It was the Mercury Music prize last night - a good old-fashioned industry knees-up, spoilt only by the musical interludes. I mean, Thom Yorke mewling through a song like 'Analyse' is enough to put anyone off their seared escabeche of halibut infused with mint and lemon grass, ragout of sweet…

The Monkeys, in glorious contrast, were clearly delighted to win - but remained above prostituting themselves. Yet the biggest question - where they go from here - was just one that they were unable to answer. In the media rat run afterwards, as they were asked for the umpteenth time…

Whichever route you take to reach this year's Lake of Stars festival in Malawi, the third annual undertaking of Liverpool club promoter Will Jameson, it's a tough slog, writes Marc Rowlands. The four-hour drive from Lilongwe, the airport into which most of the British attendees have flown, is uncomfortably hot.…