The Cure's frontman, Robert Smith, talks exclusively to today's Guardian on the eve of headling Bestival this weekend about Facebook, riots and the media.

Smith admits that he has a Facebook page: "but I've never put anything on it. I've got a presence on all the social networks, in fact, but I've never once sent a message. I'm there because otherwise, someone's going to pretend to be me.

"I have no interest or desire in having a conversation with anyone other than the people that I know. I'm in the strange position of the world drifting away from me, but you know what? I'm actually quite content with that. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I don't feel like, 'Oh God, I'm being left behind.'"

An ex-Londoner, he remembers the Brixton riots first-hand and feels that the current 24-hour media coverage culture has only made the matter worse: "They keep showing the same images over and over, and it gives the impression it's happening everywhere, all the time. Perspective has been lost. Suddenly you've got these polls saying, 'Give the police live ammunition.' And I'm like, 'Hold on! It's not that bad, really'!

"It just paves the way for the police to be armed, curfews to be put in. It's like we're all sliding inexorably towards this fucking police state, populated with roaming gangs, like a 2000AD comic."

The Cure embarked on a world tour in 2008 in support of newly released album '4:13 Dream' despite the fact he felt unsure that the band would ever play live again.

Smith Said: " I hated the idea of sliding into the twilight zone, going through the motions. My whole life I've played music for my own personal enjoyment and the idea of it becoming a machine or a business is just horrible."

The Cure headline Bestival tonight (September 10). Sky Arts 1 will be covering their performance live at 10pm.

Watch the band perform 'Underneath The Stars' in 2008 on 'Watch Rocks The Garden: The Cure' below: