| Intro | English explosives and demolition expert |
| A.K.A. | Derek Macintosh Bates |
| Was | Comedian |
| From | United Kingdom |
| Type | Humor |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 5 February 1923, Crewe, Cheshire East, Cheshire, North West England |
| Death |
1 September 2006 (aged 83 years) |
- For the non-alcoholic drink recipe, see Blaster Bates (drink)
Blaster Bates was the name used by Derek Macintosh Bates (5 February 1923 – 1 September 2006), an English explosives and demolition expert and raconteur, who was born in Crewe. He made a series of sound recordings from the 1960s to 1980s, recounting bizarre and funny experiences from his long career, and tales of his hobbies of motorcycling, hunting and shooting. He was much in demand as an after-dinner speaker. His tales feature coarse language and their content is equally strong stuff for the period: once, for instance, he was hired to clear out a farm’s septic tank using explosives, an episode Bates described as “The Shower of Shit Over Cheshire”.
Bates served with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War as a Handley Page Halifax bomber pilot, and then learned his explosives skills as a bomb disposal specialist. After the war he returned to his previous employer Rolls Royce, hoping to resume his old job, but was told “We’re cutting down, you know”. Bates then started his own demolition business, drawing on his wartime expertise. He later noted that it was a good decision, as “over the years I’ve managed to do all right while they’ve Rolls Royce gone steadily bust”.
He was known for carrying sticks of explosive in his pockets, even producing them while giving testimony in trials, to the horror of the court. Most high explosives are harmless unless used with a detonator, but this is not generally understood.
In August 2006 Bates was admitted to hospital suffering from congestive heart failure, and on 1 September 2006 he died aged 83 after a long battle with diabetes. He was buried at St Mary’s church in Sandbach town centre.
Recordings
Currently available CD re-releases in the UK.
- Laughter with a Bang +bonus tracks from 1001 Gelignites (CD BBCD01) (2003) Label: Topic Records
- TNT for Two +bonus tracks from Hunting and Shooting stories (CD BBSV17) (2003) Label : Big Ben / Tangent
- Watch out for the bits +bonus tracks from Gelly Babe (CD BVBSV16) (2002) Label : Big Ben
- Blastermind +bonus tracks from Lift off (CD BBSV18) (2007) Label: Big Ben / Tangent
Original LP & Cassette Releases Label – Big Ben
- Vol1 Laughter with a bang BB00.01/BBMC1 Mono 1967
- Vol2 1001 Gelignites BB00.03/BBMC3 Mono 1968
- Vol3 TNT for Two BB00.05/BBMC5 Mono 1969
- Vol4 Watch out for the bits BB00.07/BBMC7 Mono 1971
- Vol5 Lift-off BB00.09/BBMC9 Stereo 1973
- Vol6 Gelly Babe BB00.11/BBMC11 Stereo 1975
- Vol7 Blastermind BB00.13/BBMC13 Stereo 1980
- Vol8 Hunting and Shooting stories BB00.15/BBMC15 Stereo 1984
Video
- Stand Well Back (VHS Video, PAL format, UK only) – live on stage
Other known recordings
- Dunlop footwear Promo, extracts from Lift-off on Flexi-disk, given away at stand 36, Harrogate 1978.
- Blast it, (Cassette only) compilation.
- Blaster Bates with Redditch Controls, Marston Paxman and Norgren at the Stratford Hilton.
Bootlegs
- Blaster Bates at Huntingdon hall 4 October 2003.
Book
BBC TV Appearances or Contributions
- 24 Hours 08-March-1966 LCA7927J.
- It takes all sorts 13-03-1967 19SX8562.
- Look North 14-Dec-1970 A:RNL5186T.
- Nationwide 25-March-1974 A:LCA3413R.
- Look Stranger – The world of Blaster Bates 6 May 1974 LGF6321T.
- The Fivepenny Piece Show 11 May 1979 NMRD805R.
- Nationwide 17 March 1983 D:LCAC311E.
- News 30 September 1983 ANBC773T.
- Look North 30 September 1983 RNLF739L,
- Pebble Mill at One 25 October 1985 E:NBMH111D.
- Windmill-House and home 3 November 1985 LCHE133D.
- Look North 25 November 1985 RNLH348L.
- Gosling’s Ganders 15 May 1987 RNWC738D.
- Coast to Coast – Wild boars, a shooting star and a Norman knight 27 February 1998 NMYK291D.