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Mike Skinner: it’s hard to resist getting off your face as a DJ

Mike Skinner says it’s "difficult" to avoid participating in wild nights out when you are a DJ.
The Streets frontman, 41 – who previously dabbled in drugs – has admitted that it’s easier to "control" touring when he’s performing with his band, but admitted the club environment doesn’t lend itself to a "routine" of "carrot juice and turmeric lattes".
In a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian newspaper, Mike said when asked if he still hits the booze after his sets: "It’s difficult.
"With touring, you control everything, so it’s very easy to do whatever you want.
"If you want to take smack, play with animals and paint the dressing room every night then that’s fine – you just need to cut a cheque.
"It’s also very easy to not do that, and find a routine where it’s carrot juice and turmeric lattes every night rather than straight-up madness.
"But with DJing, it’s not your world you’re walking into, it’s whatever that promoter and that town have created.
"So you’re hoping it doesn’t go left because it’s not cool to be 40, in a nightclub, getting off your face. But it happens."
The father-of-two – who has Amelia, 10, and George, eight, with wife Claire Le Marquand – says having children is good for his "creativity".
He quipped: "Well I’m definitely going to get Alzheimer’s.
"It’s not good for your sleep. But having kids does kind of focus your creativity."
The ‘Fit But You Know’ hitmaker put The Streets on hiatus in 2008 to battle with chronic fatigue syndrome, and went on to write the song ‘Trying to Kill M.E.’ to tackle his battle with the disorder.
Mike previously revealed that he "has to be creative otherwise he gets suicidal or something".
And now he has revealed that he sees a psychiatrist regularly to deal with his mental health issues, whilst he insisted he has only contemplated taking his own life.
He told the publication: "I only ever got as far as thinking about it.
"And thinking about it is a reason to go to a psychiatrist."
Asked if he sees a psychiatrist, he replied: "Yeah. I actually saw my psychiatrist just last week."
He joked: "We spent the whole time talking about skiing
"I think basically the rule is, if you end up talking about the psychiatrist, you’re probably good."