David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Arguably his best record, which is a fucking big argument, because he didn't make a bad record between The Man Who Sold The World and Let's Dance. For me he's the most influential artist. I don't think I actually come out of punk, I think I come out of glam. I think punk enabled me to be a guy who had an indie label: Johnny Rotten and Malcolm McLaren - and later on people like Tony Wilson and Geoff Travis - made it possible for people like me to exist. But I think I'm a child of glam, not punk. I'm a child of T. Rex and Slade and Bowie, and if you said to me, who's your favourite artist, it would be Bowie. I was 11 when Diamond Dogs came out, and you know, "This ain't rock & roll, this is genocide!", 'Sweet Thing', and 'Rock 'N' Roll With Me' - it's just beautiful, it's just an incredible record. I know it's particular to the human being, but to me Bowie's probably the strongest musical influence that I've ever encountered.