Tim Burgess and his musical influences

Music has had a huge part in everything I’ve done in my life. I knew this fact anyway but writing an autobiography over the last eleven months has made me cast my mind back over what particular kind of music was sound tracking each part of my life.

From realising girls were into The Bay City Rollers at junior school, which gave me something to talk to them about, right up to DJing this week for The Horrors at their Warehouse Project gig with The Kills and Factory Floor.



I knew I loved music growing up listening to the radio, buying records and then after going to my first gig, Killing Joke, it dawned on me that there was an even more exciting side to how you could listen to it.



From UK Subs through to Crass and The Clash – everybody loves music during their teen years, but to me, these were the perfect companions for the angst and rebellion.



The Clash introduced me to reggae and my record collection grew. The Jam came along, New Order arrived. It was hard to keep up. Friends would introduce me to bands like Throbbing Gristle and I’d make room for them all.



I joined The Charlatans and we introduced each other to different music – from Northern Soul to Deep Purple to The Byrds. I got into Curtis Mayfield and Bob Dylan and an almost endless source of new songs.



More stuff comes in but nothing seems to go!



I’ve never stopped buying music and have got an ever growing record collection. I’ve just got back from Nashville where I got the chance to work with some amazing people like Kurt Wagner and members of Lambchop and My Morning Jacket.



I’ve just started my own label, O Genesis, so there’s even more music around.