Culture that made me: Ricky Wilson on Ghostbusters, David Hockney and Jarvis Cocker

Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs was lucky to be born in 1978, ‘because when my teens hit, in the early 90s, the music couldn’t have been better’

Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs.

RICKY WILSON, 47, grew up in Keighley, Yorkshire. In 2000, as lead singer, he co-founded the indie rock band Parva, a precursor for Kaiser Chiefs, which released its multi-award-winning debut album, Employment, in 2005.

He has appeared as a judge on British TV show The Voice. Kaiser Chiefs will perform at Dublin’s Collins Barracks on Saturday and Live at the Docklands, Limerick, on Sunday

• kaiserchiefs.com

Britpop

Luckily, I was born in 1978 because when my teens hit, in the early 90s, the music couldn’t have been better. 

My coming of age coincided with the rise of Britpop. Some of the music around at that time was incredible. 

Bands playing in Leeds didn’t play anything bigger than the Town and Country Club, which was less than 2,000 people. 

So, any night of the week you could see a band that you could see on TV. It was amazing. All these bands like These Animal Men, Suede, and Oasis passing through.

One of the good things about it was that being perceived as cool stopped being, say, the captain of the school football team, to being into the right bands. It all switched.

Jarvis Cocker

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker swings on a treetops assault course in Thetford, Norfolk Wednesday 29 May 2002. Photo: Andrew Parsons.

Turning on Top of the Pops and seeing someone like Jarvis Cocker, he’s from Sheffield and he’s wearing second-hand clothes. 

For the first time in my life, being in a band seemed very accessible. I like Jarvis Cocker’s lyrics, and the fact that there were stories. 

Growing up, my parents didn’t listen to music that much, but what they did listen to was country music and that was always based on stories and then Pulp came along, and they seemed to write stories as well, which I liked.

Cocker’s songs were very honest and truthful about himself. People can relate to him.

Super Furry Animals

Super Furry Animals play their set at the Guinness Witnness Festival at Punchestown Racecourse, Kildare, Ireland July 13, 2003. (Photo by ShowBizIreland.com/Getty Images)

Super Furry Animals were a massive influence. People say Blur were, but it was moreso Super Furry Animals. I even used to copy the voice [of Gruff Rhys].

If you listen to our first record, I was trying to copy that delivery. 

It was the way I liked to sing. Fair play to them.

Michael Stipe

Michael Stipe is a great lyricist. What he does with lyrics, which I like to do, is when you’re going along, it feels like it’s a smooth road, and he’ll throw in a bump in the road, something will jump out at you. 

It’s a bit odd, out of context and specific, say, the brand of something. He won’t say ‘cup of coffee’, he’ll say ‘Nescafé’. He inspired me to do that. 

It’s about a conversation. Say what you mean. Don’t try to be too broad. 

Lots of songwriters avoid that because they don’t want to have listeners’ ears pricked up too much, but those are the moments that stop you in your tracks, the moments that chime.

Liam Gallagher

Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher with the band at the CIA Cardiff, Sunday December 8 2002.

As a front man, Liam Gallagher does something I could never do. He stands there and that’s it — the balls on him are incredible. And people love it. 

He does lots of things well, but one thing really well — the singing. He knows he’s got it covered. 

Whereas I’m a little bit ‘I’ve gotta get them going’. I punish myself if I’m not getting them going. It’s my fault. 

He would never think like that. I’m jealous — he stands there, and he turns his back to the audience, going ‘Love me’. I’m more like a toddler: ‘Love me!’

Rod Stewart vs Pete Townshend

I read a lot of books — autobiographies and murder, preferably both at the same time. I find autobiographies so interesting, not just the individual stories, but the vibe. How they present themselves. 

I remember on one holiday I read Rod Stewart’s and Pete Townshend’s autobiographies back-to-back. Couldn’t have been more different.

Pete Townshend seemed bitter at the world, misunderstood, felt he didn’t get the appreciation he deserved.

He claimed to have invented the internet and met the devil. Whereas Rod Stewart’s was like ‘I have led the best life anyone’s ever had’ and he’s unashamed of it. It’s brilliant.

Keith Allen

Keith Allen’s autobiography, Grow Up, is a good one. Very interesting. What a life he’s led.

I didn’t expect to love it, but it’s in my top five autobiographies.

Steve Martin

Steve Martin's Born Standing Up

I remember a day we were about to go on stage in Chicago. In the morning, I started reading Steve Martin’s autobiography, Born Standing Up. It changed my life. 

I finished it in the afternoon. I went on stage that night. In some way everything was different. I felt more confident, more alive, and since then my approach to being on stage has been totally different. 

It was almost like on stage, everything slowed down a bit in my head. I felt more in control of the situation. I credit Steve Martin with that. 

It’s not one piece of advice I took from it, it just felt like ‘this is where I belong, and I do it well’. I don’t know why. It just worked. It’s a brilliant book.

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters.

I grew up in the 80s, an incredible time for movies. You’ll never see a bigger Ghostbusters collection of memorabilia than you will in my house. Ghostbusters, what a film. 

They’re a gang, kind of underdogs, and they fight ghosts. They were cool, but they weren’t cool. Bill Murray’s character, Pete, was the coolest one, and he was a middle-aged man going bald.

It’s a spectacular film.

Murder on the Orient Express

Poirot: Murder On The Orient Express.

My favourite film is the original Murder on the Orient Express from 1974. It’s one of those films that if it comes on the television, I’ll watch it from beginning to end. What a movie.

Albert Finney played Hercule Poirot. Everyone complained he was too young to play the part. 

It was made in the 1970s, but it feels older, like a classic piece of cinema. Everyone’s in it — Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall. It’s amazing. And I love the music.

This is Spinal Tap

This Is Spinal Tap.

My wife likes watching music documentaries, but I find them a bit grim, unless you can count Spinal Tap in there. 

The good thing about Spinal Tap is that it’s too true! It’s the quirkiest film ever by anyone that’s ever been a musician.

With music documentaries, I don’t like seeing the downs, but then downs are what makes great bands great. Bands don’t come from meteoric trajectories. 

That comes from ups and downs, shit happening and a feeling it’s falling apart. 

Music documentaries remind me too much of [our band]. We’ve fallen apart many times, but we’ve realised there’s nothing else we can do.

David Hockney

This undated photo provided by Christie's Images Ltd. 2018, shows a painting by David Hockney entitled "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)."

When it comes to art, I’m a cliché. I love David Hockney. He’s the greatest living artist. He’s still doing it. 

I’m jealous of artists. When you’re a musician, there’s an element of diminishing returns to it, but when you’re an artist, and you get big, whatever you do from that point, it’s like printing money. 

When Hockney opens an exhibition, and it’s opening night, nobody’s coming in, going ‘Do more swimming pools!’. 

Artists rarely get heckled. They put their flag on the side of the mountain, and it never drops down.