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Tim Burgess: “your Life Takes Place At 55 Miles An Hour Between One Gig And The Next”

The Charlatans. (Credit: Cat Stephens)

Back in 1997, the Charlatans almost managed to successfully kidnap me and take me on tour with them. They brought me aboard their tour bus, and when it started pulling away, I thought it was headed to their hotel. In fact, it was driving out of town. The band member responsible for the ruse was their late drummer, Jon Brookes. I asked the bus driver to stop and jumped out, but I remember feeling flattered that the band I loved—and love—so much would want me on board with them.

As I’ve mentioned before, I chased this band across the West Coast more than once, and caught them at festivals and shows on their home turf in the U.K. as well. Once was never enough when it came to the Charlatans. These days, it’s unlikely I would hit the road basing my itinerary on theirs. But when their frontperson, Tim Burgess, quietly tells me about a planned but unannounced North American tour, and I finally get the official press release, those dates immediately get locked into my calendar.

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“Touring, as you might imagine, is its own world,” says Tim. “The laws of regular life and physics don’t apply. For a month or so, while you live on a bus, it’s about Zen and the art of a 7-foot by 3-foot by 2-foot bunk, existing in your own world while the worlds of 10 other people take place around you like a symphony.”

He continues, “Each night has the crescendo of the show with the daytime steady build-up. But much of your life takes place at 55 miles an hour between one gig and the next—a world within a world.”

The Charlatans return to our shores in September for a month-long tour in support of their excellent 2025 album, We Are Love, whose deluxe version was recently released featuring three remixes. While every Charlatans album stands on its own—in my somewhat unbiased opinion—and We Are Love is no exception, the group has more than 35 years of touring experience and knows how to keep audiences happy, playing favorites from across its 14 albums.

And they know how to pack for these extended stretches away from home and its comforts. Tim shares his 10 essentials for a North American tour specifically, as he says, “In the U.K., depending on where we are, we can stop off at home. For the U.S. and Canada, it means one suitcase on a plane and that’s it for the next few weeks. Anything forgotten is left behind in the old world.

“The rules on what to take are philosophical as much as physical,” he adds. “Anything extra has to be jettisoned before take-off to ensure a stress-free existence.”

(Credit: Cat Stephens)

AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless Headphones

These cover two bases: the most brilliant audio gear, which is an essential, but these ones were a gift from Dev Hynes [Blood Orange] who designed them with AIAIAI, so they get a tick for being sentimental and ultimately practical. A tour bus win/win.

My iPod

I bought two in 2008 when they were about to stop making them. One has now ceased to function. The other is like a faithful old companion nearing the end of the road. Music players should not be able to take phone calls. I want to be deep in the zone of listening to Lambchop without getting a notification that I need to renew my car insurance. I am ready to march on whichever parliament we have to in order to get them making iPods again. Yep! I get it that other MP3 players are available, but they just don’t do it for me

White Long-Sleeved T-shirts x 10

I used to stock up from American Apparel, but they have been consigned to history like a broken iPod. Our merch guy found some similar (name redacted to ensure support) and I now have enough of those to see me through. Sometimes the lack of a need to think too much when getting ready is the key, just what you know. To me, a white long-sleeved T does the trick.

Cafetière

Or French press in the U.S. My own one is an old piece of kit, robust and has seen a few campaigns. Just the right size to get me two cups and then I’m ready to face the day. I’m up first most days and with 10 people on a bus, solitude is a much-needed rarity. I’ll try different coffees along the way, and I’m gifted some by Charlatans fans and venues, so stock is replenished. Once I’ve had my coffee, I sometimes head out to find a coffee shop, where I’m ready for a more communal experience.

Big Screen

The word “big” is doing much of the heavy lifting here. It’s a gizmo which plugs into your phone then zaps everything onto a remote screen that’s maybe 10 inches by 5 inches, but given the confines of a bunk, it’s like watching a movie on 70mm IMAX. I have some David Lynch faves that I know I can rewatch at any time and the mad world of touring doesn’t seem quite so mad in comparison.

Microwave Cooking Gear

Some of my essentials so far capture the more esoteric elements of touring life, but this is strictly practical. Eating is either convenience stores or diners near venues, and it can become more of an inconvenience. My approach can be the bane of bus drivers as cooking in microwaves in a confined space can lead to revolution. But I have some finely tuned classics: mushrooms with soy and ginger topped with sesame seeds, one Tupperware pot and some bush-craft style techniques. Maybe one day my mini microwave cookbook will become a touring band best seller.

Notebooks

Screen time is one thing, but old-school analogue pen and paper does the trick. From lyrics to diary entries and to-do lists, I have a couple of notebooks which act as an external hard drive while my brain works on the more cyclical events of travel and show.

My Son’s Drawings

Photos on phones are great memories—with flights spent deleting old pics, often with no recollection of how they made it on there. My 13-year-old son would always be drawing. He’s moving away from that now, so it makes me treasure [his drawings] even more. In our bunks we have a plug socket, a light switch, the basic basics, so a couple of pictures to look at while hurtling along to the next gig can help me keep one foot in the world I know back home.

Moccasin Slippers

Again, just sheer practicality. Shoes are way too clunky and be-socked feet on a bus are just asking to encounter a plug that’s strayed from a bunk while going round a corner. I’m not in any public world in my slippers but I’m also aware that sometimes we have press people or record company folks. I’m not looking to score highly on the fashion front but I’m also aware that some kind of style has to be maintained.

Memory Foam Pillow

At least some resistance to just sleeping with the vaguest suggestion of something under your head. I gave up folding the pillow provided 17 times until it was a couple of inches square. Please don’t think I’m complaining as I generally love tour bus life, but unpacking a pillow is a flex that shows you are not new to the game.

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