Gary Numan: ‘Being autistic, you react to the world differently’

I couldn’t have wished for a better childhood: Mum and Dad were amazing. I have virtually no bad memories, though there wasn’t much money around. When I was seven, we adopted my baby cousin and he became my brother. I never felt pushed out by my parents, only loved.

I fell out of my pram when I was little. Someone banged into it and out I tumbled. I hit my head on the ground and it split right open. I’ve still got the scar.

Peer pressure doesn’t work on me. If I don’t fit in, I don’t care. It’s why I never got into drinking and drugs – I felt no need to bend, or do something stupid, to please others. I’ve never done a dare.

Trust your intuition. In the music business, I’ve always followed my own path. Lots today is recorded to a formula; it’s just not for me. I’m not championing how different I am… I was built this way, that’s all.

Being autistic, you react to the world differently. Sometimes that’s a problem: when it comes to emotions, I struggle. My wife, Gemma, has taught me how to behave better around people. You can learn, but you never get the genuine sensitivity most are born with. When Gemma’s dad died, I knew I wasn’t great, though I tried so hard.

If I see somebody sad, my natural inclination is to tell a joke to cheer them up. It had to be explained to me that, no, this is rarely what people want.

Children can be truly nasty. I realised this when watching my own go through school. Humans are awful to each other. You can see why some grow into bitter adults with weird hang-ups.

Watching clouds is worth more than all the world’s therapy.

Chart success, flash cars and big houses are great, but with age, you learn what matters: good health and the people you love.

I’ve lived in LA for the past 12 years. The biggest wrench was leaving loved ones behind in England – I don’t get to see Dad and my brother enough. Mum died in 2016. I would give everything for another day with her now.

The whole world should be vegetarian. I’m a meat-eating hypocrite currently, but I am trying to develop my palate. I’ll get there one day.

A new relationship is like an untarnished mirror. It offers you a perfect reflection of who you both are. When problems aren’t sorted out, cracks start to appear. Leave them long enough and you can no longer see yourselves. The trick to a happy marriage? Make sure there are as few cracks as possible.

I can be an overbearing parent. Becoming a dad completely shifted my focus. I worry about my three daughters constantly. I have an app that tracks their phones, so I can watch their driving. If they’re going too fast, I’ll call.

AI could be the end of us, and also what saves the planet. When it becomes self-aware, we’ll be considered a nuisance: all humanity does is stop the world running smoothly.

Yes, I want things to get better for my children, but we are on the cusp of extinction caused by our own stupidity. The sooner we’re gone, the better off nature will be.

I’m terrified of what Trump’s doing and where it ends. They say the right men come to the surface at the right moment. Turns out that’s not always the case.

Gary Numan's 'Berserker' is out now. He will release a live album from his tour 'Intruder' in July garynuman.com