Asked to list the high points of his career so far, he writes: "It was a life-changing experience to meet Metallica, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Dimebag (just a couple of months before his death), the guys out of Anthrax and Slayer more times than I care to remember. John Williams the classical muso, trying to speak down to my level. Mark Knopfler, sitting on a balcony overlooking Chelsea Harbour. Bassists: Lemmy, Bill Wyman, the godly Jack Bruce. All-round stars: Michael Hutchence, Tom Jones, Jon Bon Jovi, Mike Oldfield, Michael Nyman. Having a slash in the urinal next to John Simm (also in mid-flow) and having a chat. Having a curry with Rick Wakeman. Helping Bob Geldof write a letter to the Pope. Disagreeing with John Lydon. The Black Sabbath guys filling me with awe every time. The guys in Slipknot making out they knew more than me about death metal and me proving them wrong. Interviewing every extreme metal band under the sun – Satanists, murderers and rapists among them. Some of them were great, some of them made me feel disgusted. Interviewing all of Duran Duran – Nik Rhodes phoning me up and my wife answering the phone and being left speechless. Gene Simmons doing the same thing. Gary Numan. Martin Fry. Neil Finn. Midge Ure. Billy Sheehan. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. Most of Deep Purple, many times. Boy George telling me about his sex life. Emails with Bjork. Alice Cooper, in shock, the week of 9/11. Dweezil Zappa, Faith No More, some of Green Day. Chris Rea being nervous of me! Peter Gabriel meeting my daughter. Queens Of The Stone Age, Madness, Machine Head. Ice-T telling me about life in the army. Status Quo telling me about evolution. Stewart Copeland telling me Italian swear words. Beth Orton making beans on toast. Having a go on various musicians' instruments. Standing on stage at Ronnie Scott's and pretending to be Miles Davis. Asking Liam Howlett of the Prodigy about Rage Against The Machine. Calling Chad Smith at home in LA. Calling Jim Kerr at his palazzo in Sicily. Telling Slash I'd heard him swear on Ant & Dec and him being mortified."