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You’re on the ‘80s Here & Now tour? Is it sad novelty act time or the start of a comeback?
Steve: I wasn’t going to do it but I had such a good response from fans on the Visage website from people who’d bought my book (Blitzed) and I realised that fans were still out there. We’re also re-releasing 'Fade To Grey' with a 'God Made Me Hardcore' remix that's really good. I’m quite excited by it. This tour is for the fans.

Is pop music better or worse now than in the ‘80s?
Steve: Mainly, it's a load of crap. I don’t think there’s anything as pioneering now as there was in the ‘80s. I think Visage and that whole Blitz scene was incredibly pioneering. No one was doing what we were doing. A lot of stuff today, that whole electro-clash thing, is influenced by us.

Pop Idol TV? Devil spawn or a genuine hotbed of creative talent?
Steve: Pop Idol is a load of crap. It’s manufactured rubbish. I think there’ll be a reaction against it soon. I think there’ll be a grass roots rebellion with lots of kids discovering music, art and creativity for themselves. I’m running a new club in London called Moon Over London, which showcases new acts, not just bands but young artists, poets, etc.

What’s your biggest regret about how your career was handled?
Steve: I’ve two main regrets. The first is changing my management when I did. If I hadn’t done it I may have prolonged my career. The other is the heroin addiction. I don’t blame anybody. I led myself into it.

How did your heroin addiction start?
Ìý Steve: It was just the pressure of work. My schedule meant I’d have to be in three countries in one day doing promotion for Visage and I was trying to run the Camden Palace at the same time. At first I was using cocaine just to keep me going. I was always anti-heroin but I remember I was modelling for Jean Paul Gaultier and at the after show party I was offered heroin and that was the start of the slide.

Were you embarrassed by the shoplifting Teletubby incident? (Steve was charged with stealing a Teletubby doll from a shop in Wales during his heroin addiction).
Steve: Well it was a cry for help really. I was in the middle of a nervous breakdown at the time. I got help through a holistic healing centre in London eventually. They basically saved my life and weened me off the drug. I remember the Big Breakfast asking my probation officer if I would come on the show to talk about it and I said yeah. I asked if £50 was OK for my appearance fee. How the mighty had fallen!