Luke Steele: A man on his mettle

The Sleepy Jackson's Luke Steele has looks... and now 'Personality'. Fiona Sturges delves into his stream of consciousness
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Neil Hannon: Son of a preacher man

Neil Hannon's year-long break from The Divine Comedy has spawned a new set of schmoozy pop songs - and a yen for stadium success, he tells Fiona Sturges
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The new babe on the block

The Sugababes have undergone several changes in personnel. Will the latest recruit go the distance?
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The Handsome Family: Mr and Mrs Darkness

He played old-time music. She wrote stories too weird to publish. Together they became the Handsome Family, singers of black country tales
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Wayne Coyne: Wayne's world rocks

The wild man behind The Flaming Lips really isn't mad; he's just very enthusiastic about life. Read more...

Torchbearers of a rich musical tradition

Mystery Jets are heading towards the future of music at lightning speed. And it's their secret fifth member who's taking them there. They explain how to Fiona Sturges
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: A word of mouth revolution

For the art-rock band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, word of mouth has worked wonders, as the front man tells Fiona Sturges
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Now that's entertainment

For many an ageing rock icon the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the Brits can be a mixed blessing.
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Shakira: Rhythm queen

Shakira learnt belly dancing at the age of four, signed with Sony records at 13 and these days counts Gabriel Garcia Marquez among her closest friends. Fiona Sturges meets Latin America's biggest star. Read more...

The White Devil, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton

You'd be hard-pushed to find a more bloodthirsty tale of betrayal and savagery than The White Devil. This contemporary reworking of John Webster's revenge tragedy, which takes in strangling, garrotting, poisoning, stabbing and shooting, comes from Brighton's newest company, Inservice Productions, formed by five local actors with stints at the National and the RSC behind them. Read more...

Big Sur

North America is, of course, all about the road trip, nowhere more so than in California where, if you put your foot down, you can go from balmy beaches to snow-capped mountains to unrelenting desert in the space of a day. But there's a lot to be said for staying within the speed limit and really looking at the landscape. The Pacific Coast Highway between Los Angeles and San Francisco is one of the most stunning drives in the world, taking you out of the city and deep into the wilderness, with the ocean glistening over your shoulder. Read more...

Joss Stone, Brighton Centre, Brighton

Joss Stone has crammed a lot into her short life. The 18-year-old soul sensation from Devon has duetted with everyone from James Brown and Gladys Knight to Mick Jagger, bagged several awards and memorably confused Bob Geldof with Gandalf while recording the Band Aid single.
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Kiss me lots, pay me more

Gene Simmons reckons to have slept with 4,600 women in his 32-year rock career. Fiona Sturges wasn't 4,601
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Tom Waits, Hammersmith Apollo

At £65 a ticket you'd hope to be left slack-jawed in wonder by stage hydraulics, flame-throwers, dancing girls and at least a dozen costume changes. But supply and demand being what it is, instead we get an old goat in a dusty suit shaking a pair of maracas.
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Brian Eno: The professor of pop

Brian Eno's reputation as the egghead of contemporary music precedes him. But while he can explain the links between architecture and doo-wop, he doesn't have a clue how to write a hit. Read more...