Plus: Are rich people ruining or reviving UK club culture?

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Picks of the week
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Boyband Five on bullying, Britney and their blockbuster return
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Are rich people ruining or reviving UK club culture?
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Reviews
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Self Esteem: A Complicated Woman – maximalist pop for an age of uncertainty
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Zoé Basha: Gamble – confident debut of a deft new voice in folk
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Men of a Certain Age by Kate Mossman – close encounters with charismatic male rockers
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Maria Somerville: Luster – a vivid and vital entry in the shoegaze revival
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Spotlight
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Music  
Harnessing chaos and charm, Pere Ubu’s David Thomas rewrote rock’n’roll
Dave Simpson
The bandleader, who has died aged 71, created a vast body of work that influenced everyone from Ramones to REM, thanks to his absurdist energy
Classical
The Proms 2025 season offers plenty both to cherish and challenge
Andrew Clements
The Proms 2025 season offers plenty both to cherish and challenge
Classical album of the week  
Nicola Benedetti: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto – warm and deliciously playful throughout
Nicola Benedetti: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto – warm and deliciously playful throughout
News  
‘It is trance-like’: pianist Igor Levit performs Erik Satie’s Vexations 840 times
‘It is trance-like’: pianist Igor Levit performs Erik Satie’s Vexations 840 times
‘Touching the soul is all that matters!’  
The outrageous genius of Barrie Kosky and his Wagner phantasmagoria
The outrageous genius of Barrie Kosky and his Wagner phantasmagoria
Album review  
Hallelujah Junction – two-piano journey through 20th-century Americana
Hallelujah Junction – two-piano journey through 20th-century Americana