Then, for the first time in 35 years [Hoffman has an older daughter from his first marriage], we’ll be free from regulating our lives around the school calendar. Thank God almighty, free at last.”It is this family man that the director of Meet the Fockers, Jay Roach, asked Hoffman to bring to the part of Bernie, Ben Stiller’s touchy-feely father in the film. After “sitting down” together in Los Angeles, Roach said: “I listened to Dustin talk about his family. He’s incredibly generous and open, and 10 minutes after you’ve met him, you feel like he’ll tell you anything. While Hoffman has been turning on the charm for the procession of camera crews that have been lining up outside his Dorchester hotel suite since 7am, his wife of 25 years, Lisa, has been out shopping at “Marks and Sparks” for “great underwear and baby clothes for our new grandchild”. Hoffman cannot conceal his pride as he adds this detail.In fact, 2005 marks the beginning of a new era for the Hoffmans.

Just as The Libertines played gigs in their flats and the homes of their fans, so The Other’s leader, the rabble-rouser Dominic Masters, organised gigs that were free and open to people of all ages. So Masters is sitting in The Griffin, a pub in London’s trendy Shoreditch, discussing strategy as well as music. Despite his snarled vocals on singles such as “Stan Bowles” (a homage to the QPR fan and former Libertine Pete Doherty), the Bristol-born Masters speaks with a soft, West Country burr.He is confident that this tour will show how bands can play decent-sized venues but still be on first-name terms with their fans. Part of the deal has been the arrangement of free after-gig parties for his fans, especially the hardcore fraternity – the 853 Kamikaze Stagediving Division, named after a numberplate that was stolen at a gig.”I’ve spent the last seven days on the guest-list allocation for 12 or 14 dates Martin [the drummer] is organising the parties. On previous tours, we just waited until after the concert and said ‘Take us somewhere’.”From the start, his mobile number has been available on the band’s website and flyers. He points out that he has only brought one phone out with him to see who is texting him every five minutes. Masters says he gets up to 160 texts and calls a day, and that is not hard to believe.”You can’t cut yourself off.

You’ve got kids who phone up about suicides, cut wrists and far too much drugs or drink; no idea how to control their habits. If you don’t stick with them, give them some kind of guidance… A kid phoned up who had been drinking Buckfast, something like whisky called Drams, and taking amphetamines. And he wondered why he was bleeding.”I do my best to answer every phone call, every text message, but it does get to extremes now. There’s no space in the dressing room, so I’ve got to try and be realistic: take 10 or 20 fans home, the ones that are under 18 or the older ones that have missed the last train. Or me, the roadie and our manager all make a valiant effort to storm the hotel.”Although Masters is attempting to maintain a sense of community, there is a danger of creating an outlet for irresponsibility “There’s not many fights They know we’re organised enough to stop playing. We do provide a cr?e facility, and that’s possibly why the fans behave in the way they do.”More contentiously, for such a young fan base, the singer and lyricist is open about his use of crack-cocaine and heroin, and espouses a view that drug use can be regulated via self-control.

Masters has gained this position through experience, especially of some bad times, but other people might not be lucky enough to scrape through the dangers.”All of these kids were doing drugs before I came along. I’m sure Pete [Doherty] has led many kids astray, and many bands before him. Led Zeppelin, The Clash, I don’t know, even Fleetwood Mac have led fans to different things I don’t think my band.. openly encourage people to go out and do it It is about freedom of choice. It’s like Pete says in his interviews, he doesn’t get any kids asking him for his dealers’ numbers.”Masters is also on hand to help bands he meets on the circuit.