Music & Me: Yan of British Sea Power

The first record I bought was…

The Wurzels’ “Combine Harvester” from Natland Village Hall jumble sale, in Kendal. Strange how fate works as British Sea Power had a lovely tug of war behind Shepherds Bush Empire with The Wurzels a few years later.

They won! By distracting us with a large flagon of cider.

The first gig I went to was…

Iggy Pop in Leeds. I was 17 years old. It was around the time of the American Caesar album. He did some Stooges songs which were brilliant, but I wasn’t so into the new material.

My favourite album is…

I Hear A New World by Joe Meek

But my parents always liked…

The Butthole Surfers and Lonnie Donegan.

I couldn’t marry someone who liked…

Monkey Harris.

On stage I like to wear…

A Cumbrian wrestling outfit, or anything with ribbons. With lucky string in the back pocket, a garter of poison ivy and a click-on floral cloak.

I’d love to perform with…

Geoff Goddard. He was the main songwriter with Joe Meek. He was going to be a singer but he couldn’t stop grunting in between singing lines because he got so excited. If I’d collaborated with him he could grunt as much as he liked. I’d put it up loud in the mix.

One thing that must change in the music industry is…

Hygenic, well-vacuumed studios.

A great album cover is…

Fried. Julian Cope, naked under a giant tortoise shell, with a battered dinky toy.

On my iPod I listen most to…

Celestial Litanies. Sung by the Moscow Ministry of Culture Choir. Featuring composers from Ivan the Terrible to Rachmaninov.

If I could have written any song it would have been…

Barber’s “Adagio For Strings”.

The worst song I have heard is…

“1234” by Monkey Harris.

British Sea Power’s new single ‘No Lucifer’ is out 10 March, and new album ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’ is out now on Rough Trade Records