The 5-minute Interview: Steve Diggle, singer, songwriter and guitarist

Steve Diggle is the guitarist with the punk band the Buzzcocks, who burst on to the scene in 1975. They have released 11 albums, had nine Top 40 singles and are still recording. Their new live album, "Buzzcocks: 30", is released next week.

If I weren't talking to you now I'd be...

In Soho, going for a beer.

A phrase I use too often ...

"You know."

I wish people would take more notice of ...

My personal side. Your stage persona is just a mix of your subconscious and your aspirations.

A common misperception of me is ...

That I must be a thick, drug-taking alcoholic..

I'm not a politician but if I were ...

I'd stop wasting money on wars and spend it on houses.

The most surprising thing to happen to me was ...

Living the life I've had.

I'm good at ...

Songwriting. Any other job would be a nightmare.

I'm very bad at ...

I can be unreliable but I don't see that as a failure.

An ideal night out is ...

I love to be in the pub. Drinking oils the mind. I like to think of the pub as my office.

In weak moments I ...

I don't have any, apart from when I'm hungover.

The best age to be is ...

52. I've seen it all.

In another life I'd have been ...

A poet.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this ...

If you know the meaning of death, you know the meaning of life.