Where do you call home?
Currently, Bristol, for the foreseeable future. I spent 17 years in London and swore I’d never leave, and then... I did. To follow a girl. Which is the reason behind most of my major life decisions. It turns out I don’t miss London at all. Bristol is lovely and suits me. It’s a small city that punches above its weight culturally. Occasionally when I say ‘home’ I’ll also be referring to Leicester, which is where I hail from originally, but since I’m not one of those strange people whose parents are still together and kept their childhood room preserved as it was when they moved out, it never really feels like ‘home’ anymore.
What is on your bedside table?
My Kindle, a bar of chocolate I got for Christmas – and, bafflingly, haven’t eaten yet – a stack of my fiancé’s magazines (we’re getting married next year and she’s deep in the research phase), train tickets and receipts I have no real need to keep but somehow have anyway. And a guitar pick.
Which living musician do you most admire?
Ralf Hütter from Kraftwerk. Here’s why. Back in the 1980s, he had a phone that didn’t ring. It had no bell. It was totally silent. If you wanted to work with him, you had to agree a specific time and call at that exact moment. He would expect to pick the phone up and find you on the other end. If you weren’t waiting for him, then you had missed your chance. What a legend.
Describe the perfect date night…
It’s at home. It’s on the sofa. A nice meal. A good film. Possibly a blanket. It’s laughing and listening to music and then going to bed.
What was the last item of clothing you bought?
Today I bought four Adidas three-stripe t-shirts in white, blue, grey and green and a pair of Dr. Martens.
To what or where would you book tickets tomorrow if you could?
I’m not going to Glastonbury this year, so probably that. I’ve not been as a regular punter since 2005, so I’d need some sort of backstage access. General camping makes me anxious these days. I’ve done Glasto as a journalist, a musician and a stand-up comedian many, many times, and it’s utterly special. There’s nothing like it on Earth. The only festival on the planet where the line-up is wholly secondary to the experience.
What are you currently binge-watching?
Andor! Grown-up Star Wars! Who knew? It’s the best thing on television right now and probably the best thing I’ve seen in years – certainly since Better Call Saul finished.
What is your most prized possession?
The Locus Award I won for my first book, The Magic of Terry Pratchett. It was a biography by an unknown author published on a very small imprint. It had absolutely no business winning a major, international award. It’s hard, Perspex proof that I’m good at something. Even my impostor syndrome can’t argue with it.
Blur or Oasis?
Blur, every minute of the day. I have a ‘Holding on For Tomorrow’ tattoo. They’re my favourite band of all time. I saw them at Wembley two years ago, going on my own, and had this almost religious experience, each song pinned so specifically to a point in my life. Tears streaming down my face by the end. It was unforgettable.
