Jon Ronson's Frank Story, Monday April 7, The Black Box, Belfast, 8pm
JOURNALIST and author turned screenwriter Jon Ronson is set to tell Belfast the very personal true story behind his new Frank Sidebottom-inspired movie.
Starring Michael Fassbender as its titular papier mache-headed musical maverick, Frank is a fictionalised movie tribute to outsider artists including Daniel Johnston, Captain Beefheart and, of course, Frank Sidebottom, the Timperley-based musical sensation for whom Ronson somehow found himself playing keyboards in the 1980s.
When Frank, AKA Chris Sievey, died of throat cancer in 2010, Ronson helped fans donate thousands of pounds via Twitter to help pay for the penniless performer's funeral.
Now, Jon's new one-man show, finds him recalling his early days as a Sidebottom sideman, along with the making of the movie partly inspired by those very misadventures.
Indeed, this is set to be a big year for Frank Sidebottom fans: Steve Sullivan's documentary Being Frank - The Chris Sievey Story is also due for release later in 2014.
It's about time this underappreciated musical and comedy genius reached a whole new audience - you know it is, it really is. *
Tickets £8 from Belfastfilmfestival.org.