Keith Wilson

Biography

Sharp-tongued poet, musician, playwright, tv presenter, philosopher and performer, Keith is colloquial, cantankerous and erudite. Lyrically smart, his words are drawn from life's warp and weft and his music straddles an art-rock backdrop somewhere between Zappa’s improvisation and the The Bonzo Dog Band’s post-musical hall vibe. He’s funny and sad. Angry and incisive. His live work constantly shifts between stand up and stand out ferocity. Born in Kensington in Liverpool, he comes from a long line of professional Actors, Theatre Managers and Puppeteers. He has worked extensively throughout the UK and Europe as an Actor, Writer, Director, Stand-Up Poet and Musician - occasionally simultaneously. Having talked his way in and out of several parallel careers, there is no doubt he has trousered more than his fair share of the natter, patter and chatter synonymous with his birthplace. Since leaving school, touring and recording in bands have been a constant in his life, along with egg soldiers, Liverpool FC and losing the end of the sellotape. From the late 70's and throughout the 80's and 90's he worked home and abroad with the MUTANTS, GEISHA GIRLS, CUDDLY TOYS, AFTER A FASHION, the EXPLODING HAMSTERS, SPIDER MONKEYS and the LOVETONES. Vinyl souvenirs are occasionally available on ebay and in record shop bargain bins . Live gigs now take several formats - anything from a light bite to an angry farmer's gobful. There's the SOLO KW, the DUO with his pal and kindred Spiritualist MIKE SMITH and the whole nine yards with the fully loaded SPIRITUALISTS. All three are served piping hot with a gentleman's relish. Keith is also a co-conspirator and occasional member of the very splendid cult 60's Liverpool band THE SCAFFOLD. As a headline act (both solo and with the SPIRITUALISTS) he has worked extensively across the UK and Europe and during a hailstorm of former lives has opened for numerous acts including the Jam, Buzzcocks, Ultravox, the Police, Big Country, Steve Marriott, Nik Turner, Paul Weller, Elvis Costello, the Damned, Blondie, the Stranglers, Joe Strummer and Billy Bragg. In 2008 he managed to squeeze out his first solo album 'SLIP OF THE TONGUE' with producers Roddie Gilliard and Steve Powell (his band the SPIRITUALISTS feature musicians who’ve worked with Jools Holland, The Magic Band, Arthur Brown, Ike Willis, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Steve Winwood). Guitar driven parables and cheeky sarcasm unashamedly snogs acoustic subliminal new-man sensitivity before your very ears. Including an a la carte menu of moans, groans and rhythm methods more usually associated with the Karma Sutra, 'Slip Of The Tongue' is a seductively assembled pot pourri of well-versed aural stimulation for the enquiring mind. Also fragrant and provocatively turned out, the follow up album 'RAPSCALLION BOP' leapt from the mattress in 2009 and hit the streets looking for business. This esoteric long player contains much full frontal brass and a sizeable dose of top-heavy orchestration. Ukelele driven, piano clad, saxophone moist and riddled with verbal clever-dickery, it's cool on the lobes and largely inoffensive to the nostril. Keith's television work seriously kicked off during 1998 with appearances on CLOSE UP NORTH (BBC), RISE (Channel 4) and the FOOTIE SHOW (Granada). The same year he was offered a gig on SOCCER SATURDAY (Sky Sports) and for the next three years he had a regular slot delivering his own unique slant and occasional rant on all things football with his smart, opinionated and irreverent poetry. This led to a season working for ITV contributing to THE PREMIERSHIP and ON THE BALL (during which time he was twice short-listed for a Royal Television Society Award) and a 2002 World Cup gig working for Ireland's national broadcaster RTE. On his return he was signed by BBC SPORT and became the country's only contracted sports poet. As a result, he has broadcast his eloquent, cheeky lip service from almost every significant event in the sporting calendar - from Wimbledon to the Olympics. He has also been a regular contributor to ITV's Champions League coverage, working for the same broadcaster throughout the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Blatantly disregarding his mum's advice, Keith joined under cover reporter Donal MacIntyre as co-presenter on the third series of MACINTYRE'S BIG STING (Channel Five). Broadcast towards the fag end of 2006, he brought his unique talent, a selection of hats and a dressing up box to all six episodes of the crime-busting series. In 2007, his creative flair and explosiveness in and around the box were snapped up by Setanta Sports - and he spent two years writing and presenting a weekly seriesof finely crafted one-size-fits-all eclectic football shorts. His written work for the stage includes the highly acclaimed BALLS! (which opened a National Tour at the Royal Festival Hall in London as part of the Euro '96 opening celebrations) and numerous other comissions which have worked the Edinburgh Fringe and toured nationally including THE TROUBLE WITH MONEY and BLOODLUST - Risk Theatre Company (1981 and 1982), SEVEN ANGELS and KARAOKE DEATH RATTLE - Blah! Blah! Blah! (1984 and 1986) and IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR - Mockbeggar Theatre Company (1992). He has also written, produced and scored three short films - SKINFLICK (1998) which opened at the British Pavilion in Cannes, FRIDAY the FOURTEENTH (1999) and WHATEVER IT TAKES (2000). He also assumed the Directing duties on 'FRIDAY' and 'WHATEVER.' As part of the Millennium Celebrations he was Creative Director of a major European Theatre Project (Culture 2000) across the UK, Spain, Italy and Finland and his work as Artistic Director of Masque Theatre, a nationally acclaimed disabled people's performance group based in Wirral, has yielded two national and eleven regional tours plus numerous events of national and international significance. Keith has written and performed a veritable smorgasbord of eclectic delicacies for theatre, television, film and radio and has worked for every major broadcaster in the UK and Ireland. He has put words into the mouths of numerous top flight actors including STEVEN BERKOFF, JAMES NESBITT, COLIN SALMON, PAUL KAYE, DANNY DYER, PHIL DANIELS, KEVIN WHATELY, ALAN FORD, TIM HEALY, PAUL BARBER and LEO GREGORY - and has racked up over three hundred television credits as a writer, musician and performer. www.1keithwilson.com www.myspace.com/methylatedspiritualist

