"Mr. Scorsese’s stuff — I couldn’t watch Raging Bull Enough. I couldn’t watch Taxi Driver enough — every time it was on, I would just watch it. I couldn’t stop. I think there’s just, you know, being able to capture something that was real and something you just couldn’t tear your eyes away from. I don’t really know how to articulate it so much. These are all things that hit me young, and that’s why I’m talking about them now. Because they’re the things that opened my eye to movies and they are the ones that drew me to want to see more films. Almost like they chose me, and I didn’t really choose them, if you know what I mean. It’s like, they were put in front of me and I didn’t know what hit me. That’s more appropriate, actually."

"Another movie my dad took me to see. Why? I don’t remember him asking me if I wanted to go to the movies, necessarily, nor if he explained what we were going to see, and I’m sure I don’t remember him talking to me after the fact about what we had seen. I went because it was my dad + the movies. How did he choose? ’Round Midnight, Pumping Iron . . . Walkabout. I remember seeing Walkabout (I was very young, a preteen), and for a long time I remembered much about it. When I saw it as an adult I saw so much that I had not remembered but must still have been there inside of me. Scary. And great, I guess? Walkabout helped begin an awareness of significant otherliness, and maybe helped reinforce the idea that otherliness is not really sanctioned."

"When I was growing up, I heard a lot of compilation albums being played by my parents. One of these was Abba Gold. That got me into the band. In the end, it was tough to choose between Arrival and Voulez-Vous, which came out three years later. There are two reasons why Arrival wins out. “Firstly, ever since The Darkness got into a position where we needed an intro, we’ve used the song Arrival itself. So, I hear it every night, and it’s become a part of my life. Secondly, there’s a helicopter on the album cover. That’s cool in itself. But what I recently had done was a photo with myself, my wife, my child and dog put into the cover shot in place of the band, all of us standing by the helicopter. That has pride of place in my lounge"

"Iggy's probably my favourite singer and I was thinking about choosing one of his solo records, but when you see my next one you'll probably figure out why I didn't choose that. Again, what can you say about Fun House? It's just so primal, a rock & roll record, and I can't think of anything like it. From the box set you can tell that it didn't just appear, they worked incredibly hard to get it that good, take after take after take. It's just amazing, totally powerful. To be able to capture something that probably was more of a live experience and make it sound like they're in the room with you… one of my neighbours has got a ludicrous stereo, and we'll just listen to Fun House, insanely drunk, on his stereo. It's almost like you're there, melting your face. It was a fun night… you should come round, it happens most Fridays. That's how countryside life in Scotland goes."