Star Files – Tim Briffa – 2005

INSTRUMENT PLAYED:
Rythm Guitar, Harmonica, Autoharp

CURRENT RESIDENCE:
Shepherds Bush, London

STAR SIGN:
Caesarian

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:
Yoga, mysticism, alternative medicine, mediumship, sleeping. I’m kind of interested in politics, but it tends to make me depressed

PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT:
Fry Chef, film extra, cleaner for the Transcendental Meditation centre, graveyard renovator, busker

EARLIEST MEMORIES:
Being pushed down a hill in my pram by my grandmother. (She would let me go and then catch me again, while l would make gurgling noises)

FIRST RECORD THAT TURNED YOU ON TO ROCK’N’ROLL:
Album: Revolver-Beatles. Single: I’m a Believer-Monkees

LAST RECORD BOUGHT:
Jacques Brel-Jacques Brel

FAVOURITE BOOKS:
Lost in Music by Giles Smith; How To Be In A Pop Group by Alan Jenkins; The Master Game by Robert S De Ropp; Wonderland Avenue by Danny Sugerman, the best book l’ve read in the last couple of years l found in a bin on Portobello Road called Bed Of Nails-the story of the Amazing Blondini, about an escapologist from the thirties who was raised in a circus among the freakshows

FAVOURITE FILMS:
Performance, Room at the Top, Cool Hand Luke,The Graduate, This is Spinal Tap, Godfather 2

FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME:
The Day Today, the Larry Sanders Show, League Of Gentlemen, Green Wing

FAVOURITE COLOUR:
Pink/Black

FAVOURITE DRINK:
Coffee

FAVOURITE VEGETABLE:
Mushroom, possibly potato

FAVOURITE CURRENT BANDS:
Soundtrack of Our Lives, quite like The Coral

FAVOURITE ALBUMS:
Love-Forever Changes, Who-Sell Out, the Velvet Underground and Nico, Jacques Brel 67, Scott Walker-Scott 2, Byrds-Notorious Byrd Brothers, Beatles-almost everything except for Mr Moonlight

FAVOURITE MDH TRACK:
You Were Right, I Was Wrong

WORST HAIRCUT:
7 years ago. (l’ve been cutting my own ever since)

MOST DISLIKED BAND:
Freddie and the Dreamers/Oasis

WORST DRINK/DRUG HELL:
Luckily l usually get a total memory loss, following heavy drinking. My worst drug hell was probably after four cups of acid punch backstage at this party/club thing. The acid was just coming on and l was feeling thirsty so l took a swig out of a bottle of mineral water that was lying around, only to discover it was petrol belonging to a fire eater. Not exactly my most relaxed trip

YOUR DRUG HEAVEN:
I wouldn’t wish to promote the illegal use of drugs

WHAT SONG DO YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN:
Walk On By (Baccarach/David) Funeral Tango (Jacques Brel) or Girl (Lennon/McCartney)

IDEAL WOMAN:
Anita Pallenburg, Isabel Adjani

BIGGEST TURN ON:
Ball of foot

WORST/MOST FRIGHTENING GIG:
A biker rally in Essex, we had to go on following a motorbike tug of war and onstage arm wrestling

BEST GIG:
Most of our best gigs have probably been to less than ten people, but the Joiner’s in Southampton was a lot of fun, people stealing our broken strings and arguing over our set lists. Earliest and possibly only demonstration of My Drug Hell Mania

PERSON YOU’D MOST LIKE TO SEE GET HIT BY A BUS:
This is spooky, when l first answered this question, within a week I was knocked down by a bus myself. Instant Karma. So this time I’ll say no comment

AMBITIONS:
To make five great albums, including a concept album then split

FAMOUS PEOPLE YOU’D MOST LIKE TO MEET:
Leonard Cohen; Chris Morris (Brass Eye, Jam etc); Tony Blair (so l could tell him what an idiot he is)