The 41

And it's been like that ever since, though various attempts at legally adopting the name failed due to unexpected German laws about the nature of names. Hey, it's probably the world's only illegal name as it is! As for meaning, Dagmar 41 suspects her name is Old Danish for "does-several-things-at-the-same-time", as she's currently juggling the lives of a chemistry teacher at university level, research fellow in Bloody Recent English Studies (viz. a PhD on the song lyrics of one Peter Hammill), clothes designer, label boss, Resident Punctuation & Translation Engine, press officer for a bunch of brilliant but ramshackle Mainz musicians, explosion assistant, and serial e-mailer.

She hardly finds the time to listen to music these days, but her favourites include Peter Hammill (natch), An Pierle, Tori Amos, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, Jacques Brel, and anything her friends Rob Gozon, Jan Kleinschnieder and Tobi Jung put out...

Reading is still very much in evidence, as it can be done at bedtime without waking up the neighbours - she adores Georges Perec (opining that every 17-year-old slacker ought to be made to read A Man Asleep) and Michael Ende as well as Borges, Banks and Pratchett. Current favourite, though, is Stefan Verhülsdonk's second book of short stories, Tiefer Als Der Keller!

For your entertainment, here's a spontaneous go at the Q questionnaire:

• How the devil are you?
  Hot and half undressed. No, not what you think - it's mid June.
• What was the first gig you ever went to?
  Jethro Tull in Munich. I ended up talking our youth club missus into driving us there - there were eight of us, all rock concert virgins, and we were gutted to find that the bloody expensive tickets were so far from the stage that you basically couldn't see anything unless you'd brought binoculars. I do however remember the light show, and not being able to get the lighter to ignite during the ballad...!
• What were you like at school?
  Inconspicuous, except perhaps for those who bothered to stay awake during Latin. I was so into Latin it was unbelievable! But popular - no.
• If you weren't a rock'n'roll star what would you be?
  Ha - wishful thinking there! Actually, what's the problem with just being me?
• What's your most treasured material possession?
  My eyebrows - only about 60% of these are home-grown, the rest comes courtesy of an eyebrow pencil The Body Shop don't do any more, at least not in Germany. Import eyebrows, then!! Anyway, I wouldn't know how to talk without them...
• What's the worst record you've ever made?
  In terms of playing, probably the Monday Morning Tape, only one copy of which is extant anyway (and no, I haven't got it). In terms of sheer cringeworthiness, a 20-minute epic I wrote at age 21 called "Four And A Bayonet". Yeuch!
• When did you last cry, and why?
  Predictable I know, but it was actually a performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet! I may have read that play dozens of times, but it gets me every time. Plus, I knew some of the actors and was so happy for them turning out such a great show.
• What's your poison?
  Tunes I suspect - the drugs don't work. Quite literally.
• Pick five words to describe yourself.
  Always-does-two-things-simultaneously.
• What's in your pockets right now?
  As I said, I'm not wearing much, and this skirt does not happen to have pockets...
• Who was the last person you punched?
  Probably my sister - but that would be going back at least 20 years, so I can't be sure about specific circumstances or whether I had a reason to. I've been a pacifist for most of my life really.
• What was the last record you bought?
  Got me there - it was actually a Peter Hammill one, "None Of The Above". However, I've got several good ones as gifts since then too, mostly CD-Rs of friends' songs...
• What are you most likely to complain about in a hotel?
  Pressure drop. I absolutely hate it when the hot water slowly but inexorably subsides into a trickle just as you're whipping up a lather...
• What characteristics do you think you've inherited from your parents?
  From my mother: hair, liveliness and tenacity, from my father: eye colour (indescribable) and accent, at least according to my stepfather.
• What is your most unpleasant characteristic?
  I can be annoyingly quick, and under those circumstances also quickly annoyed...
• What's your culinary speciality?
  Several - a Chinese-style stir-fry called "Yellow", assorted cheesecakes, something naughty with chocolate and amarena cherries, and green lemon cake. I'm a cake person I guess - I never get asked for salads when there's a party.
• What is your greatest fear?
  Being unable to communicate. What would I do if I lost my voice? Type. But without hands as well? Die, I think...
• What music would you have played at your funeral?
  It may sound pretentious, but I'd want my own "Painted Sails", because to me it's always been a song about peaceful, accepted death after a fulfilled life.
• What's the greatest film ever made?
  I haven't seen most of the so-called classics, but off the top of my head I'd quote "The Great Dictator", "Farinelli", and "Life Of Brian" in about equal measures.
• Can you recite a line of poetry?
  "Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libera pulsanda tellus" - I don't drink, but I can really hear the dancers in there, under a Roman sky... Horace for you.
• Have you ever been arrested?
  Nope.
• What turns you on?
  Red fruit. Being touched behind the ear. Writing a song - it's a mental orgasm sometimes.
• Happiness is...
  ... the thing my Ethics teacher refused to believe I possessed.
• Where are you off to now?
  A little valley near by, to watch the frogs and nick some raspberries, then: bed.