LISTEN UP...TIM’S A REAL HERO

Of all the unlikely heroes of the lockdown – you know, the care workers, fruit pickers, bin men and, ahem, homeschooling parents – one man stands out from the rest.

Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess kept music fans across the world entertained with his remarkable listening parties.

The idea is simple: you listen to a record and follow #timstwitterlisteningparty as members of a band, and others involved in the record’s production, share their thoughts, memories, inspirations and little technical curiosities that made the songs what they are.

It started off as an interesting diversion but like the coronavirus pandemic mushroomed into something much more important.

It gave us something to look forward to in those darker nights, when we’d been for our daily exercise and done the shopping and worried what tomorrow might bring.

Some of our favourite musicians have got involved - the Flaming Lips talked us through The Soft Bulletin and the Pogues did Rum, Sodomy and the Lash and If I Should Fall From Grace With God - and some of the biggest albums ever made got the treatment. Aladdin Sane, anyone?

Anyway, following the ever positive and enthusiastic Tim led us to re-evaluate his own body of work with the Charlatans and solo and we were pleased to note it has all aged rather well.

He has quietly been one of Britain’s finest songwriters of the last 30 years.

What’s more, his new material is just as great. I Love The New Sky, his latest album, is Tim’s first written completely by himself.

It’s a matter of some pride for the 53-year-old and deservedly so.

It’s a neat collection, filled with curiosities that might not fit on a Charlatans album.. Check it out.

Better still, he’s on his way to Belfast - international crises permitting –and will play the Ulster Sports Club on Wednesday, April 14.

We owe it to him...