Well, hello all. It's been a while I know, and yet a year these days flies by quicker than a bumble bee on an urgent errand. And bees have loomed large on my calendar. Well I say bees, I mean lizards, pine martens etc. Filming Wild Thing I Love You has been a revelation, and an education. I've waded up to my armpits in cold pond water to build a three-bedroomed home for an otter, and swung from a crane high above Cheddar to build an aerial walkway for dormice. These are things you just don't get to do normally. In Northumberland where we building the otter walkway, one story brightened up the grey rainy days no end. As there were dangerous diggers and tractors which a frail TV presenter could easily trip and fall under and become trapped due to their prancing media stupidity, we had to have St John Ambulance personnel on hand the whole time. Talking to them they said the worst time was actually in the summer. The bright yellow colour of their jackets is apparently the exact shade which drives wasps into a frenzy, so most of their work involves 'treating wor selves for bee and wasp stings and that'.
April I was in Los Angeles doing a show at UCLA. The first night did not bode well. There had been huge thunderstorms and torrential rain for days, and rather like our inability to deal with snow, LA was totally unprepared. Mudslides, floods, train wrecks rocked the state of California. But underneath my venue, of course was a deep fissure caused by an earthquake below which ran an underground river. When the water level rose it had nowhere to go except the front 8 rows of my theatre which were underwater during the sound check. The theatre was nearly dry by the end of the first week..I had a cold and the theremin was going loopy with the humidity. It wasn't all damp and depressing though. I got to meet a real Python, Eric Idle who came to my show. What a charming and delightful man he is, and quite hard for me to actually talk in proper sentences as a lifelong Python fan..
Part 2 to follow,
Pax
BB
Comments (29)
Bill, wild thing, what a show...glad to see you have show yet another side to you.....well done and huge admiration!
There's only a few people i want to meet in this world, one group are the pythons (which will never happen for the obvious) and the other is (enable geeky fan mode) you bill (geeky fan mode off)....
cheers
Jonny
Posted by jonny watson | December 8, 2006 9:13 PM
Posted on December 8, 2006 21:13
woot a real python! I can see him, you and a ukulele mixing quite well together. or were just the jibbering monkey that most of us are when meeting idols? oh dear I think I just made a bad pun. hoorah!
Posted by workerant | December 8, 2006 10:02 PM
Posted on December 8, 2006 22:02
To quote another Python, you lucky b*****d! Only python I ever got to see was the 10 foot long one that lives in trees in a zoo, and they could not even quote the dead parrot sketch!
Anyway, love the site, love yer work. I salute you Sir!
Madam Cod
'..From the Planet Of Happy Fat Women..'
Posted by Madam Cod | December 9, 2006 12:09 AM
Posted on December 9, 2006 00:09
crikey! its me hardly making a real sentence on the bill blog! lummy! i'm a big fan since about this high - maybe this. ooh crumbs ! lovely blog bill. lovely!
Posted by Michael | December 9, 2006 9:08 AM
Posted on December 9, 2006 09:08
so i went to see holly from red dwarf, norman yeah, and we got stuck next to the worlds worsed hecklers, they said to us yeah they love a bit of heckling, but all they had to say was hurry up n die, which isnt really strange for southend, and then at that point i realised that norman needed a bit of your finesse, we had to "ave words" with the hecklers cuz norm was struggin to deal, to be honest its not the best stand up act it just need evolving, but he was quite funny, anyway one realised your level of professionalism and said to my self " awwwww i miss bill" cuz i often talk to myself, its fun just like toast....
Posted by hippy bitch colin the tatooed disaster | December 9, 2006 1:34 PM
Posted on December 9, 2006 13:34
Yikes, Perhaps the flooded auditorium may be a message from on high for 'Bill Bailey's Rafting Extravaganza'.
Meeting Eric must have been amazing, I have likewise grown up watching them and would dearly love to meet them, not to mention Ben Elton and 99% of British comedians.
Good luck with all you have planned and I definately look forward to you coming to Australia. (Although if your itinerary does not include Perth I may have to have a rather unmanly hissy fit) :P
Keg
Posted by Keg | December 10, 2006 4:42 PM
Posted on December 10, 2006 16:42
I came to one of the LA shows! Though I'm not nearly as exciting, and considerably less historically important, as a Python. My husband got up when you asked about swimming with a dolphin and found himself subconsciously compelled to make exactly the same responses to your questions as the woman made on the Part Troll video. It lent the whole thing a rather surreal quality, an inverted deja vu.
