Question of Taste: Craig Walker of Power of Dreams

The Irish musician talks Billie Holiday, My Bloody Valentine... and throwing up on Simon Cowell's shoes 

Craig Walker of Power of Dreams.

Craig Walker is the main man behind Irish band Power of Dreams. Originally from Dublin but living in Berlin for the past six years, he works under various musical guises and has recently been nominated for a Canadian Academy Award for his song in the film Goodbye Happiness. Power of Dreams release a new EP, Baby Boy, this week, and upcoming gigs include: March 12, Mike The Pies (Listowel); March 13, Cyprus Ave (Cork); March 15, Whelans (Dublin).

Best recent book you've read: Hyperreality: How Our Tools Came To Control Us By Frank Mulder. It’s an interesting look at the world we live in today. The systems we have relied on for security and safety for so long are starting to crumble. Also how our desire for money in effect controls and stifles us. Very good read.

Best recent film: Tick, Tock, Boom with Andrew Garfield playing Jonathon Larson, rather excellently. I’m not what I would call a big musical fan and didn’t know much about Larson or his work before. But the movie changed that. I have been deep diving into his music and his lyrics were just insanely good. Andrew Garfield is excellent in this movie. An actor at the top of his game.

Best recent show/gig you’ve seen: Because of restrictions still being in place until March 20, the last time I saw a show was at the Comedy Cafe in Berlin, to see my mate and fellow Berliner, from Scotland, Chris Davis do his stand up show.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old): I’m on a complete Billie Holiday tip at the moment. Someone I had never really dived in too deep on before. I’m astonished at her voice and her ability to emote so clearly. She sings straight from the heart.

First ever piece of music or art that really moved you: I listened to whatever music my parents had in their collections first. It was a mad mix of soundtracks, Motown, big band Glenn Miller stuff and also Billie Holiday, Dione Warwick, Diana Ross and the Supremes. I was moved by all of it.

The best gig or show you've ever seen (if you had to pick one!):My Bloody Valentine - 1991, Town And Country Club. I was living in London and working on the second Power Of Dreams album when Loveless came out. I was already a massive fan of Isn’t Anything, but Loveless was just a monumental coming of age record for me. I was 20 and I had never seen a band like them before or since. It was inspiring.

Tell us about your TV viewing: I watched The Beatles: Get Back recently and loved it. I just finished Inventing Anna which started out great but by the last few episodes you realise, there is nobody to like or empathise with in the whole show. They are all awful.

Radio listening and/or podcasts: I listen to loads of podcasts. Lots of music related ones such as I Am the Egg Pod. Lots of history ones and good old entertaining ones like the Adam Buxton Podcast. Podcasts remind me of pirate radio in Ireland in the 1980s. People talking a lot of shite but I like it.

You're curating your dream festival – which three artists are on the bill, living or dead? Prince, Serge Gainsbourg, David Bowie.

Your best celebrity encounter: I once threw up on Simon Cowell’s shoes at some horrible party in London in the early part of this century. He was horrified and I was escorted towards the door at his bequest. The wild years!

You can portal back to any cultural event or music era – where, when, and why? 1978/81was an interesting period for music. Punk had reset the dials. Synths and drum machines were starting to be incorporated into mainstream music. The technology wasn’t leading the creativity yet. It would be liberating to go back to that kind of era.

In your own life, have you been doing anything in particular in relation to climate change, biodiversity, etc? I haven’t owned a car for more than 20 years. I cycle for the five months of the year that it is warm enough to do so in Berlin. I feel this is my own personal contribution by not adding to the problem by driving everywhere. Berlin is a pretty good city at recycling and the reusing of stuff. People leave stuff they no longer need or use on the streets for others to take. There has been a 20c reward in supermarkets for bottles and plastic bottles for many years. This means it is virtually impossible to go hungry in the city and it also helps with recycling efforts. But it feels like there is so much more we should be doing to ensure we leave a habitable planet for our children and grandchildren.