Eating dogs, living like a hermit, getting a 'boom' with Steve Albini, riots in Manila, being mates with Tricky, running a record label, houses in Hawaii... These are some of the things Bush get up to. Oh yes, playing music and being bigger than Oasis is the other thing.

Camden, London, and it's a brilliantly sunny morning. Not that any of the resident rock stars would know, in fact the whole area only seems to be just awakening and it's 11am. Shopkeepers are sleepily opening up and brushing down pavements, and in the swanky photo studio where we're due to meet Bush (famously named after a Shepherd's Bush roundabout), the 'tea-boy' Andy informs me it could be a long wait. Over a cup he confides that Bush are always late and he suspects that it's not their string of press engagements as platinum-selling artist that delays them. No, he reckons they just like their beds, unlike the many boy bands who normally appear here. Those squeaky clean, cola quaffing types (who never stop trilling and harmonising even on the loo) would be horrified at Bush's tardiness, and probably frighteded off by their new album too. Though singer Gavin Rossdale protests the 'The Science Of Things' "is not depressive - more wild and exciting," the dark, obsessive batch of songs that lead you to the apocalypse one minute and mercury poisoning and porn murders the next, are twisted enough to have 911 running for cover.

Net Aiding And Abetting

The arrival of Gavin is heralded by a ball of dreads which hurtles into the room and onto your hapless reporter, panting excitedly. "Winston!!" he calls sharply. The dog, a Hungarian Puli is unlike any other canine. Its rasta appearance disguises all limbs and even its face, but Winston's a bona fide member of the band, and as the others - Robin Goodridge (drums) and Dave Parsons (bass), troop in, minus guitarist Nigel Pulsford, he barks playfully. Under a shock of dyed scarlet hair, Gavin removes his shades and proffers a hand, smiling. "Shall we do it over there on the sofas, it's more intimate," he asks. It's a tough offer to refuse - the interview, that is, never mind his chiselled good looks. Just look at the statistics: Bush have sold over 15 million albums with their previous two longplayers 'Sixteen Stone' (1994) and 'Razorblade Suitcase' (1996). Admittedly most of those sales were Stateside. Maybe the latest album will turn that around, maybe not. Today Bush have better things to talk about. "We played Net Aid recently" starts Gavin. "I don't know about jam-packed with stars cos it was just us, George Michael, David Bowie and the Eurythmics but it was fun." On the cusp of yet another tour ("We do about 200 gigs a year") Bush also have an official biography out and have just finished the video for the single 'The Chemicals Between Us', an addictive, heavy anthem. "It cuts between us playing in the street in downtown LA, and us existing in this white space, this spiritual place of learning. Kind of a load of old bollock really, but it looks pretty good," he grins. Spirituality is not the only advance on the horizon. Where Chuck D and Bowie have championed their releases over the internet, Bush too are on the case. "We've signed to E-Music specifically, so they arrange for our music to be downloaded using MP3. Our first 'internet' single will be 'Jesus Online'" says Gavin. Cyber-technology is all very well but the actual recording of 'The Science Of Things' involved a more organic, less technological period for Gavin. The singer retired to a remote house in Co. Cork, Ireland for four months to write songs. Wouldn't such a pin-up socialite get severe cabin fever? "No, I loved it!" he admits cheerfully. "I had Winston, and we went walking in the mountains and by the sea, watched the waves crashing over black rocks - it was beautiful and stormy. I just found a new culture and got friendly with the locals sown the pub. There was a chef, so I didn't have to think about cooking but it wasn't some mansion with manicured lawns, it was an old hunting lodge."

