It's been some time since we've heard from Laurie Anderson. America's First Lady of multimedia hasn't performed in Europe since 1990, when in November UK devotees were treated to two nights at London's Dominion Theatre. And it's now five years since the last album, Strange Angels.

So it was a relief to all concerned when the ballet theatre Sadler's Wells hosted 'An Evening With Laurie Anderson' recently. Such a surge of relief, in fact, that an extra show had to be scheduled for earlier in the evening.

Typically blurring the boundaries of such things, the event was designed neither as a concert nor a lecture. Music, readings, and visuals were woven together by Laurie herself to promote a new book about her 20-year career. Stories From The Nerve Bible traces a bewildering pattern of art-world success and pop notoriety.

Rumours still abound regarding an alternative theme park in Barcelona which the New York artist proposes to develop along with Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno.

"It's a place where people can become artists," Laurie says, "a totally different world where art and nature have suddenly and mysteriously combined."

She envisages artificial tornadoes, waterfalls, monorails, and giant floating screens creating a landscape in constant flux. She sees rides with names like River Of Life, running water changing colour to blood red at night, words and images projected onto moving planes.

Meantime, she's working on a new album, out later this year.