I suppose the mindset for a band show is more that you overpower the audience. That sounds rather totalitarian, doesn't it?

When you stand up acoustic in front of an audience, you really are a man without any clothes on. And that can be fun - it depends how much of an exhibitionist you are, I suppose. I quite enjoy it.

We're the only band that's got real communication between the stage and the audience. People know they can come and talk to us and pour beer over us, buy us a drink and spit at us. [on his group, the Damned]

If a composer is to reach his audience emotionally - and surely that's what theatre music is all about - he must reach the people through sounds they can relate to.

The tactical situation could be very different from what we suppose, ... And so, I mean, you're just going to have to be ready for lots of things.

After I said, 'This sounds like scam to me,' he hung up.