John Cooper Clarke: 'A national treasure? I hate that'

Ian YoungsCulture reporterGetty ImagesJohn Cooper Clarke is nicknamed the punk poet and the bard of SalfordJohn Cooper Clarke is about to become the first poet to headline a UK arena, and is responsible for the lyrics to one of the world's most streamed songs of recent years. But he has lost none of the sharp-tongued vitriol of his punk origins.To a sizeable portion of the nation, Clarke's 50-year stream of…