I warm naturally to the drummer whose ideas and approach are strong, even if he doesn't quite have the ability to carry them out.

Drummers haven't managed to develop their individuality quite as well as guitarists have. We can be so focused on the nuts and bolts that we overlook the importance of individuality - the broader picture, if you will.

People come with expectations and as a bandleader I constantly try to remind the audience to leave its expectations in the lobby.

Holding on to some of your uniqueness is the trick instead of surrendering it at the Academy of Contemporary We're Gonna Make You a Star.

And we'd drink huge amounts of scotch and coke, which is a ghastly sweet drink... And now people don't drink nearly as much, for good reason. We're all a little wiser.

The best practice you can get is on the bandstand, but in between gigs I feel I have to stay in shape.

We used to drink an awful lot of alcohol.