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Posted by Bombyx Mori on January 15th, 2010
When life is beginning to get you down, you could always try watching a DVD. Here’s Damon Albarn with a copy of Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra.
Please let us know if you spot other people going about their daily lives under the influence of Bill Bailey.
Posted by Helperworme on December 25th, 2009
We hope you’re enjoying the festivities.
To help break up the boredom between repeats, Bill has recorded a special series of video clips exclusively for the website where he brings his own personal version of the 12 days of Christmas to life.
We have linked each of these clips to a bauble on Bill’s Christmas tree and each will be activated (and be available to click) on the corresponding day of Christmas, starting today with bauble number 1, tomorrow number 2 and so on.
Check back each day until 5th January 2010 to play Bill’s video for that day (or to play previous day’s clips).
Visit our special Christmas page here.
Also, check out Bill’s seasonal message on the home page of the site. Just click the easel!
“Have a tremendous (non-faith specific) winter solstice pagan-style knees-up, from me, in the bunker, with a glass of Shiraz – BB x”
Posted by Helperworme on December 17th, 2009
Bill is back from tour! (we know because we’ve just heard him humming that “Killing In The Name Of” ditty). Yes, his remarkable Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra tour has sadly come to an end but, whist the alpine horn may now safely be nestling in its horn bag, there’s no rest for Bill…
He’s currently in the process of reading headlines such as “Octopus snatches coconut and runs” and, “Chinese performer wows with speedy face mask changes” as he prepares for hosting this week’s Have I Got News For You, which airs on Friday 18 December at 9pm on BBC1.
Yesterday he was seen on set for the Alcohol: It’s No Joke campaign. We’ll hear more about this in the New Year, but in the meantime you can follow them on Twitter at @alcoholnojoke.
This is not the shopping list for an aftershow party
(we’re alright for violent assault and vodka at the moment, cheers)
Bill can also be seen on the Christmas Eve episode of QI on BBC1 at 10pm. This episode’s subject will be: Groovy. Bill appears with David Tennant, Lee Mack and Alan Davies.
In addition to the Twittering he’s been doing, Bill has been twitching, playing host to two celebrity teams in a series of tough, competitive bird watching challenges in Sky1 HD’s brand new six-part series, Bill Bailey’s Birdwatching Bonanza starting on Thursday 7 January at 9pm on Sky1 HD and Sky1.
In audio news, listen out for The People’s Classical Chart on 28 December at 12pm on BBC Radio 2. Bill reveals the top 30 most-heard classical recordings across Britain over the past 75 years, building towards the announcement of the one that’s been played the most on the radio, in shops, supermarkets, restaurants, airport lounges, hold music, lifts…everywhere but your local Wetherspoons, really.
Posted by Bombyx Mori on February 13th, 2009
We are sure you’d agree that no website would be complete without a party hat-wearing frog, and so without further ado, here it is; the new, revamped Bill Bailey site. Featuring the marvellous illustrations of Max Ellis, the site was designed and developed by Manchester Web Design company Vanilla Storm.
You will now be able to watch “Glassbox TV” – a virtual telly of our very own – currently showing the first two episodes of Behind The Tinsel, which documents behind the scenes shenanigans of Bill’s Tinselworm shows (featuring both the arena tours and the recent run in London’s West End). The episodes were created by a man with a camera called Daniel Mudford (the man – not the camera) and edited by a man called Matt Roberts. Thank you, men.
In the ‘Tour’ section, you’ll find some interactive tour programmes (from the Bewilderness, Steampunk and Part Troll shows), where you can turn each page with the click of your mouse and not get ink on your fingers.
We do so hope that you like what you find. Commence enjoyment thereof.
Posted by Helper Worm on November 25th, 2008
It has been brought to our attention that some people would quite like Bill to be the next Lord of Time.
http://www.petitiononline.com/BBDOCTOR/petition.html
UPDATE 25/11/2008
We’ve also been asked to share the link to a Facebook group where a few like minded people have joined together:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24056328419
Posted by Helper Worm on October 31st, 2008
We are able to announce the winner of this limited edition, highly coveted, hand-made silkscreen print (see image, right) signed by both Bill and award winning artist, Joe Magee, to commemorate Bill’s recent collaboration with Anne Dudley and the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall (and what a collaboration it was).
And, in no particular order, the lucky winner is…..
(French horn fanfare…)
…Simon Stockbridge!
Simon won by providing the judges with a remarkably good answer to the question:
Q. In no more than 10 words:
What’s going on in Bill’s X-Ray head?
Simon: Left untreated, the adult tinselworm responds poorly to keyhole surgery.
Simon’s signed print is winging its way to him as we speak. In addition to this, Bill has awarded the accolade of “highly commended” to two runners up who will each receive a programme from the Royal Albert Hall shows, signed by Bill. They are (in no particular order other than alphabetized by surname)…
Pat Harkin: Bill thinks “Ten words? That’s not much. How will anyone
Deborah Martin: The result of a disagreement with Anne Dudley
We’d like to say a big thank you for the cyber-sack loads of entries we received. They made us laugh, cry, emit strange noises and sometimes wonder what question it was that we actually asked in the first place. Here’s a selection of just some of the ludicrous and phantasmagorical entries:
Analysing bubbles, marginalising troubles, philosophical osmosis, musical halitosis!
I think this tinnitus is getting worse!
why are plums purple, planning a casserole, Japanese zoo keepers
badgers, bees, badgers, bees, badgers, bees…HUH!…french what?…worms
J’aime mon klaxon!
DANCING PANDAMONKEYS
An ocular orchestral overture of obvious occipital ovation.
