The 5-Minute Interview: Tim Burgess, Lead singer with The Charlatans

'I'd like it to be Christmas every day'

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