Don't Bring Billy Childish to the Party. Seriously. Don't. in OUTSIDELEFT

Cover art TED KESSLER
To Ease My Troubled Mind
The Authorised Unauthorised History of Billy Childish
Ted Kessler
(White Rabbit Books)

Before I began reading 'To Ease My Troubled Mind' I wasn't overly confident that it would turn out well. For me. Written by Ted Kessler, former editor of Q Magazine and author of Paper Cuts about his life and times as a music journalist which, I found rather ho-hum dull, and a foreword by Stewart Lee too on the subject of who for some, is a living legend I knew little about other than Billy Childish sports a fine moustache, has a penchant for wearing deerstalker hats and releases a lot of records, none of which I could ever recall hearing let alone bought.

However more fool me. This book is a fascinating testament to Childish. It was never going to be a critique as it becomes plainly obvious straight away that Kessler and Childish are long term friends, that allows for a unique and intimate perspective into ups and downs of a driven artistic mind.

Childish has written and recorded at least 170 albums, and hundreds of singles, so many recordings that three record labels handle most of his output. He pioneered the career in a year recording 14 albums during lockdown for instance. He paints two days a week producing large canvas' with his son Huddie Hamper, and publishes his books and poetry via the excellent L-13 Light Industrial Workshop.

He is a one man industry but everybody needs back up and its to the most important figures in Childish's life that Kessler turns to.

‘It’s your book,’ i told him, ‘i won’t read it, or stick my neb in, but, do re check facts as best you can, and allow contradictory statements, by all parties to remain.’ So it is The Authorised Unauthorised, – unread, unchecked ,by myself, as i prefer not to know. and billy childish can remain a mystery unto myself.’ — Billy Childish

Inevitably there's an interview with Tracey Emin who was a fashion student when they stepped out together, but we get to hear from just about everybody who's worked with him or influenced his life, even his abusive father is given a few lines to apologise for years of cruelty.

What is noticeable is that everybody who Childish comes into contact with seems to have become a successful artist, musician or publisher after their time in his company—even his mother became a noted ceramicist after she divorced the aforementioned abusive father.

Childish also suffers from severe bouts of depression and also dyslexia but he never stops working and tends to dominate proceedings. One notable quote is that he's a great bloke but you'd never invite him to a party.

So yes a surprisingly good book about somebody who I now have a huge amount of respect for.

Oh and Stewart Lee's foreword isnt half bad either.

Highly recommended.