"I have to perform to save my life"

Surf rock legend Dick Dale, whose death at the age of 81 was announced earlier this week, continued touring almost right to the end - not so much in spite of his poor health as because of it. In this extraordinary 2015 interview by Charlie Deitch of the Pittsburgh City Paper, brought to my attention on Twitter by Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, Dale explains how he has to keep playing live simply to be able to raise sufficient money each month to cover the cost of his medical supplies and insurance.

There can't be many musicians who perform out of quite such necessity and who have to contend with "excruciating" pain and the horrendous consequences of a ruptured colostomy bag - let alone musicians who would nevertheless then be happy to spend five hours after the show signing autographs.