If this is the second coming, why is Bill Carter so angry? Chris Holland-Hill says, 'keep your hair on'.

Bill Carter is a pretty big bloke. He's not, I imagine, in a very good mood due to the fact his gear let him down half way through his set. I approach him cautiously, not wanting to have my face mashed if he is in a bad mood and I ask him a dodgy question. However, as he motions for me to come closer my feelings of trepidation are quelled and a couple of minutes later I'm confident enough to ask my first question.

Why do you treat your gear so badly?

"Well, it's all fucked. The leads are fucked, the guitars are fucked, everything's fucked. Going out on stage with that lot is like coming out of the toilet with your dick in your hand!"

At this early point I feel the tone of the interview dropping quite dramatically but even so I press on.

What equipment ideally would you use?

"The equipment's fine it's just fucked. Nothing wrong with it at all except it's fucked. It's good gear made by reputable firms."

Does it break down very often?

"Who cares? Why? Yes it does break down a lot. They don't seem to make them solid enough."

What gear do you use?

"Just Telecasters and a lead and an HH amp with Garrard speakers."

Equipment is obviously a subject close to this man's heart and so I try to swing the topic of conversation round to the band's sound.

Is the R'n'Bish sound you have intentional?

"I don't give a fuck, who cares?"

No chance, next subject please. I feel the music questions are meeting with a less than enthusiastic response.

You're a car freak aren't you?

"No. What do you mean, a car freak? Makes me sound like a fucking child molester. I'm not really into cars. Well I like having my car."

What sort of car do you have?

"It's a 1968 Chevrolet 350 Camero. It's got hookers, headers, hollies and four-stage power glide. No, that's not true... it's not a power glide, it's a horrible glide. What do you want to know about my fucking car for?"

Do you like car songs?

"Well, there are bits of cars in our songs, the boot and stuff, ha ha, and aerials."

Why do you portray such a violent image?

"Well, how would you feel if you had dodgy gear? It's enough to make anyone violent!"

Do you get stage-fright?

"I'm more frightened off stage than on stage. Before I go on I'm almost falling asleep. No really. It takes a good fifteen minutes to get into it."

The subject slowly comes back to music.

What do you consider to be your best song?

"I don't know. I don't think there is one. The new one. Sweet Water Pools, is probably the best one."

Are there any songs you wish you had written?

"Rise by PIE is a good song, I wish I'd written that."

What do you think of the labels put on you by the press?

"It makes no difference what they say, does it? The main thing I look to is the kids we play for. I mean you can play a gig and they don't give a fuck what sort of review you got. Anyway, it's better than being slagged."

Bill Carter has a playing style that is all his own - or is it? He doesn't use a pick and has a flapping finger style reminiscent of the old blues men. He doesn't sound like them, though. He is a known admirer of Wilko Johnson, one time Dr. Feelgood guitarist later to play with Ian Dury And The Blockheads, and it has been said that he's ripped him off. Over to you Mr. Carter...

"A lot of people accused him of ripping off Mick Green and a lot of people accused him of ripping off Scotty Moore. You don't rip anybody off, music is a gift. You don't steal music, you share it, you know?

"What I got from Wilko Johnson is a gift and anything anyone gets from me is a gift. You don't have to steal it, it's there for you to take. It's not precious. People who say things like that are too scared to fucking shit."

Does playing with your hands rather than a pick hurt your hands?

"No. It used to hurt them but now I think I'm just going to have arthritis when I'm 40."

How did you develop your style?

"I copied Wilko basically. I used to go and see the Feelgoods."

On stage you have a certain manic look about you - what happens to you up there?

"You'd be manic if all your gear was fucked. No I don't think of it as manic, more like altered states or a different head, you know?"

Are you pleased by the fact you get a very mixed audience?

"I'm pleased by the fact we get an audience at all to be honest. I don't care what an audience is like. Why, do you think they should be in uniform or something? It's like saying, 'are you pleased to meet people?' I just think of them as people."

Bill Carter looks tired and I excuse myself and toddle off back to my crypt for the remainder of the night. However fearsome this man may seem he is actually very friendly in a terrifying sort of way and also a talented musician. Strange really because he doesn't even own a record player never mind the rest of the trappings for a modern musician, with, of course, the exception of his car. Long may he scream.