Samples

BLOODLINE Much have I travelled. And much have I seen. I have absorbed and inhaled laughter lines and forward lines Drawn battle lines across time lines And followed lay lines through good times and bad. It gets under the skin. It leaves its mark. And is worn with pride. Five stars flicker in the firmament, burn the memory and warm a deep and unconditional love that serves to remind us that all we need is each other CUSHION TALK Dry mouth, blurred vision Constipation, indecision I’m all at sea in an ocean of commotion Expectation, inflammation Agitation, perspiration Even my pants are crackling with static emotion You’re playing with my heart again After promising so much And those catalogue diamond ring tones That we swapped to keep in touch Only serve to remind me As we near the final curves You’re living in another world And I’m on pills for my nerves Thrilling fields or killing fields Which one will it be? You’ve got all the answers ‘cos I know it isn’t me That’s sitting in the driving seat Crashing through the gears And now you’ve managed to park your arse It’ll probably all end in tears It’s not my fault I’m not keen on holding hands Or that every time your mum comes round She misunderstands My sophisticated sense of humour Considers me impolite Takes off her sovereign rings And insists that we fight Heartbreaks and heartaches May strengthen the spine But this is about you and me now So I might as well speak my mind I can’t stand the candles That you burn around the bath Or the thirty thousand cushions That you’ve scattered round the gaff That you’re a vegetarian And I am what I eat If God didn’t want us to eat animals Why make them out of meat? I hate your damp washing On my exercise bike The fact you won’t buy bacon Or those full fat crisps I like Your migraines, mood swings The fairground for the cat And your constant interference With the heating thermostat You tidy up my stuff And I never see it again I don’t know where Don’t know when And you re-arrange house and home According to feng shui And I have to put the bog seat down Just like the mystics say But then again ....... You have got lovely eyes Especially the one on the right I’d probably miss your nut roasts Every other Friday night I’d miss your whistling nostrils When you doze in front of the box Your pencil moustache and your flatulence After the monthly cabbage soup detox You’re playing with my heart again After promising so much And those extended forked tongues That we swapped to keep in touch Only serve to remind me That it pays to think things through So I’ll say what I mean and mean what I say I just won’t say them to you VALENTINE Every single second of every single minute Of every single hour of every single day Of every week, of every month, of every year At least three times, quite often four I never think of you NAUSEAM AD Male, 39. Considered ugly Fat, glasses and overweight Flatulent with erupting acne Skin like a cheese grate Seeks young woman, 18-24 Blonde, fit and slim Financially solvent, with own car and house To share his £10 Lottery win

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