Lockdown listening parties gave me a sense of purpose
THE CHARLATANS FRONTMAN TIM BURGESS TALKS ABOUT HOW HIS PANDEMIC PROJECT BECAME A LIFELINE DURING COVID AND HIS JOY AT GETTING SIR PAUL McCARTNEY ON BOARD. BY NAOMI CLARKE
SIR Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher and Joy Division – not a bad line-up to rally together for a musical project.
These are but a few of the gargantuan talents The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess turned to when the world needed reminding of the power of connection through music more than ever.
Rewind to March 2020, fear of an emerging virus and a national lockdown is rife, and, like most of us, Tim wanted to help alleviate the strain however he could.
He invited people to collectively tune in to an album online as the band or artist shared insights and stories about the music through his then-Twitter page, and his listening parties were born.
It soon became a sensation, attracting names from across an eclectic mix of genres and eras, from heavy metal band Iron Maiden to Australian pop star Kylie Minogue. But one of Tim’s biggest coups came from believing in the saying, ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’.
“That was amazing,” he says with a grin, as he reflects on landing The Beatles legend Sir Paul.
“I cheekily asked if he’d want to do a listening party and usually people would get back within a few hours at the most, and six weeks later I just got a McCartney thumbs-up emoji, which is very nice... That was one of the best ones really because we put a lot of effort into it.
“That was the main blueprint for a good listening party, the fact that people really wanted to do it.”
The listening party dedicated to the Plastic Ono Band – the rock band formed by the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono – is another of Tim’s highlights, as Yoko, her son Sean, the George Harrison estate and Sir Ringo Starr were involved.
During a more than three-year run on Twitter, the listening parties – the format for which was adapted into a podcast series for Absolute Radio in 2023 – dived into more than 1,300 albums and brought music fans together.
“I meditate on my own every day,” Tim tells me over a video call. “I’ve meditated with a group of people and it’s more powerful, I’ve meditated with 100 people and it’s beyond – it’s like cosmic explosions going on everywhere.
“That’s how it felt with the listening parties, there are thousands of people listening all over the world, focusing on one record.”
Tim admits the scale of the project took a toll but he feels “a lot of good came out of it”.
“I think it culturally impacted in ways that I have no clue about.
“I hate it coming out of my mouth but some of the comments I’ve had are that ‘it saved my life during Covid’ or ‘it was the best thing that happened during Covid’. All these comments are just way beyond what I could have ever imagined it being.
“I’m really thankful for people letting me know that because it actually really helped me too, to get through it, because it gave me a huge sense of purpose, and music is obviously a huge thing for me too.”
As the fourth anniversary of Tim’s Listening Party rolls around, the singer is releasing a compilation album of the highlights.
The album is available as a 62-track four CD package and as a 24-track two CD deal, featuring the likes of The Libertines, The Specials and Belle & Sebastian.
Tim notes that an important aspect of the project was also designating a regular slot for up-andcoming bands to given them a platform during lockdown.
“There were so many publications that had limited staff and people were releasing records, and nobody was writing about them, so that became a really important thing,” Tim explains.
Born in Lancashire, Tim joined The Charlatans in the late 1980s and the band’s 1990 debut studio album Some Friendly went to number one.
The rock group – which consists of guitarist Mark Collins, bassist Martin Blunt, keyboardist Tony Rogers and singer Tim – went on to produce chart-topping records including their 1995 eponymous album and 1997’s Tellin’ Stories.
“With The Charlatans, it was all about demo tapes, being able to play live and trying to get a deal,” Tim recalls about their early days.
“We didn’t [get a deal], we managed to persuade somebody’s sister to put up the money and we’d pay it back when we did get a deal, which is what happened.”
He feels the group had to overcome a similar hurdle artists face today of no one taking any interest in you until you promote yourself. However, he recognises the challenges of the social media age.
The band created demo tapes which they gave away and had to avoid the police and security as they put up posters.
“That was all part of the momentum,” he says. “I would hate to try and start a social media presence by having to pay for it.”
Just as the listening parties provided a space for emerging artists, grassroot music venues have been growing young talent for decades.
However, a report by the charity Music Venue Trust released in January showed these venues experienced their “worst year” for closures in a decade during 2023.
Tim thinks it is important for grassroot venues to be supported, noting you “can’t just become Coldplay overnight, you have to start somewhere”.
“I’ve put my money where my mouth is and helped save a few places”, he adds. “I guess more people in bands need to do that.” stage with The
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