Like his contemporary, Morrissey of The Smiths, he was known as much for his outspoken opinions as his music, which earned him the nickname "Mac The Mouth".
He describes "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen as a "perfect song".
His band Echo & The Bunnymen were one of the biggest cult bands of the 1980s.
On 15 March 2003, he performed at the anti-war "One Big No" concert at
Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, organized to protest against the invasion of Iraq.
He is a big fan of the Marvel Comics' character The Silver Surfer.