Mick Hampshire

Mick Hampshire lives in a boat moored on the River Medway, and has been making noise since '81, making a nice stamp in the shape of Mickey & The Milkshakes, which led onto The/Thee Milkshakes. The Milkshakes were a very prolific group, with joint song-writing from Mick Hampshire and Billy Childish, drums bashed by Bruce Brand, and bass notes hit by Mark Gilbert/John Gawen/Russell Wilkins. A female variation followed the band, The Delmonas, which included Mick's long-term partner, and musical collaborator, Miss Ludella Black. Following the demise of The Milkshakes, Mick has also released his musical wonders under Micky & the Salty Sea Dogs, and Mickey and Ludella. Mick currently raids sound systems with The Masonics, a stripped-back trio of guitar, bass and drums, mixing '60s beat, garage and instrumental vibes, but with a punk ethic, and has been since '91... Not happy solely to wield a Burns guitar at an amazed audience, Mick is also a very talented painter and abstract artist. Some of his works can be seen on some of his record sleeves - including this very record! Armed only with his Grimshaw semi-acoustic guitar (unamplified), Mick played and sang through a single microphone, and the sound was crisply collected by a mobile recording device under the direction of long-term friend Kevin Younger (The High Span, Armitage Shanks, Ye Ascoyne d'Ascoynes, etc), in a back room. This twelve song recording is a one-take operation, and shows that there's no stopping this man... Limited to 500 copies.