BIOGRAPHY
TV APPEARANCES
DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET, 1968 with MICHAEL PALIN, TERRY JONES, ERIC IDLE, TERRY GILLIAM, DAVID JASON and DENISE COFFEY. After Monty Python was formed, Neil joined forces with them on albums, films and concert tours.
RUTLAND WEEKEND TELEVISION 1975 - 76 with ERIC IDLE, and The Rutles.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’S parody of the Beatles story, ‘All You Need Is Cash’ featuring the fictional pre-fab-four 'The Rutles' played by NEIL INNES, ERIC IDLE, JOHN HALSY AND RICKY FATAAR and also starring DAN ACKROYD, JOHN BELUSHI, BILL MURRAY, MICK JAGGER, GEORGE HARRISON and PAUL SIMON. Neil wrote and produced all the songs and the album was nominated for a Grammy.
MONTY PYTHONS FLYING CIRCUS 1969 - 1974
THE INNES BOOK OF RECORDS an eighteen-part TV series of Neil's songs put to film. Broadcast on BBC 2 in 1979 through 1981 the programs have remained cult viewing ever since. There is great pressure from fans to get the BBC to re-release it.
A POKE IN THE EYE WITH A SHORT STICK 1976 with the BEYOND THE FRINGE team and MONTY PYTHON for AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.
SECRET POLICEMAN'S BALL 1979 with MONTY PYTHON, PETER COOK and a host of other great performers
BOOK TOWER/ PUDDLE LANE
After IBOR Neil took a short break from music performance presenting a wide variety of award-winning children’s television programmes.
AWAY WITH WORDS 1998 - 99. Neil wrote and presented a thirteen-part TV series on the English Language (Anglia/Discovery). Words are Neil’s passion so this was undertaken with characteristic gusto.
FILMED and RECORDED INTERVIEWS
MONTY PYTHON. Almost THE TRUTH - The Lawyer's Cut 2009
THE SEVENTH PYTHON 2009
'CLIPS AND TALKING HEAD' television appearances too numerous to mention
TOURS
Neil has been touring extensively each year since the 1980s, performing in the US and UK as well as JAPAN, AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND mainly solo, but also with many great musicians and performers.
A few of the highlights include :
1964 - 70 BONZOS tour UK + US
UK 1970 "THE WORLD" tour with IAN WALLACE, DENNIS COWAN, ROGER MCKEW
1973 - 76 GRIMMS tour with JOHN GORMAN, ANDY ROBERTS, NEIL INNES, ROGER MCGOUGH, MICHAEL MCGEAR, joined by poet BRIAN PATTEN.
1980s MONTY PYTHON tour of UK (Drury Lane) US and CANADA
1981 SECRET POLICEMANS BALL
2003 THE RUTLES tour with JOHN HALSEY - drums, MICKY SIMMONDS - keyboards, MARK GRIFFITHS-bass guitar, JJ JONES - percussion and RUTLING KEN THORNTON - lead guitar.
2003 - 6 EGOWARRIORS UK and US tours with musiciansJJ JONES - drums, TOM FRY - double bass
2004 Concerts with Slovenian group TERRAFOLK
2007 BONZO DOG REUNION reunion featuring UK comedians STEPHEN FRY, ADE EDMUNDSON AND PHIL JUPITUS, followed by a BONZO tour
2008 FATSO (Rutland Weekend TV Band) reunion and tour featuring NEIL with JOHN HALSEY, ROGER RETTIG, BRIAN HODGESON and BILLY BREMNER
FILM APPEARANCES
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
THE MEANING OF LIFE
ERIC THE VIKING
THE MISSIONARY
NEILS VINYL & CDS
LUCKY PLANET 1970
HOW SWEET TO BE AN IDIOT 1973
RUTLAND WEEKEND SONGBOOK 1976
TAKING OFF 1977
THE RUTLES 1978
INNES BOOK OF RECORDS 1979
OFF THE RECORD 1982
RECYCLED VINYL BLUES 1994
ARCHAEOLOGY 1996
RECOLLECTIONS 1 2000
RECOLLECTIONS 2 2001
RECOLLECTIONS 3 2001
WORKS IN PROGRESS 2006
NEIL WITH THE BONZOS
GORILLA 1967
THE DOUGHNUT IN GRANNY’S GREENHOUSE 1968
TADPOLES 1969
KEYNSHAM 1969
LETS MAKE UP AND BE FRIENDLY 1972
NEIL WITH GRIMMS
GRIMMS 1973
ROCKIN’ DUCK 1973
SLEEPERS 1976
BOOKS / SCRIPTS
'GLOOM DOOM AND VERY FUNNY MONEY - economics for half-wits', a self help book for fledgling economists.
RAGGY DOLLS scripts and voices – ran to over 100 episodes.
AND NOW:
Following 40th anniversary of Monty Python 'Not The Messiah - he's just a very naughty boy' at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, NEIL is about to embark on another solo USA tour followed by a UK tour in autumn 2010
IN THE PIPELINE:
A series of books called 'SHORT STORIES AND TALL SONGS' using his sketches, drawings, song lyrics, anecdotes, thoughts and musings in a semi-autobiographical
pot pouri.
There will be a 2 CD set featuring new songs and characters from the BBC Radio 4 series 'INNES OWN WORLD'
Neil will continue to perform to small but beautifully formed audiences around the world, and one by one, raise an international army of 'EGO WARRIORS', sworn to defend self-esteem wherever it may be. This is his life’s work.
'HOW SWEET TO BE AN IDIOT'.