Half Man Half Biscuit

Half Man Half Biscuit

Half Man Half Biscuit are a band from Birkenhead, United Kingdom, active from 1984 to the present. They are known for alternative rock that takes in c86, folk punk, indie rock and post-punk, and for songs that use satire, sarcasm and surrealism. The group is commonly abbreviated to HMHB.

Line-up and label

The band includes Nigel Blackwell on lead vocals and guitar, Neil Crossley on bass, Ken Hancock on lead guitar and Carl Henry on drums. Other members associated with the group include Paul Wright, Ian Jackson, Carl Alty, Karl Benson, David Lloyd and Simon Blackwell. Throughout their career they are signed to Probe Plus Records.

Early releases and recognition

The first single, The Trumpton Riots, reaches number one on the British Independent Chart in 1986. The band also plays Glastonbury and is briefly treated as a major new act. Their early sound is firmly in a post-punk style, with comparisons made to Josef K and The Fall.

After that first record, the band’s musical approach changes slightly as the arrangements become more technically polished. When the second single, Dickie Davies Eyes, enters the UK top 40, Nigel Blackwell announces his retirement, saying that success has interfered with daytime television. A compilation album appears in 1986, before Blackwell returns to the dole.

Reformation and later work

The band reforms in 1990 and begins touring again and giving interviews. Their third album, McIntyre, Treadmore And Davitt, shows a broader musical palette and more developed technique. After that, they release new albums every two or three years. The album Achtung Bono is followed by CSI:Ambleside.

Style, references and live work

HMHB are long associated with dense lyrics full of references to UK culture, geography and football, alongside literary and religious allusions. Blackwell often refers to North Wales, including hillwalking in Snowdonia, as well as Shropshire, East Anglia and Oxfordshire. Their songs also draw on lower-division football in Britain and elsewhere, and mention figures and texts such as Sylvia Plath, Thomas Hardy and the Bible.

The band’s later work brings in more blues and folk elements. They also parody popular musical styles and perform covers by artists including Joy Division, Tim Buckley, The Beach Boys and Tiffany. Their live activity tends to focus on one-off shows rather than long tours, and they often arrange concerts around Tranmere Rovers away fixtures, a club supported by Nigel Blackwell and Neil Crossley. They also turn down an appearance on The Tube because of a Tranmere match.

Radio, sessions and chart notes

Half Man Half Biscuit receive strong support from John Peel and record twelve sessions for him before his death in 2004. In 1990, they announce their return on his programme. In 2002, Andy Kershaw describes them as “the most authentic English folk group since the Clash”.

The song Joy Division Oven Gloves later becomes the subject of a campaign that takes it into the UK Top 75 and to number three in the Official Independent Singles chart, while also reaching number one in the HMV UK Digital Downloads Top 40 Tracks. Nigel Blackwell also provides voice-over work for a BP television advert in 2001.

Lyrical fiction and related acts

Blackwell’s writing also includes invented bands and joke references that appear on sleeves and in songs, including Joe Public And The General Consensus, Evil Gazebo and Pankhurst. Another named fake cover-version act is I Can’t Believe It’s Not Focus. A tribute act called Half Arsed Half Biscuit exists, while the supposed tribute band It Ain’t Half Man, Mum is presented as unverified within the group’s own anecdotes.