#(this man.)

KERRANG!: when were you first aware of the birds and the bees?

PETER STEELE: "when i was about 12 years old, i had a very outgoing older friend who had no problem any time he was excited to take his penis out and just masturbate. so i had a go - and sure enough, i came!

K!: when did you lose your virginity and what was it like?

PS: "i was 18 years old and she was 16; we were both virgins. the only problem was her hymen was still intact and i had some difficulty inserting myself into her. i was downstairs in my parents' basement, and i ran upstairs and got some corn oil - that's all we had - and as i was lubricating myself i dropped the bottle on the floor! i didn't want to lose my erection, so i ran downstairs covered in corn oil, leaving the glass on the kitchen floor. the sex was almost over as quickly as it began!"

K!: do you practice safe sex? PS: "yes i do. there have been some accidents of course - things split - but i think i get an a for effort."

K!: do you get off on pornography? PS: "not really. if i'm going to get excited, there are plenty of women that i'd like to spend my time with: i don't have to look at books."

K!: why did you pose for playgirl magazine then? and what gave you the enormous hard on?! PS: "i did it to further type o negative's career. i figured i would be exposing myself - no pun intended! - to a whole new audience. and sure enough it definitely affected record sales. i had some manual stimulation and a catalogue of erotic thoughts i can easily access that kept me going."

K!: your todger looks enormous in playgirl - were the photos retouched? PS: rumor has it that my penis is not real in those shots - which is a compliment and an insult at the same time. there were no tricks. i'm 6ft 6 and i'm proportional. everything on me happens to be very long and thin - my fingers, my ears, my toes, and of course what hangs between my legs. it's like a package deal."

K!: are you a whips and chains kind of guy? PS: "my only rule in bed is never to say no - unless it includes excruciating pain or long-lasting damage. i like latex and fur, things that feel good to me sexually. i was always turned on by rubber - the feel of it, the smell of it, even the taste."

K!: are you a considerate bed partner? PS: "i'm a pretty good playmate. i really don't mind if i don't come - it's not a big deal to me. i've come probably 100,000 times already, so my partner's pleasure comes way before mine."

K!: how does that gel with songs like 'jackhammer rape?' PS: "it probably doesn't. of course it's not about raping anyone with a jackhammer, it's just screwing somebody so hard. when i wrote that, i was really really pissed off at somebody. i'm also into shock value."

K!: have you ever paid for - or been paid - for sex? PS: "i have never paid for sex and never will. i definitely think there's trade-offs though. if you want to be physical with somebody, you can pay them with other things - by caring about them." "but i've had offers from women to pay me. when i used to work with the new york city parks department as a maintenance worker, this woman i had seen there every day for about two weeks came over to me. she asked me how much money i made per year and i told her $40,000. and she said, 'how would you like to make that in one night?' i said, 'what do i have to do?'. what she wanted was a sperm sample."

K!: you took her up on it? PS: "yes i did. but i haven't seen the result."