Bill is thinking “I’ve never seen a Womble break-dance”
Input: View on life. Processes: rotary valve system. Output: Genius
Must buy a new case for my French horn
cranium euphonium in beardium
to get that out he’ll have to root-it-toot!
the hobbits are taking over the asylum!
On the bright side, at least it isn’t a bassoon
constantly peering into people’s luggage, assessing their contents for toasties
a dog eating a crunchy pringle sandwich on a unicycle
Never argue with an emo in Starbucks
A cerebral cacophony, culminating in a crescendo of clown cars
Bill had A# (a sharp) pain in the head
ah the morphing monkeys catch my attention from within trees
Posted by Helper Worm on October 28th, 2008
From the poetic and sublime to the more normal absurd and ridiculous, here are a few of the very many remarkable answers we’ve had in response to the question, What’s going on in Bill’s X-Ray head?
- Bill thinks “Ten words? That’s not much. How will anyone
- An ocular orchestral overture of obvious occipital ovation.
- Analysing bubbles, marginalising troubles, philosophical osmosis, musical halitosis!
- Left untreated, the adult tinselworm responds poorly to keyhole surgery.
- To answer would be like pulling back God’s shower curtain.
- I can see clearly now the brain has gone
- Consume. Create. And betwixt the two – muck about a bit.
- Ahh, Nottingham. Now that was a great gig!
- J’aime mon klaxon!
- I think this tinnitus is getting worse!
If you have not already done so, you may still enter the competition. The window of opportunity for this does not closeth until the clock striketh 12 noon on Friday 31st October. Thereafter, the very clever winner will NOT turn into a pumpkin, but shall receive a highly sought after handmade Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra screen print by Joe Magee, signed at the Royal Albert Hall by Bill and Joe (these screen prints are becoming even more limited by the day). The WINNER will be announced in Friday’s Newsletter (perhaps even with a link to enable you to be privy to more ludicrous answers).
Enter the competition now here
These handmade screen prints not only look amazing but will become highly collectable and, in case you are unable to wait to see whether you win or not, you can obtain one for yourself or as a gift right now, directly from the shop before they have all gone. Remarkably, each print is unique with its very own number from a limited print run of only 250. Just picture your descendants queuing up with it on the 2108 series of the Antiques Roadshow. But, although he’s helped to create an heirloom, we’re sure that Bill would rather have conjured up a hair loom….
Posted by Helper Worm on October 24th, 2008
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the collection at the recent Royal Albert Hall gigs.
Bill’s fans raised a massive £3,682.10 which will greatly help towards the work of the charity in their Gamelan in Prisons Project.
Of the project, Bill says “I decided to include this charity in the Royal Albert Hall programme because I think it’s a fascinating and worthwhile project….and also because many aspects of it strike a personal chord with me.”
“I have a strong connection with Indonesia – I’ve travelled there for many years and during one of these visits I was taught the basics of gamelan and played with a gamelan orchestra. I’m drawn to the otherness of it, the strangeness and the fact that playing it is unlike any Western musical form. It ebbs and flows, has no real beginning or end, and while plating it I find the concentration required combined with the rippling sound is akin to meditation. It is relatively easy to start playing and get pleasing results, so I can see how it could provide a sense of achievement. I have also done stand-up gigs in prisons, and have seen how performance can have a positive effect.”
Good Vibrations Founder and Project Director Cathy Eastburn explained how the money would be used. “We will put the money towards three up-and-coming Good Vibrations projects (the host prisons also pay something towards the costs). These will be at Peterborough Prison (working with Vulnerable Prisoners), Low Newton prison near Durham (working with female prisoners) and another TBC. Each project will be a one-week, full-time intensive gamelan project with a group of between 15-20 prisoners. They will learn to play traditional Javanese gamelan music and also create their own compositions as a group, using the gamelan instruments. Each project will culminate in an informal performance in front of an audience.”
“By taking part in such a communal and accessible group activity, participants will develop crucial life skills such as team-working, communication, creative thinking, concentration and applying themselves. These are skills that many prisoners lack and which are absolutely vital: for getting and holding onto a job on release, for making positive friendships while in prison and making the most of their time there, and for successful family relationships.”
“For many participants, a Good Vibrations project is the first time in their lives they have succeeded at something and had a positive experience in a group setting, so the projects have a real impact on people’s self-confidence and motivation to go on to do other constructive things in prison (such as education courses, Offending Behaviour Programmes, getting a job in a workshop, and other arts courses). And the benefits will last – we are just about to publish an independent evaluation report of our work which shows that the benefits for participants are still very much in evidence at least 6 months after doing one of our projects.”
Good Vibrations is part of the Firebird Trust (a registered charity) and is funded by Arts Council England, the Linbury Trust, the LankellyChase Foundation, the Mercers’ Company, the Northmoor Trust, the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, the Tudor Trust and the Worshipful Company of Musicians as well as by the host prisons themselves.
More information on the project can be found at www.firebirdtrust.co.uk/content/blogcategory/38/73/.
Thank you again for supporting this extremely worthy cause.
Posted by Helper Worm on September 22nd, 2008
After 11 series of appearing on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, other commitments have led to Bill being unable to take part in the forthcoming series.
We understand that many of you will be disappointed on hearing this news, but on the plus side there will be a Bill-filled future to look forward to in other areas.
Thank you for your continued support.
Posted by Helper Worm on March 20th, 2008
Check out The Guardian newspaper this Saturday to find an exclusive article written by Bill.
The article is in the Travel section and is all about Bill’s travels to North Sumatra and Los Angeles with his family.