Tim Burgess, a 1983 hit and the moment he heard the future: “My favourite band”

Tim Burgess says hearing New Order’s 1983 hit “Blue Monday” made the song feel as though it had come from the future and convinced him anything was possible. The experience helped make New Order his favourite band and shaped his ambitions as a young musician, connecting Manchester’s dance and guitar music scene with the rise of The Charlatans.

Growing up in Northwich, Burgess travelled to Manchester for record shops and gigs, including nights at the Ritz and the Hacienda. By 1990, after members of The Charlatans invited him to become their singer, the band’s “The Only One I Know” had reached the UK top ten; within five years of hearing “Blue Monday”, he had become part of the scene he once admired.