Dave Simpson

English Teacher won the Mercury prize, Amy Gledhill won the Edinburgh comedy award – and now even Beyoncé wants a piece of the action. Why has ‘God’s own county’ become such an artistic force?

Blossomsmania is in full force at this cheery, beery gig, which has something of the atmosphere of an indie Last Night of the Proms

Gleefully raucous anthems give way to heartfelt goodbyes on the Canadian band’s triumphant farewell tour

‘Its first performance was at Live Aid. The drummer broke his kit, the bass was in a different tuning, David Gilmour’s guitar wasn’t working – and my mic was inaudible’

This hugely moving concert spans every corner of the human experience, finding Cave at a point where time has deepened his music’s power and his connection with his audience

· 15-min read Patti Smith – Pissing in a River (1976) Chosen by Phoebe Lunny , singer/guitarist of Brighton duo Lambrini Girls

‘The first time we opened for James Brown, we got 20 minutes on stage. Then when he heard the crowd response, he cut it to 15. By the end of the tour, he’d cut us back to five’

The pop veteran answers your questions about the California ska scene in the 90s, making it big with No Doubt and finding love again with the country star Blake Shelton

· 1-min read Since launching a decade ago as a childlike, robotic YouTube character and meme, Los Angeles-based Moriah Pereira, AKA

· 2-min read Shed Seven were plucky Britpop underdogs who notched up 15 Top 40 hits, though their success was certainly eclipsed by Blur, Oasis and Pulp.