The English sixties punk Billy Childish has grown into a true cult figure in recent decades. He operated under his own name but also as a bandleader of Thee Headcoats, Thee Mighty Caesars and The Buff Medways, among others. He is also active as a painter, poet and writer. Famous names such as Kurt Cobain, The White Stripes and Patti Smith have been influenced by him. Although the DVD Billy Childish
… Is Dead is released on a fairly well-known label (Cherry Red), the product fully complies with Childish's 'do it yourself' ethics. That means a lot of low quality self-shot video images. Incidentally, the title must be taken symbolically: Childish is still very much alive at the time of release. (MS)more
