Robbie Williams review – tiny Camden gig offers blinding star wattage – and a surprising new song about Morrissey

Previewing new album Britpop to an audience of 600, the star promises ‘no stadium bravado’ and delivers droll new songs alongside stripped-back oldies

Hannah Frances: Nested in Tangles review – ramshackle arrangements power restless revelations

Wayward tempos and snapping drums break fresh ground in this unruly release from the Vermont musician

‘We’ve all done stupid things but we’re all capable of redemption’: spoken-word artist Joshua Idehen on fighting hate with hope

His poem Mum Does the Washing went viral – but he started out parroting conservative talking points online. Now the British-Nigerian vocalist preaches a message of radical positivity

Vegas vignettes and killer karaoke staples: Katy Perry’s greatest songs – ranked!

As her Lifetimes tour hits the UK, we pick the high points from one of pop’s most successful vocalists, from angsty ballads to empowerment anthems

There’s a £1 idea that could save small music venues. Is Live Nation holding it back?

Artists including Coldplay and Katy Perry have got behind a plan to fund small venues from big gigs – but owners say that without Live Nation on board, it could fail

Taylor Swift beats Adele’s first week in US sales record with Life of a Showgirl

The star has already sold 3.5m units of her critically divisive album, a new record in the modern era of music sales

The Life of a Showgirl is a massive hit – and massively divisive. What should Taylor Swift do next?

Swift’s 12th LP is set to dominate the charts – despite fans lampooning the lyrics and lamenting its quality. Guardian music writers discuss what it means for her career

Katy Perry review – ​like being high on Haribo while trapped in a theme park

In a fun but frenetic show, the star hangs off props, wears a glove that shoots pyrotechnics and generally distracts from her own energy and charisma

The best gig I ever saw cost £4. Spiralling concert prices are a cultural disaster

Tickets for big tours have vastly outstripped inflation, while smaller artists and venues struggle. The magic is in danger of being snuffed out entirely, says Guardian columnist John Harris

Long-lost John Lennon interview reveals US phone-tapping fears

Ex-Beatle spoke of performing ‘for another 60 years’ in interview to be aired for 85th anniversary of his birth

Nicole Scherzinger review – raunchy gags and dazzling stylistic zigzags

Riding high off Tony and Olivier wins, the Pussycat Doll turned theatre star showcases her astonishingly versatile singing chops and a standup’s gift for chaotic humour

‘Are the neighbours’ curtains twitching? Good!’ Avril A, the 80s housewife who became a star of Manchester’s gay scene

She sang out of tune, her choreography was bizarre – and everyone who saw her loved her. As her superb music is rereleased, her family and fans recall a subcultural great

Post your questions for Todd Rundgren

Ask the Philly singer, songwriter and Meat Loaf producer about his music, his collabs with Sparks and Robyn and more ahead of his UK tour

‘People screamed. Cried. Threw up’: 10 extraordinary life lessons from Ozzy Osbourne’s new memoir

The man who ended up smoking 30 cigars a day after trying to quit cigarettes also comes across in his book as level-headed, self-aware and savagely funny. Here’s what the late rock legend can teach us about addiction, fame and how to choose just the right support act

I judged this year’s Welsh music prize – and Don Leisure’s winning album sums up the nation’s eclectic spirit

Desert blues, transcendental electronica and a concept album about a mill powered by music­ – this year’s shortlisted albums were stunningly diverse, none more so than the crate-digging on the triumphant Tyrchu Sain