American Music Club/Richmond Fontaine QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL LONDON Sunday May 23, 2004 Richmond Fontaine take to the stage looking like they've walked out of Bob Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces.

The Boston grunge-pop godheads make the most significant rock comeback in a decade

As a prelude to tonight's particularly goosefleshy rendition of "Not Even Stevie Nicks...", Calexico frontman Joey Burns gets to tell his Glen Campbell story. "Scottsdale, Arizona, is a very strange place," he begins. "We have friends who've been to his house there. As you enter the driveway, electric bells start playing 'Rhinestone Cowboy', then barking dogs drown out the chorus." Burns stops fingering the chords of the buckskin balladeer's biggest hit and pauses, senses a certain bafflement in the audience.

The Pixies and The Cure turn up the desert heat at the fifth Coachella Festival

His Runtness tours the States and once again surprises and confounds

The virtual electronic museum that is Kraftwerk bring their Man-Machine to London

The greatest living rock performer? It's hard to think of any of her peers who've managed to keep their live shows both physically thrilling and smart. Or of any rising combo who wouldn't pale beside her. When other legends (say, Lou Reed) recite poetry mid-set, it's embarrassing and hubristic. When Patti does it, it's as electric as the best guitar riff. Others spout ideological platitudes, Patti makes you volunteer to assassinate Bush right now.

The 'Orrible 'Oo back in action with patchy but promising opener for a week-long series of Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concerts

Texan noiseniks battle big beards and beer monsters to find life in the old rock yet

BUSH HALL, LONDON Monday March 1, 2004 Rouse closes the first of two nights here with a version of Neil Young's "For The Turnstiles" so intense and intimate that when he sings the line "though your confidence may be shattered" we all inwardly go "uh-oh",and when he adds "it doesn't matter" we all go "phew, what a relief". His crowd are rapt throughout, whooping at every intro like he's just won the Superbowl.