"I never wear underwear, it's just too constricting," he says. "The world would be a far healthier place if more people left it off. David Bowie doesn't wear any either. 

"People say he's always smartly dressed, but when he stayed with me he didn't change his clothes for four days. As a matter of fact I'm wearing his scarf at the moment. Filthy, isn't it? 

"I went clubbing with Bowie but nobody really bothered us. We met a few fans in the Kings Road and Bowie was more than willing to talk to the press but nobody seemed interested then.■ 

Marc's planning a science fiction film with the main man. Apart from writing the script, they'll be doing the soundtrack and appear-ing in glorious technicolour themselves. 

Society 

⌠I hope it's going to be out in a year," says Marc. ⌠All I can tell you is that it's about a future society and reflects our own feelings. We're also bringing out an album, doing a side each. What a combination it's going to be, the two greatest musical influences of the seventies joined together!■ 

Marc's looking more like his old self these days apart from specially tailored punk trousers and jacket. After a two year break he was written off, but the old adulation is still there. How has he done it? 

"Let's face it, I'm unique - nobody wiggles their bum the way I do. But seriously, my music's quality stuff and I talk to my fans. I've never set myself on a lofty pedestal, I'm willing to talk to anybody. I also advocate freedom, not only sexually but in every aspect of life. Censorship is silly. 

"Sex is an art and in 'X' rated movies people are only trying to express their feelings. Why should a minority of people say that the majority of people shouldn't see things? 

"People say you should keep things away from children, but we're all children, so where do you draw the line?■ 

Was Marc surprised by the mania on his recent British tour? 

Fervour 

"The tickets were selling well, so I thought the old fervour was still there. I've given a real kick in the pants to the people who'd written me off. My band is so strong at the moment it could blow the likes of Queen, Led Zeppelin and the Who right off stage. I tried to get the vocals perfect on this tour and I've never heard the band sound tighter. I hope they'll be with me for years. 

"Somebody nearly pulled my trousers off In Manchester - good job they were so tight they couldn't get them down. I was mobbed every-where, the fans even managed to break into the tour coach and drag me out. I love it all. It makes my ego bigger than it is already.■ 

This year Marc's hoping to finally crack America. 

"I had that country before," he says. "But I was badly managed, so despite strong selling LPs I didn't become a superstar and then I had some legal wrangles. We'll be going there in July but I hope to be doing some dates in Britain in May. I'll be recording a new album in November. 

"I'd like to take the Damned to America with me. The Damned/T. Rex package went down well in Britain. I think I got a lot of respect for having a punk band on my tour. I was warned that they might blow me off stage but they didn't, we each made our valuable contributions. 

"I'd like to produce a punk band - I'm open to offers. If anybody wants to be produced by me then I guarantee I will give them two months of my devoted time. That can't be bad, I made a pretty good job on Gloria Jones' LP. 

"I'm becoming regarded as a serious musician these days and respected more as a guitarist - although one guy didn't believe that I played guitar on my records. I still want to be known as a showman and poseur, but I also want people to take me seriously. 

"I'm seeing that light today. I've given up drugs and a lot of booze. I got so bored not being stoned that I started doing a lot more work. I'd been too lazy for a long time and I wasn't concentrating enough. I'd come home and mix myself a Martini and end up out of my head, now I just pick up a guitar and work out some tunes. 

"I was advised to give up drugs because I was developing high blood pressure - I could have killed myself. That's been one of the problems in my life, the urge to self-destruct. Many great artists suffered from it and had tragic lives." 

As a veteran of some 10 years In the biz, Marc's not too happy with the present music scene. 

"Music today has lost its meaning," he says. "It's just like pretty wallpaper without deep patterns. I'm amazed that Abba have had such success, there's no depth there - I can only listen for two minutes before I get bored. It's the same with David Soul - his stuff is so predictable. I like Barry White though, I could listen to him for hours because the production on his records is so good. 

"When I started, people were trying to communicate ideas through their lyrics. I've tried to make a return to that style on 'Dandy In the Underworld'. I've always tried to write something that's meaningful rather than just a collection of pretty tunes. 

"I put some really deep thought into the album. 'Dandy In The Underworld' is a retelling of the old story where Orpheus goes into the underworld and then returns to the light. That's been true of my life sometimes." Marc is sporting two Marvel comics and says his own life has been like a comic strip. "I'm my own Captain America, my life has been brash and colourful and I find myself identifying with superheroes. Actually 'Electric Warrior' was the idea for a comic, but it never took off.■ 

So what of the future. Are you planning to change your image again? 

"No, I'll stick to the corkscrew hair for a while. It's the one I've felt happiest with, it's the REAL me. 

"Hey, can you introduce me to Juicy Luicy, I'd really like to meet her?■ 

You wouldn't if you met her...