He's talking about Rose Tattoo's new album Blood Brothers and the perils of hydroponic marijuana for Australian youth.

But mostly he's talking about the danger fundamentalist Islam presents to our way of life.

"It's not ill-conceived to look at certain people and question when they come out here what they bring with them," he says.

"We have strict quarantine laws and it should be the same when it comes to cultures that do not want to integrate. We should be very careful about where certain Muslims come from and what they believe. If you come here, you should behave yourself it's as simple as that."

Anderson, a well read and fiercely independent character, has been espousing these views from the stage to his mostly younger audience as he travels the world supporting Guns N' Roses.

Far from backing down in the cold light of day, Anderson is delighted to discuss the issue, hoping he may be able to interest young Muslims in what it means to be Australian.

Anderson wants to teach these kids about the Eureka Stockade and to "get off their arses and Google what happened at Gallipoli."

He knows he will be criticised but insists silence solves nothing. He is not anti-Muslim. Anderson talks at length about the "gross injustice" of last year's declaration of war on Lebanon by Israel: "I don't believe Israel truly believed Hezbollah was behind every target they launched a bomb at. I have had many Lebanese friends who went through the worst of the violence in the '70s and '80s but that doesn't mean you can bring it here."

On the issue of Muslims in Australia, the rock legend is unequivocal: "You can't make different rules for different people. If people come and live in any country and their way of life is so different they need their own special laws, then possibly they have to pick somewhere else to live.

"There are many European countries I've been to where they won't give you the time of day, let alone welfare, if you don't speak the language or have some respect for their traditions.

"The idea of any Muslim being photographed for a passport or a licence with one of those shrouds on sorry, it just can't happen."

Anderson, who turns 60 next month, grew up on Melbourne's mean streets when multiculturalism was still taking hold: "Mate, the first time we saw Italians we thought they were f.....g Martians. And we had a lot of problems trying to relate to each other, but now we are the firmest of compatriots.

"With Islam I think it is going to take more because we don't have that Christian-based belief system in common. But we better start talking about it because it's not going to fix itself."