Jukebox Chatter: Tim Burgess

Tim! Good to speak to you and thanks for writing an excellent column for us. So, what is Tim Peaks' Diner?

In simple terms it's somewhere you can go at Kendal Calling to grab a well deserved coffee or afternoon tea. You can kick back, relax and listen to some music, check out some great artists and hang out with your friends.

It's kind of like Field Of Dreams or something - it started on twitter when I asked if anyone wanted a coffee and it went crackers from there. We did all sorts - album listening parties, inventing breakfast cereals. It kind of sprang out of twitter into the real world. I'd been to Kendal Calling last year and really loved it. They asked if I wanted to do Tim Peaks for real and the answer was a definite YES!

"Where can I get me some NUTS?!"

David Lynch is a brilliant but confusing filmmaker. One thing we can never figure out is who the little blue dude is in Lost Highway. What is your favourite Lynchian conundrum?

Well, I've got to say Twin Peaks - it revolutionised how people made TV. There's so many conundrums (or is it conundra?) in there that you hardly know where to start.

Maybe the greatest Lynchian mystery of all is the man himself. We kind of borrowed the name for the diner from him and we wanted him to benefit from what we were doing. We said we'd give all the money we made to the David Lynch Foundation and he sent a lovely email saying that he really loved what we were doing.

I think people eating a breakfast cereal called Totes Amazeballs, enjoying a fine cup of coffee while a chainsaw artist carves a totem pole outside is worthy of being its own scene from a David Lynch film. frawd gniklat sdrawkcab eht eb ot sah ti ,ti tuoba kniht I won yllautcA.*


"Tim Peaks cafe certainly make a damn fine coffee"

The Charlatans are back to perform Tellin' Stories in June - if pushed, what's your fave song from that album and why?

It changes all the time but right this second (which is not right this second, it was a bit ago so this might have changed) it's 'How Can You Leave Us' - it just brings back the clearest memories of the time. They were the most harrowing times we've ever been through. Rob had died and everything that had gone before kind of didn't matter. What we'd achieved had been put in perspective. Our world had been shattered. We had to find it within ourselves what to do next.

Martin Duffy from Primal Scream said he would play keyboards for us at Knebworth - our biggest ever gig. We knew then that we had to carry on - had we not played, I'm not sure whether we'd have ever played again. It's an emotional song.



Your autobiography is full of great stories. Have any of them got you into trouble / caused anyone to have a rant at you since it was published?

Not so far. I'm not sure I've given anyone reason to have a rant at me. I'd asked some people for their advice when writing an autobiography and being honest seemed to come out top. I don't really have an axe to grind with anyone so nobody comes out of it too badly. I suppose I get the least sympathy - my Mum and Dad might be surprised by some of the drug stories but I'm not sure I'd get ranted at. It's in my past so I'm sure they'd just be glad it stopped. Our accountant who stole all our money is kind of the villain if there is one. He's welcome to come and find me if he fancies a rant at all. I think he's still avoiding me though.

Finally, you have one jukebox credit. What's it going to be?

I'd like 'Prisencolinensinainciusol', by Adriano Celetano please.



CATCH TIM PEAKS' DINER AT
KENDAL CALLING.CO.UK
27-29 JULY, THE LAKE DISTRICT