The first song I remember hearing
George Michael – ‘Father Figure’
“When I was a kid, I was scared of going to sleep at night so I used to leave my little pink CD player/radio on. I would often fall asleep listening to Graham Torrington’s Late Night Love show. Graham and his listeners taught me a lot about love but he would also play ‘Father Figure’ about four times a night. That instrumental opening reminded me of ancient Egypt for some reason and whenever I hear that song now, I’m taken back to my childhood bedroom.”
The first album I ever owned
The Black Eyed Peas – ‘Elephunk’
“My dad was an avid film collector, so it’s no wonder I became an actor, but he also had a huge CD collection. I think I was drawn to ‘Elephunk’ because the album cover just looked cool. I have very specific memories of boogieing to ‘Hey Mama’ in my bedroom – and I still love that song to this day. I got married recently and we told our guests that if they wanted to get us a gift, they could give us their favourite album on vinyl but ‘Elephunk’ is still missing from our collection. We’ve got ‘Johnny Cash: Live At Folsom Prison’ but nothing by The Black Eyed Peas.
The first gig I went to
Johnny Flynn at Alexandra Palace Theatre in 2023
“I’m quite ashamed to say my first gig was only last year. My wife thinks I’m clinically insane and I can’t really disagree. I grew up in the middle of nowhere and we didn’t have much money, so I wasn’t going to spend it on going to watch live music. But my friend Johnny Flynn is a talented son of a bitch and performed with poet Robert Macfarlane last year. It was an amazing night. It was a real storytelling experience between the poetry and the music that accompanied it. As far as first gigs go, it was quite tame – I had a seat and there wasn’t a mosh pit, though it was so hot someone did pass out, so I guess I had a little taste of everything.
And has it given you the live music bug?
“I definitely want to go to more gigs now. I’d love to see Radiohead. I’m a huge fan of their music so It’d be great to see them do something.”
The song that reminds me of home
Neil Diamond – ‘Sweet Caroline’
“It reminds me of being locked in the local pub after hours with my mum’s side of the family. It’s not a successful night unless ‘Sweet Caroline’ is sung and I used to roll my eyes at it but nowadays, I look forward to those moments. It tends to be a Christmas thing and it’s one of those songs that just brings people together.
The song I wish I’d written
Fatboy Slim – ‘Praise You’
“Music is really important to me. I have my favourite songs and music that makes me feel safe, but I never had the talent to pursue it myself, so this is a tough one. The lyrics to ‘Praise You’ are so simple, I feel like I could have written them though. I adore the music video as well. I used to watch it on repeat and that’s how I was introduced to Spike Jonze.”
The song I can’t get out of my head
Ry Cooder – ‘Paris, Texas’
“It’s the soundtrack to the movie of the same name, which is my favourite film of all time. It’s an amazing piece that inspires these feelings of melancholy and nostalgia. I normally listen to songs until I get tired of them, but I’ve never gotten bored of ‘Paris, Texas’.”
The song I can no longer listen to
The folk accompaniment to the Orcadian Strip The Willow
“I was furiously dancing to it at my wedding when I threw my back out. Whenever I hear it now, I have visions of struggling to get up off any surface and my wife having to help me. “
The song that makes me want to dance
The folk accompaniment to the ‘Orcadian Strip The Willow’
“There’s nothing like doing a ceilidh. It’s typically a dance that happens at Scottish weddings and it’s the one moment where everyone physically comes together. I get embarrassed singing and dancing but a ceilidh is a way for me to throw myself into it, I think because everyone’s in it together so you don’t feel vulnerable. You can’t half-ass a ceilidh either. So I can’t listen to the music of The Orcadian Strip The Willow but I must dance whenever I do – it’s a curse.
The song that makes me cry
Brian Eno – ‘The Big Ship’
“I can’t listen to it without thinking back on all the tough times and the great moments from my life, and I just find it really emotional. I love a lot of Brian Eno’s music but ‘The Big Ship’ is definitely my weepy song.
The song I do at karaoke
Johnny Cash – ‘A Boy Named Sue’
“I’m not a comfortable singer but when I do karaoke, it’s ‘A Boy Named Sue’. I’m a big Johnny Cash fan, I like the storytelling nature of the song and it’s just brilliant. It’s also quite fun as well and if you’re doing karaoke, you want something that’s going to uplift people and get them going.”
How many drinks is it going to take to get you onstage with a mic?
“A lot. And I’m going to try and avoid it the best I can. If I do get roped into it, I’ll probably have to pull someone up with me because I’m too much of a coward to do it on my own. I’ve done karaoke maybe three times in my life and I’m not rushing back either.”
The song I want played at my funeral
Beck – ‘Loser’
“I’ve only recently got into Beck. ‘Loser’ is a great song and it would be a fitting end. It’d be funny as well. I don’t want a sad song played at my funeral, I want people to celebrate and have fun.”
‘SAS Rogue Heroes’ season two will start New Year’s Day on BBC One. ‘William Tell’ launches January 17 (in cinemas)