who is on drugs.
People like that can't keep their word. It's not their fault, it's a fact of life.

you've tried to turn the lights on by banging your head against the wall.
I've recovered from alcoholism, but I remember going to The Groucho Club and getting drunk and spitting at people, because I felt so less valid than everybody. I was ready to put my head under a bloody lorry. It's true that I tried to jump out of the window of [London Club] Soho House after 'Country House' went to Number One, but the story has been exaggerated a little. I was restrained before I got near the windows. People assumed I supported Chelsea, hated the Gallagher brothers, and was a middle-class grammar school boy who had never had a job. That was rubbish, and I was trying to stay clear of that. Before I dried out in The Priory, that was the darkest point in my life.

that you have no control over the universe.
It's up to you to determine how you react. If you feel unhappy, you need to sort yourself out. If you think you can control the world, go down to Brighton and try to stop the tide coming in. That was a bit of advice given to me by a counsellor. They've got lots of good bits of advice. I had six months of good advice.

the Rollercoaster Tour in 1992.
It was so exciting. Blur were playing, along with Dinosaur Jr, The Jesus And Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. These were the groups that I really looked up to. That was also the most rock'n'roll tour we've been on; Damon dropped his trousers onstage one night. I loved My Bloody Valentine too. I tried to get as much of their sound as possible into 'Leisure'.

that there should be a struggle between band and record company.
It's totally misguided. You get more of your own way if you're not a spoilt brat. Record companies sometimes ask for peculiar things, and if they do ask for something that you'd rather not do, just tell 'em. The five things I guarantee I'll never do are: 1) Tell my daughter that I'll do something that I won't do. 2) Make promises I can't keep. 3) Let people down because I couldn't face them. 4) Get drunk rather than speak to people. 5) Vote Labour again. Well, unless Tony Benn is the leader.

they've got a crazed energy and appetite.
My drummer is the only one who is weird in a different way. He's not into mood-altering chemicals. He'd prefer to wear a pair of velour trousers rather than take ecstasy.

draw at some point in their life.
We draw when we're kids, then, as we get older, we tell ourselves we can't do it. It doesn't matter if you draw something that doesn't end up in a gallery. It gets you into a certain way of thinking. Looking at something and drawing is good for you. I want to be like Siegfried from All Creatures Great And Small when I grow up. He's knowledgeable about horses, has an extremely quick wit and uses language subtly and beautifully.

don't do anything that would take you away from your roots.
And take it easy on the alcohol. I think your twenties are a very disturbing time, because you have such a lot of energy. Then you realise that life doesn't end at 29. You can still make music and have a half-decent brain. I think I was very lucky; the way I was going, I could have died.

Sterling Morrison.
He was talented, suave, studied medieval English, was a beautiful guitarist, wore ties and biker boots at the same time and, unlike John Cale and Lou Reed, never was a bitchy egocentric arsehole.

'Rubber Soul'.
It's like The Beatles are my Bible and 'Rubber Soul' is my favourite part of it. In the pantheon of rock'n'roll, my album sits next to the 'Sniffin' Glue' compilation and 'All Mod Cons' by The Jam; oh, and someone's wedged a Nick Drake album in there, too.

A to F Sharp as used on my new song 'Tell It Like It Is'.

the one on 'Good Times' by Love, the live version of 'Crossroads' by Cream and 'Are You Experienced' by Jimi Hendrix; oh, and my one on 'Coffee And TV' is good too!

'Alone Again Or' by Love, 'Know Your Product' by The Saints, 'Horror Show' by The Libertines, 'Tell The King' by The Libertines and 'Shangri La' by The Kinks.

the night I played with Davey Graham and Bert Jansch.
The event sold out, but the promoter said he'd get me in and that I should bring a guitar and jam with Bert and Davey backstage. I did and it was great. They did the gig in two halves and, when I went backstage in the middle, the promoter was like, 'Right you're going to kick off the second half.' I was so scared I could hardly tune my guitar. I played a few songs and it was bloody scary, but it was the greatest night.