H-how does all that kind of work for you and has worked for you?

Well, so it's, it's a multifaceted question.

I think, um, you know, sport is one thing.

I think with, with music, because it's all I've really ever done and all I, all I really know, um, you know, to the extent where I've been doing it since I was kind of 15 years old, I haven't lost the passion for it yet, which I think sort of keeps my fascination with it quite high.

I'm still intrigued by certain records, how they sound like they do.

Um, I'm intrigued at the f- the art of making music, I think is, is still as fascinating to me as it was when I was just a kid.

Um, I, you know, I, I, I think with the band that I was in, obviously, uh, time has told us that it was a really important band and continues to, you know, to entertain people, which is, uh, lovely for all three of us.

Like, it's like, you know, you know, you go see a band, and that's it, and it's like, no, it [laughs] most musicians-

and you know because that's that to me like all the things that you're discussing that just sounds like a natural thing that happens here it's oh yeah there's gigs there's other events there's all you know uh it's flashy it's nice there's there's uh things are much more expensive but you know if you want the best players at the best team then what has to happen so when you One question though, when Everton does play Spurs, do you and your whole family get together? And do you make the trip to Liverpool?

Well, it is quite a long answer to this one.

So obviously, my first wife, who was the mother of my children, so her dad was an Evertonian.

That's why she was an Evertonian.

And that's why when I was away on tour and my first son was born, that's how when I got back from tour, he was wearing an Everton onesie.

And I was like, what the fuck? Yeah.

That's like not OK.

And what was it like putting that book out and talking about the relationship with your dad and giving an inside look into your work and what that world was like for you?

Yes.

And in a way, I suppose having, having dogs in a way keeps you...

You're always busy, you're always taking them out, going here, putting the lead on, putting the collars on, opening the door, shutting the door, letting them in, letting them out.

You know, you're constantly busying yourself.

But when you're truly alone, you know, you have to sort of be at peace with that.

And I, I don't think you can just sort of wake up one morning and it's there.

You have to work really hard at it and accept that it is part of growing old, losing a parent, losing, in my case, both parents quite young, losing friends at school or people from drug problems or from cancer or what.

So just quickly in memory, Love's Easy Tears.

Mm-hmm.

... you know, and you have to sort of shake your head and the, the water comes out, or in my case doesn't.

So I went and had a hearing test when the record had finished-...

the hearing test was not great, but he asked me to go immediately for an MRI scan.

I had a scan.

Immediately, I'm in the doctor's room looking at my brain up on the wall in one of those cool X-ray boxes, light boxes, and there is this whopping great tumor in the middle of my brain.

Well, not in the middle, actually just down here on the right-hand side next to my ear.

Yeah, yeah.