Brits are always surprised that I know who Screaming Lord Sutch was. More surprised than if I spout a few (Scots) Gaelic phrases at them. More surprised than if I profess to knowing that he died on Bloomsday, an obscure Irish celebration of James Joyce' ULYSSES held every year in Dublin. (I hope to attend one year.)
To my ABSOLUTE HORROR I recieved an email from Sam (Life in the Nightmare) saying that HE did not know who Screaming Lord Sutch was! This is a travesty of epic proportions.
Are the schools no longer teaching? Has that sceptred isle of kings and princes forgotten one of it's own true and noble sons so quickly? Will it next be "Who is Shakespeare? Who is Burns? And this Yeats fellow, what's he about?" Has Arthur too, and the Matter of Britain, been so easily discarded? Is the Peerage to be disbanded?
In these troubled times, with leaders like the International Bozo Brothers (Bush and Blair), we need, if not the Lord himself, his Screaming spirit more than ever!!!
Here is a wee morsel to whet your appetite. I took this and the pic from Wikipedia. (I hope they don't sue me!)
During the 60s, Screaming Lord Sutch was known for his horror themed stage show, as well as for usually dressing like Jack the Ripper. Accompanied by his band, The Savages, he often started the show by coming out of a big black coffin. Other stage props included knives and daggers, skulls, and "bodies". He released many horror themed singles during the early-mid 60s, the most popular and well known of which is "Jack the Ripper".
He founded the Official Monster Raving Loony Party in 1983 and fought the Bermondsey byelection. In his career he contested over 40 elections, rarely threatening the major party candidates, but often getting a respectable number of votes. His first attempt to enter Parliament was in 1963, when he contested the byelection in Stratford-upon-Avon caused by the resignation of John Profumo. He was an easily recognisable figure at election counts due to his flamboyant clothes. It was shortly after he polled several hundred votes in Margaret Thatcher's Finchley constituency in 1983 that the deposit paid by candidates was raised from £150 to £500. This did little to deter the legendarily deposit-losing Lord Sutch, who increased the number of rock concerts he performed per year to pay for his mock political campaigns.
Despite his seemingly light-hearted antics, in actuality Screaming Lord Sutch suffered from bipolar disorder and ended up committing suicide by hanging on June 16, 1999, following the death of his mother the previous year.
TOODLE ON, LORD SUTCH!!! MAY YOUR SPIRIT LIVE ON!!!
6 comments:
I remember the monster raving looney party! Never knew the founder, they should really teach about that in our politics class! Thanks for...enlightening me!!!
wow..never heard of him..and wish i had ...tanks for the memories.
the letters below are madcov....thats funny
Ricardo said you were on the beach. Hope you enjoyed the sun and surf.
I remember Screaming Lord Sutch from the 60s. He was really weird, that is, until Ozzie came on the scene. LOL
Happy Mother's Day.
ahaa i haven't heard that name for aages. know him more from the connection with the loony party.
Mr. Sutch also has superlative rock & roll records produced by Joe Meek! Have you read Sutch's book, "Life As Sutch"? - great stuff!
I remember Screaming Lord Sutch well. One of the great Englishmen, a major icon in a long list of eccentrics. He helped put the 'Great' in Great Britain, and demonstrated just how open our democracy is. I fancy he was the inspiration for the Monty Python sketch, The Silly Election, featuring, Tarquin Fintimlinbinwhinbimlim Bus Stop Poontang Poontang Ole Biscuit-Barrel, of the Silly Party.
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