS GROVE Live At The Stratford Odeon (1981) MITCHELL & VICTOR Funny Game Politics (1982), The Royals (1985 & 1987)
VARIOUS ARTISTS Extracting The Urine (1983)
RECORDINGS: THE INCURABLE ROMANTICS (Line-up Mitchell, Smith, Piers Woolston) 20,000 Words Before Midnight (1983)
VARIOUS ARTISTS Librarians In Space (1982), Warlords Of Stoke Newington (1983)
DATES: 1985-1989, 1993-1996, inactive 1996-2007
STORY: Moving to Bournemouth Mitchell and Smith
set about forming a new group. The first settled line-up
was Everett, Mitchell, Smith and Michael Stead.
Right from the start it was apparent Radio Boscombe
was going to be different as it harnessed (along with
comedy) Smith and Everett's considerable musical
talents. After Mike
left in 1986 the group continued as a trio
(EVERETT CENTRE)
before
bringing Nick Caulkin on-board in 1988, a development
that also saw their progression to multi-track recording. When
Nick left in early '89 the group made the excellent
all-songs parody album The Last Hurrah ,
then disbanded. The trio recommenced in 1993 and
continued to record until Linda left in 1995;
replaced by American Morgan McGinnis. Later that year
Julia left to pursue motherhood and Gary recruited
award-winning poetess and compere Anne Lydon, whom he
had worked with in 'Mickey Taping' (see below). Jester and stand-up
veteran Jonathan Russell was quickly added and the quartet
(CLOCKWISE, RUSSELL, LYDON, MITCHELL,
McGINNIS) cut the (relatively)
huge selling Do Not Adjust Your Brain
and appeared on BBC Radio. Solo careers now took
precidence, Radio Boscombe going inactive.
KEY WORKS:
RECORDINGS: Four People And a Bucket Of Water (1986), Who's That Fish (1988), Postman Pat Always Rings Twice (1988), The Last Hurrah (1989), Recycling (1993), Bat Out Of Hull/Bat Out Of Hull Too (1994), Invasion Of The Geography Teachers From Mars (1995), Do Not Adjust Your Brain (1996), (STILL AVAILABLE - see 'For Sale' ), Boscombe At The Beeb (1997).
BROADCASTS: The David White Show (BBC, 1996)
DATES: 1992-1994
STORY: Meeting through and ad in the local paper BBC Radio regular Nick and poetess Anne teamed up with Gary to instant but unsustainable success with topical review tape and backlog of unreleased recordings.
KEY WORKS:
RECORDINGS: 1992 - How Was It For You? (1992)
Gary and Anne later in a line up of 'Radio Boscombe' (see above). Nick is still an active and commissioned comedy writer for radio - see his websites http://www.nickrthomas.co.uk/ (main page) and http://www.freelancecomedywriter.blogspot.com (comedy blog).
TEXTS: The Day Of The Trifles (1981), All My Own Work (1981),
PUBLICATIONS: The Comedy Magazine (1980's)
PERFORMANCES: Stand-up in London, Ringwood and
Tunbridge Wells 1997-1999, videoed as Gary Mitchell
- Stand-Up Routine No. 1A
(1997)
TEXTS:
MITCHELL, CAULKIN & SEWARD Crossroads - The Next Generation (1992),
RECORDINGS:
MITCHELL & CAULKIN What We Did On Our Holidays (1987)
MITCHELL & SMITH Back From The USSR (1992)
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