Martin Billheimer was born in 1970 in Chicago's working-class Uptown neighborhood, then a hotbed of radical activism. His family moved to Bradford, England, a city in the industria...view moreMartin Billheimer was born in 1970 in Chicago's working-class Uptown neighborhood, then a hotbed of radical activism. His family moved to Bradford, England, a city in the industrial north, where he spent his childhood, before returning to Chicago in the early '80s. Billheimer founded the semi-notorious noise-punk band the Devil Bell Hippies in 1983 and participated in anti-fascist organizing in the music scene. After dropping out of high school, he continued his education working as a dishwasher, house painter, construction worker, and furniture mover. He continues to perform and record music in various projects around Chicago and has acted in pantomimes, puppet theater, and agitprop. He writes on culture, art, and politics at Counterpunch online and the Chiseler.view less