“I was in the Rockin’ Vicars, which was the first British band to tour behind the Iron Curtain.”

I was lucky: I didn’t get married, so I didn’t have to have that responsibility.

I always write about war, love, death, and injustice. There’s plenty of that around, so I never run out of ideas.

Got two kids; one’s a record producer who lives just up the road from me – great guitarist and piano player, too.

I hate golf! I still can’t believe Alice Cooper plays golf!

It’s very much up to you, how you shape your life. I mean, I missed out on human relationships. But looking at relationships that I’ve seen along the way, I don’t think I’ve missed much.

Oh, I listened to a lot of the blues. I love the blues. You know, Slim Harpo, people like that, and Sonny Boy Williamson.

I listen to everything from Ravel to the Bee Gees.

Bomber’ was the first song I wrote about war.

I don’t really admire musicianship per se – as is obvious from my own playing.

I wanted to be a farmer; actually, I wanted to be a horse-breeder. And I had the stallions… but then I heard Little Richard, and that was it.

You can’t win fame; you have to earn it. If you’re given fame without working for it, then you’re not going to be ready for it.

I saw the Beatles play the Cavern in Liverpool when I was 16. They had attitude: Onstage, they were like a four-headed monster.

I dislike religion quite intensely. It’s been the cause of all the grief in the world ever since they discovered the first stone to worship.

All my dreams came true. There’s not many people that can say that. I mean, most people have to work in a job they hate all their lives, and I can’t imagine that.

I don’t like people’s table manners. That really puts you off eating food.

In every kid’s life, there’s about three or four years when you’re at liberty, and after that, you have to get a job because you’re getting married or you have to support your parents or whatever it is.

When I hooked up with them I was still going to Narcotics Anonymous. But they were never into drugs. If it weren’t for the band, I think I’d still be getting high.

I just kind of thought about doing this my whole life. I never doubted myself once. I’ve always been singing, and I’ve always wanted to be on tour with a rock band.

And this is the Anarchistic definition of the State: the embodiment of the principle of invasion in an individual, or a band of individuals, assuming to act as representatives or masters of the entire people within a given area.

We started with Denny Cordell, and he was a great record producer. He knew exactly how to take a band that knew absolutely nothing, and guide you without trying to tell you what to do.

I remember Glenn Miller coming to me once, before he had his own band, saying, How do you do it? How do you get started? It’s so difficult. I told him, I don’t know but whatever you do don’t stop. Just keep on going.

There is a constant battle between Cogsy and I as who’s the biggest psycho in the band

I was just a music lover who wondered what it would sound like if Otis Redding strapped on a guitar and played in a punk band. Thats it.

Even when I interviewed bands, it was about asking them about writing songs, so it was more for me than anybody else.