But I digress. It does not rain in California, I promise you. You must have been hallucinating.
The show was fabulous.
Posted by Valerie in San Diego | December 11, 2006 2:04 AM
Posted on December 11, 2006 02:04
Hey Bill. Funky New site. Are there any plans for a UK 2007 tour or simular. I know you were up in Edinburgh recently but being down at south of Yorkshire could not make it. Cheers Alex
Posted by Alex | December 11, 2006 2:36 PM
Posted on December 11, 2006 14:36
Bill you're a legend. I'd seen you on Never Mind The Buzzcocks and various stuff on T.V but I've just recently purchased Black Books series 1 - 3 (on sale for a fiver each)and they are class! Never seen series 4 (might be a fiver in the sales though).
Posted by Peter Kane | December 11, 2006 9:45 PM
Posted on December 11, 2006 21:45
Bill Bailey! His songs stay in my head for weeks! He makes my tummy hurt with laughing! He has the loveliest, most expressive hair in showbiz! He saves small creatures from certain doom!
Hurrah! *shakes pompoms*
Very impressed with the slickness of the new site, although I for one mourn the absence of animated badgers.
Keep up the good work my sublime hippy hero,
Peace, love and cupcakes,
Magpie x x x
Posted by Magpie | December 12, 2006 5:47 AM
Posted on December 12, 2006 05:47
did you know that T.S. Eliot suggests 'bill bailey' is a wonderful name for a cat in his poetry book 'Old Possum's book of Practical Cats'?I mean, is it?tis similar to calling a cat 'Richard' or 'St.John' methinks.
Posted by elizabeth geary | December 12, 2006 3:55 PM
Posted on December 12, 2006 15:55
So *that's* what you were doing at the airport in LA in April...does that mean you were waiting there for Eric Idle and I could have met him too if I had waited longer and my parents weren't staring at me and wondering who was this guy I was talking to!?! Dang.
Anyway, it was lovely meeting you, however briefly...sorry to see there probably won't be any new Black Books. I love the new site, and my hubby *still* wants to know where you get all your great Hawaiian shirts.
Keep on keepin' on....
Sheri,
the flustered-tongue-tied-star-struck woman who bothered you at LAX
Posted by Mizbiskit | December 12, 2006 4:52 PM
Posted on December 12, 2006 16:52
while i was in england i watched the show as much eps as i could, now im back in germanland and no can do..so..get a dvd of it out pleeeeeease!
love love love frm germany
:)
meena xx
Posted by meena | December 12, 2006 5:26 PM
Posted on December 12, 2006 17:26
bill - end of the first paragraph ---i would.
the suspense is killing me.
what would you?
is it a code? should we?
i would.
Posted by stevedamage | December 12, 2006 6:57 PM
Posted on December 12, 2006 18:57
Bill Bailey...Where to begin..?
I'm a huge fan of all your work, especially the music thats implimented into your stand up.
Your rendition of the Traditional 'Love Song' on Part Troll is amazing. A true, 'genuine' funny man.
I'm, also very happy to see you on 'Wild Thing...We Love You'. New Bill everyweek!!!
Love the new site, can't wait to see your next show, (Did you know that you seem to have a huge following in St.Helens *Wink*).
Keep up the Obscurity Bill.
Thankyou.
p.s Your fans have run out of DVD's..... fancy making some more...:P
Posted by Chaucer's Twink | December 12, 2006 9:27 PM
Posted on December 12, 2006 21:27
Why are the Northumberlandish people wearing their jackets in high Summer anyway? Fools! We always go around in shirt sleeves with no ties until about November. They obviously don't have as forgiving leaders...
