For a style that excels in endless repetitions and a sense of going nowhere, East-coast minimalism has shown remarkable staying power, as Philip Glass, one of its founding fathers, proved last week. Packing London's Festival Hall to capacity on Thursday and Friday, he offered a package tour of his uvre that moved from the symphonic heights and depths of his recent pieces to excerpts from classic scores of his formative period by way of chunks from three major operas. For the first night out, his most considerable exertion was signing autographs after Martyn Brabbins and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields had given the world premiere of his Heroes Symphony. But on Friday evening he was there on stage with the Philip Glass Ensemble, following the lead of music director Michael Riesman, yet clearly the abiding genius of this tightly knit and multi- talented group.

FILM

`What comes through most strongly is the way Bowie retains an obsessional interest in the sheer variety and extremity of sound'

David Bowie has faced the strain of 50...

David Bowie is planning to mark his 50th birthday in January by allowing members of the public to invest in him.

A quarter of a century after Ziggy Stardust burst out of Bromley in thigh-high tassled boots and eyeliner, the identity of the real life model for David Bowie's alter ego has been confirmed. Inspiration for the galactic stage persona has been variously attributed to many of the Seventies' most glittering rock names, but Ziggy Stardust was based on a failed American musician who enjoyed brief success doing Elvis impressions in France before going mad.

Last week Ewan "Trainspotting" McGregor signed-up to play James Joyce in a forthcoming biopic of the Irish writer. After the success of literary adaptations from Emma to Jude, we should probably feel grateful it's not a remake of Ulysses, but simply the latest in a long line of movies scheduled to introduce cinema-goers to Lives of the Great Artists.

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David Bowie interviews Damien Hirst. The meeting of two cultural icons, who can perplex and infuriate just as they can provoke and inspire, provides intriguing insights into the mind of Britain's most controversial contemporary artist, writes David Lister. Faced with a superstar as committed to multimedia experimentation as he is, Hirst eschews his routine cynicism to give a rare exposition of the philosophy of the installation artist.

Great covers

Last night I watched my friend Neil's film. It's called Boyfriends. It's about six men who spend a weekend in the country together and what happens to their relationships.

ROCK

Julian Schnabel is making a movie about the New York art scene. It stars Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper and David Bowie. Oh, and Julian's Mom and Dad too

Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41), 19 Hill St (0131-226 6522), 11.05pm; to 2 Sept (exc Mons)