Julian Cope, 49, was lead singer with the 1980s band The Teardrop Explodes. His new album, 'You Gotta Problem With Me' is out on 30 July, and his book covering Japanese cultural and musical history since the Second World War, 'Japrocksampler', which is published by Bloomsbury, is due for release in September
If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...
Fretting over a piece of arcane knowledge.
A phrase I use far too often...
"Well, if you're not going to accept my metaphor, how the hell can you even attempt to understand?"
I wish people would take more notice of...
The return of religious bullshit.
A common misperception of me is...
Either as a wild-eyed, post-acid loon or a visionary rock 'n' roller. For me, the two are not far apart.
The most surprising thing that happened to me was...
Being born into a time where being a rock 'n' roller has facilitated me to go into other areas of cultural society.
I'm not a politician but...
I'd return us to socialism. I would take on the ideal that the strong should support the weak.
I'm good at...
Completing projects. You must finish what you set out to do. It is the most important thing that I have sussed.
I'm very bad at...
Reconciling my artistic side with the financial realisation that sometimes comes with it. I listen to my wife, she will always tell me if my dream is too airy-fairy.
The ideal night out is...
For my wife and I to go to a Doom [80s punk band] metal show, and she drives so I can get drunk.
In moments of weakness...
I literally do not act at all. Only bitter experience has taught me to remove myself from the situation.
You know me as a musician but in truer life I'd have been a...
Walter Mitty character in Tamworth dreaming about what I could do.
In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:
Trust nothing you read on the internet. And only listen to those you trust.
Michael Bailey