Posted by ratter_daemon | December 12, 2006 10:14 PM
Posted on December 12, 2006 22:14
Yeah, I think that Wild Thing I love was a great show, the one about the badgers was my favorate. Though I live on the isle of mann, so we don't get them over here. It's good to see your still on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and i'm looking forward to buying that triple box set, just so I can get Part Troll. Well, that's all. Kepp it up Bill. ;)
Posted by Don Antonio Salieri | December 21, 2006 11:18 PM
Posted on December 21, 2006 23:18
Bill, you rock my sox (pardon the pun) :] lol
Posted by Lyndsey | January 3, 2007 2:25 PM
Posted on January 3, 2007 14:25
:) Dude u are cunning like a siberian hunting spider which adopts a highly convincing limp in three of its eight legs. I am part troll too ! all hail bill all bill
Posted by Dane | January 25, 2007 11:08 PM
Posted on January 25, 2007 23:08
Hi Bill
im a great fan of yours u wer really great in Black books I particully like u in episode 5 series 1.Im a piano player my self coool!!!
Sam
Posted by Sam Bland | January 29, 2007 9:04 PM
Posted on January 29, 2007 21:04
What ever happened to the video that was recorded in L.A.? Wasn't as golden as you'd hoped? Oh well. I saw Eric Idle at Disneyland when I used to work there and I cried. No words. Just tears. Luckily for me, I was working red carpet for the Pirates movie and he didn't see me. Huzzah!
Posted by Sarah_Why | March 4, 2007 9:50 PM
Posted on March 4, 2007 21:50
Hello! I just want to say, this blog is the best blog! So many useful info. Thank you.
Posted by Vasyayue | March 17, 2007 7:24 AM
Posted on March 17, 2007 07:24
I was impressed with the Wild thing series because it was informative and, slightly funny, and useful to the animals you tried to help. Love your style Bill and quoting you has brought many a laugh to those not familiar to your brilliance.
Eric Idle has got to be the second best of the Pythons, second to Mr.J.Clease.
Dont correct my speeling
Posted by Jim Jimminy Jim Jim Jimroo | April 18, 2007 6:00 PM
Posted on April 18, 2007 18:00
This is one great blog!
Superb!
Posted by Damien Jorgensen | May 18, 2007 7:31 PM
Posted on May 18, 2007 19:31
Hi,
I absolutly love all of your songs, however I am let down by all sheet music sites; as not one of your pieces is on offer. Please can you do something about this, my friend always plays your songs on the guitar and I would love to join in.
Thanks
James
Posted by James | July 26, 2007 7:32 PM
Posted on July 26, 2007 19:32
heya bill gr8 blog luving your blog and the whole of your site infact! lol im probably your youngest fan i am only 11 years of age and i have watched Cosmic jam, part troll, wild thing i love you and ect.. so thanks for reading my comments lots of luv shannon stuart.
p.s i dont think you are a hobbit and ur well funny!:)
Posted by shannon | August 9, 2007 8:50 PM
Posted on August 9, 2007 20:50
you are funny. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. at the peak of hilarity when -on quiz show 'never mind the buzzcocks'- you ripped jonny terett (or whatever his name is) "i dick on the sex pistols" is now a favourate conversation starting line of mine!
Posted by Hannah | September 6, 2007 4:10 PM
Posted on September 6, 2007 16:10
A few weeks ago, my wife and I popped over to London for a weekend of shopping and dining. We were staying in the West-End conveniently near the Royal Albert as we had tickets to see a Cirque du Soleil show.
We arrived quite late and as soon as we checked in at the hotel, we flicked on the tube to find out what was making the news. Although we both fell into a deep deep sleep, we were awoken by the sound of laughter resonating from the television. We both attentively watched an unknown comedian (to us anyway !) by the name of Bill Bailey performing live.
We both stayed awake, glued to the tube, had room service deliver some drinks and laughed incessantly for the next 90 minutes. We thoroughly enjoyed the show (Part Troll). It was witty, off-the-wall, and truly a breath of fresh air from the type of drab and most times silly humour that we are subjected to in North America.
My wife and I have become instant Bill Bailey fans and just the other day, I ordered four DVD sets from Amazon.UK. (I will have these transcribed to NTSC).
We look forward to seeing Bill Bailey's DVDs on our tube in the comforts of our living room and it is very much our hope that Bill will one day make a stage appearance in Canada (ideally in Halifax to start !) where I know he will become an instant household name.
Keep it up Bill !
Mark and Betty
Posted by MJBannerman | February 7, 2008 7:08 PM
Posted on February 7, 2008 19:08
Dear Bill Bailey,
Are you a zombie in Shaun of the Dead?
I thank you,
Emily Jane Millificent Arnold
Posted by Emily Arnold | March 12, 2008 2:16 PM
Posted on March 12, 2008 14:16