The veteran British pop star and DJ talks Bieber fever and the sorry state of music ahead of his return to Hong Kong. By Holly Sands

Despite a stint in the slammer, the former Culture Club King and 80s phenomenon has found continued success with his always glam-and-hatted DJ show on the road. This fortnight, he hits to the dragon-i decks, but ahead of his Hong Kong return, he lets loose on pop culture: Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and American Idol.

You’ve had a turbulent couple of years. Have you learned from your experiences?
I’ve had ups and downs, but you get over it and move on. I don’t think I’m different from anyone else. Lots of people go through far worse things than I’ve been through and deal with it. I’ve had lots of those “did that really happen, did I really do that?” moments, but I’d like to say I’ve learned from my mistakes and I hope this time around it’s true.

Do you prefer wearing your DJ hat or performing live?
It’s very different. When you DJ in a club, people want to have a good time and be kept on a perpetual high, whereas in a band concert you can take people on an emotional journey. I’m very lucky to do both. One of the things I love about DJing is that you have almost complete freedom. Anyone can give you a record they’ve just made in their bedroom and if you like it, you can play it.

Speaking of hats, how many do you own?
Probably about 40 at the moment. I give a lot away to auctions and charities and things like that because people always want the hats. Whenever anybody asks me for something for an auction, they always ask for a hat and they make quite good money.
You’re known for your rather flamboyant style. What do you think of artists like Lady Gaga and her meat dress?
Well, I’m vegetarian so you can imagine what I thought of that! But she brightened up the horizon. My favourite types of artists are people that have style and substance. I don’t own any of her music, though – I don’t really have much to do with pop music.

So you haven’t been struck by Bieber fever?
Justin Bieber is a sweet little kid who’s talented and who has got a nice voice – good luck to him. I think he’s too young to be attacked. I’d say leave him alone – he’s a kid.

What do you think of reality TV shows such as American Idol?
A lot of people go on there saying, “I want a better life, I want a house.” They don’t want to change the world. I was inspired by artists who did change the world, like Bowie and the Sex Pistols. Pop music has lost its impetus in a way because everybody just wants the fur coat – they don’t want to do any work.

dragon-i Saturday May 7 Tickets: $300