12 Questions: Julian Barratt

Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding

With the Mighty Boosh stage show soon to hit Glasgow, Julian Barratt (the taller half of the surreal comedy duo) allows Mary Bowers a peek into the forest of his mind.

1. What’s in your rucksack?

Eight books and tonnes of electrical equipment. I’m like the electronic tramp of the digisphere.

2. What are you reading?

At the moment I’m reading the Dean Martin autobiography. I read about eight at a time. I believe books should be left on benches for people when you’ve finished, a bit like Amsterdam bicycles.

3. What’s on your stereo?

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s ‘The Letting Go’. He’s amazing.

4. What’s in your fridge?

Two frozen pizzas, a bit of halloumi, soya milk and frozen blueberries. I’m quite a good cook really though.

5. What do you cook well?

Salmon, baked potatoes, goats cheese and rosemary is what I cook to perfection.

6. What’s your favourite item of clothing?

My Swedish army boots.

7. What do you love spending time doing?

I love spending time in the wilderness.

8. What’s your biggest worry?

My biggest worry is laziness.

9. What makes you angry?

Bad pop music.

10. What are you putting off?

I’m putting off learning to play the piano. I make music on a keyboard but I don’t really know how to play it.

11. Who’s on your speed dial?

No one’s on my speed dial. Why do that when it only saves two minutes?

12. What do wish you’d done today instead of this?

I wish I had been sitting on a porch in the Rocky Mountains, whittling a small wooden sculpture.

The wit and wisdom of Howard Moon

Howard Moon - genre spanner, jazz maverick and Yorkshire’s foremost cream poet - adds an intellectual element to the Boosh crew. Here we recap on some of his wisest words.

Howard: ‘Are you aware of the music known as jazz?’
Vince: ‘Jazz, what's that, 1984, Matt Bianco [sings] What is lo-o-o-ove anywa-a-a-y, does anybody love anybody anyway?’
Howard: ‘No, jazz. You fear jazz. You fear the lack of rules, the lack of boundaries. Oh look, it's a fence. But, no, it's soft.’

‘Comin ‘atcha like a beam, like a ray, like a rooster, like a goose trapped in the rafters of a barn in Shropshire.’

‘I’ll take you out for a meal with Mr and Mrs Pain, order up a violent quiche.’

‘I do many things. I span the genres - they call me the genre spanner.’

‘I don't accessorise. I'm Howard Moon. There's a simple truth to me.’

To Vince: ‘I mean, look at you: feather cut, the pointy features. Put you in the ‘50s, you’d be imprisoned for being a witch. They’d lock you in a trunk.’

To Vince: ‘You’re clearly French - you’re a child of the croissant. Look at that nose, it’s like the Eiffel tower, you’ve got cheeks like the Louvre and a chin like a baguette.’

To Vince: ‘Please don’t speak to me ever again in your life.’

More: Midgie Bites, Features, Howard Moon, Julian Barratt, The Mighty Boosh

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