The 5-Minute Interview: Tim Burgess, Lead singer with The Charlatans
'I'd like it to be Christmas every day'
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Your support makes all the difference.Tim Burgess, 38, is the singer/songwriter for the Charlatans, who are currently on tour and have an album "Forever: The Singles" out now. They are the subject of "All Back to Mine" - a mini-documentary on Yahoo! Music. To watch it go to www.yahoo.co.uk/ extravenue
If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...
On my computer, trying to get on MySpace. I respond to a lot of fans.
A phrase I use far too often is...
"Amay-zing".
The most surprising thing that ever happened to me was...
Anything I've wanted to do, I've done it.
A common misperception of me is...
That I don't work very hard.
I'm not a politician but...
I'd like to make it Christmas every day.
I'm good at...
Hanging out. I'm a good traveller - I just came from the dungeons in Edinburgh. Sightseeing. I'm also a really good lyricist and songwriter.
But I'm very bad at...
I'm notoriously forgetful.
The ideal night out is...
Watching bands. I'm going to watch bands in Los Angeles. I like hanging out after, talking to the people who've just played. I really like the Rumble Strips, the Horrors, the Damned and Carl Barat.
In moments of weakness...
Temptation's strong. I find moments of weakness every day. I'm a sucker for a sweet love song.
You know me as a musician, but in a truer life I'd have been...
Jumping from job to job. I worked at a farm, in an office, and did a bit of mail. I found them all tedious. I couldn't really care. Big "up" to the people who can hold jobs down.
The best age to be is...
I'm quite enjoying 38, actually. I was talking to someone about feeling rejuvenated, feeling 16 again. I guess 16 was pretty good. Thirty-seven was rough. I'd taken my excesses to the max. I had to choose between music and drugs. I wanted to be something else.
In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:
Just keep on, don't look back and be happy.
Elisa Bray
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