TAPE

Wanting to smell like a slut doused in blood and sperm, and having a polite meeting the Dalai Lama may sound like contradictions. But they're just different sides of the same coin when it comes to Lady Gaga. She speaks out on behalf of the voiceless, insists on expressing herself and her strangeness.

With his severe expression, dark looks and past of unimaginable tragedy, Nick Cave could be forgiven for chasing his past of gothic fury. But yearning and grace have crept into his art of late alongside startling emotional honesty... and even a sense of humour.

Incredible but true: Dexter Holland, the frontman of The Offspring, has a doctorate in molecular biology. But a punk researcher in hard sciences isn't such a rare breed after all...