Barry Burns facts for kids

Barry Burns is a talented Scottish musician and songwriter. He is most famous for being a member of the post-rock band Mogwai. Barry plays many different instruments and adds a lot to the band's unique sound.

About Barry Burns

Barry Burns was born in Scotland. He is known for his amazing musical skills. He can play many instruments, including guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, flute, and even violin. He also sings sometimes.

Early Life and Education

Barry went to Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill, Scotland. After high school, he decided to study music. He enrolled at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. He was working towards a degree in teaching music.

However, Barry did not finish his degree. He completed three years of the course. He once broke his finger, which made it hard to continue. He also mentioned that he wasn't very comfortable with the teaching part of the course.

Joining Mogwai

Barry Burns joined the band Mogwai just before they recorded their second album, Come on Die Young. Before officially joining, he had already played with the band a few times. He would play the flute and sometimes the piano during their live shows.

According to Stuart Braithwaite, another member of Mogwai, Barry joined because he was "a good laugh." This means he was fun to be around. Barry is a very versatile musician. He plays many instruments for Mogwai. These include keyboards, guitar, and flute. He also sings, often using a special effect called a Vocoder to change his voice.

Barry is the only member of Mogwai who has formal training in music theory. This means he studied the rules and principles of music. However, he jokes that he is "a bit rusty" now.

Other Musical Projects

Besides Mogwai, Barry Burns has worked with many other musicians and bands. He played piano and organ on several albums by the band Arab Strap. He also contributed to albums by Malcolm Middleton, playing piano, organ, and other instruments.

In 2004, Barry played guitar and keyboards on a song called "Tiny Apocalypse" for the famous artist David Byrne. He also played keyboards on the 2009 album Prevention by the Scottish band De Rosa. Sometimes, Barry also performs as a DJ, playing music for audiences. He occasionally DJs alongside his bandmate, Stuart Braithwaite.

Das Gift Bar

For a while, Barry and his wife, Rachel, owned a bar called Das Gift. The bar was located in the Neukölln area of Berlin, Germany. They owned the bar from 2009 until 2021.