Stephanie Mee gets on the kryptonite with the force behind legendary Bali band Superman Is Dead. Take it away …  Photos: Anthony Dodds.

Jerinx, did you always know that you wanted to be a rock star?

Not really, but I always knew that I was gonna live my life doing things that I love.

How did you meet your band mates in Superman is Dead, and how did the band get started?

I met Bobby [Kool] through a mutual friend in ’95. We were in different bands but not quite happy about it, so we started jamming the stuff that we loved – punk rock. Then a drugged up kid brought Eka [Rock] to our practice room and that’s how the curse of SID began.

What’s the most memorable concert you ever played?

Probably the 2009 Vans Warped Tour all across the USA. It was insane and none of us had been to the US before. We slept in vans, on the floors of people’s houses, played to crowds that didn’t even know what Indonesia was, bought the wrong weed, stayed in dodgy motel rooms, met creepy junkies. Sixteen cities in one month, and we came back home alive!

What’s a typical day like for you?

When not on tour I like to spend my day at the beach, watching movies, cruising with my vintage car and bikes and normal stuff like that. But my days are also usually full of business meetings and organisng movement against greedy government and their greedy friends.

Favourite spot in Bali to get away from it all?

My room.

Drink of choice?

I only drink beer because liquor turns me into a really angry diva.

Could you tell us a little bit about your tattoos? Which tattoo was your first?

Ha ha, it’s quite shameful, but my first tattoo was when I was 16 and I loved the Red Hot Chili Peppers a little too much, so I decided to get a similar tattoo to Anthony Kiedis – a tribal piece on my bicep.

Favourite tattoo artist in Bali?

Ah – there are so many great tattoo artists in Bali! Seriously, I don’t have just one favourite artist, but if I have to name one, for now it’s Sailor July from Lady Rose Tattoo.

We know that you’re a big supporter of environmental issues and humanitarian issues. In your opinion, what is the most important issue in Bali at the moment?

Greed and slavery. Greed has turned this island into a shallow, money-oriented island with not much love left for the local people’s future – it’s all about the businessman’s future. And this mindset is slowly destroying everything; the nature, the culture, the social structure. Bali is nothing but a tool for the rich and the locals are the slaves. Once this island is totally destroyed, the rich will leave the locals with nothing but permanent problems in every aspect. In an ideal world, the government should protect and educate its people. Too bad in Bali the government are the rich people’s BFFs.