Riots, Tours And Booze

As bassist Dave Parsons squashes in on the sofa, he compares this more chilled recording process to last year. "Yeah, there was a lot less pressure this time, fewer deadlines. Last time we recorded with Steve Albini in three weeks and live. His style was always to get that magical 'BOOM' and keep it. You don't go back and change anything. Luckily we were right for it then. We'd been on tour for a year and a half, we were a total live band, whereas this time it was more studio oriented." Being tour veterans, Bush have a few tips. Gavin: "Don't do short tours. You transcend so much bullshit by being out there and playing for months. I really believe you can be more in control of your own destinies by doing what you do best, being onstage. You're much more in touch with fans, the ones who count. With all the best bands, you'll see a history of playing a lot. And in Austalia, Asia and Canada, they have traditions of much more hardcore touring. Here a tour is like 10 days - it's not enough." Dave nods, "When you see a band live after hearing their album, it gives you that extra bit of understanding of them." It seems their motto of 'more gigs' has produced diehard Bush fans - the world over. "The weird thing is they're all similarly minded," muses Gavin. "We were always told that Japanese fans would just sit quietly and clap, but they were insane." "Even the Minister of Culture came to our show in the Philippines," roars Dave. "The last person who played Manila before us was Barry Manilow, so they were really excited. There was a riot and everything - police with batons, people jumping off balconies, we nearly had to stop the show." Touch wood, they've had no fatalities, but a Buch show is guaranteed to be crushing. "We played a festival in Georgia recently," says Gavin. "I had jumped in the crowd when the barricades were knocked down. Suddenly 20,000 people started to tip over like sardines. I managed to get back onstage and the show got stopped for 15 minutes." The adrenaline runs over into partying excess afterwards. Bush swear by Tequila and British draught lager, but the boozing has got them into trouble on more than one occasion. "We nearly got arrested in Texas," says Gavin, smirking. "There were 10 of us all pissing up against a wall 'cos we couldn't find a toilet. As we turned round the local Sheriff was there. It got very Dukes of Hazzard."

Chocolate, Cigars And Perverts

Mad shows, mad fans, crazy antics - presumably Bush are plagues by weirdo fanmail? "I only read the perverted stuff," deadpans Gavin. "When it gets really out of hand, I demand to see it. Pictures of girls tying themselves up, weird underwear, no underwear, crotch shots - it's really tasteful," he chuckles. Sorry girls, Gavin's actually taken, by Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. She even guests on the album. But there were no fears of nepotism accusations. "I'm not cautious about anything. Caution is for traffic wardens!" the singer scoffs. This devil-may-care outlook shot Bush from zero to stadium status, but it wasn't all perfect. Gavin lost his then girlfriend, and according to Dave, the band literally gave up sleeping for a while. "You go through different spells, sometimes you handle it, and other times you get overwhelmed. I feel quite overwhelmed at the moment, 'cos I've just been given a schedule that takes me fom now til November 2000," says Gavin, shooting a dark look at his press officer. Unlike the boy bands who frequent this studio, Bush have no special health considerations for their constant touring. I'd eat more chocolate if I thought I could get away with it," says the svelte Gavin. And even roast dog appered on the menu in Hong Kong once. "It was really off-putting," grimaces Dave. It's no secret the band are now 'up there' and 'in the money', but this touring lark doesn't give them much time to enjoy it. "I bought houses in Hawaii and Figi, but I sold them 'cos I was never there," says Gavin. They agree that Dave's cottage in Cornwall is a lot more practical. Time constraints aside, they do like to see other bands. Bizarrely enough, for a rock group, dance acts Underworld, Massive Attack and Tricky are amongst Bush's favourites. "Asian Dub Foundation are the best band I saw recently," offers Dave. "Trickeeee's a big mate of mine," says Gavin, mimicking the Bristolian rapper's accent perfectly. Gavin's also making an effort to propel younger bands to stardom with his own label, Mad Dog Winston. "I found a band in Sweden who were so good, I couldn't understand why they weren't bigger. So I signed them, but they broke up after a year. I still keep the label on though. For me it's more about finding a band I like, than smoking cigars in a big office." Good guy that he is, Gavin is keen to pass on advice to bands who are just breaking through. After all we were all learners once. "Don't listen to anyone. Think laterally and play a lot. No one can explain why bands get successful and why some are liked and others ignored. It's a magical balance of people and situations and there's no formula, so following your heart and your instincts is always the best way, well it is for me, as a self-taught member of the world."