"I'm going to see the Bootleg Beatles, as the bootleg Mark Chapman"

August 26, 2005 9:40 AM

Half Man Half Biscuit - Britain's funniest band? Their site contains recordings from BBC sessions including such greats as The Light at the End of the Tunnel (Is the Light of an Uncoming Train) and 24 Garage People (amongst others). If those lyrics make no sense to you then you can see explanations on these pages which are quite entertaining on their own.
posted by dodgygeezer (16 comments total)

Yuk. I should explain that the 24 Hour Garage People track is actually three songs and 24 Hour turns up half way through - well worth listening to all the way through though.
posted by dodgygeezer at 9:46 AM on August 26, 2005

Jesus Christ, come on down!
posted by asok at 9:55 AM on August 26, 2005

Nice. Thanks dodgy.
posted by OmieWise at 10:10 AM on August 26, 2005

Do you know which part was Half Biscuit?

His digestive system.

sorry.
posted by longbaugh at 10:21 AM on August 26, 2005

That third link is from Radio 3! Gotta love that station.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 10:33 AM on August 26, 2005

And here it be
posted by Pretty_Generic at 10:33 AM on August 26, 2005

I had to make do with a Borussia Moenchengladbach away kit, I never did have a Dukla Prague one.
posted by scruss at 11:05 AM on August 26, 2005

I saw them last month in Exeter. They're still great and gigging a lot more this year.

DIdn't know the new album was out so soon. Worth it for 'Joy Division oven gloves' alone
posted by devon at 11:07 AM on August 26, 2005

I haven't listened to these guys yet, but Britain's funniest band? What about GLC!?!?

//safe as fuck!
posted by Mach5 at 11:07 AM on August 26, 2005

A boyfriend once put Half Man Half Biscuit songs in mixes he made for me (those were the meaningful songs, of course). Anyway, I'd nearly forgotten when a friend referenced a song and I jumped on it. Wound up importing "Back in the DHSS" because I lost the tapes a long time ago (and where would I play cassettes anymore?) It's still sooo great. I wish they were more widely available in the states.
posted by Lady Penelope at 12:24 PM on August 26, 2005

Pah! Mach5 please don't mention the terribly unfunny and offensive (to me anyway) GLC in the same breath as the outstandingly good Half Man Half Biscuit.

One of the few bands that have bettered their early work as they've gone along. My favourite album is This Leaden Pall
Turned Up Clocked On Laid Off is simply the best ever song about being made redundant to be written.

Oh and cheers dodgygeezer you've reminded me that I have to get off my arse and buy tickets to their Liverpool gig
posted by djstig at 12:38 PM on August 26, 2005

Everybody's doing The Len Ganley Stance. (x8)
posted by Dean King at 1:17 PM on August 26, 2005

I saw them a month or so ago in Leeds. Marvellous. The one liners between songs were almost as funny as some of the songs - "is your child hyperactive? Or is he just a twat?"

Funnier than they used to be, and they still look like 4 blokes from the pub. The first time I saw them was around 1990, in London, and I broke my nose during the Trumpton Riots finale.
posted by handee at 1:19 AM on August 27, 2005

I remember when they played in Edinburgh performing the Bastard son of Dean Friedman that Dean Friedman turned up at one of their gigs.

Some great lyrics including , "You're goin on after Crispy ambulance!"
posted by ClanvidHorse at 6:38 AM on August 27, 2005 [1 favorite]

I saw them in Wrexham, early 90s. Bloody great, and still the only band to namecheck Capel Curig in a song about holiday traffic jams.
posted by ceiriog at 6:42 AM on August 27, 2005

My friend's cousin's ex-wife's brothers are half of Half Man Half Biscuit. Now that's what I call a claim to fame!

And, aside from their wondrous music, they have my undying respect for turning down a spot on the Tube twice because it would mean missing Tranmere matches.

There's definitely not enough coverage of Wirral-related issues on MetaFilter.
posted by jack_mo at 7:18 AM on August 27, 2005