His influences remain outside the brief of modern culture - The Bible, WB Yeats, the Prophet Elijah, the poet Lorca. Ray Charles is the nearest he can get to naming a current inspiration. He spent two years practically immobile weaning himself off amphetamine and recently kicked nicotine. He still likes a drink, favouring Red Needles, his own special concoction of tequila, fresh fruit and cranberry juice, but the days of excess are behind him, all that's left now is the work. Does he never feel tempted by new, interesting drugs?
"What's around? Ecstasy? There's an aspirin for children called St. Joseph's aspirin. I don't know if they have it over here but that's what we used to call Ecstasy -- St. Joseph's acid. It's acid for kids.
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