Dolly (November 2002)

Rockin’ Steady

Part punk, part princess, Gwen Stefani's rockin' harder than ever. We found out why... Hey Baby

Since the band's recent Oz tour was the last before Gwen's wedding to Gavin Rossdale from Bush, it's not surprising she couldn't stop talking about her big day. "I have to admit this last tour has been a bit of a distraction because I'm getting married straight after. It's very hard concentrating on work, but it's okay because I look at it as though it's my last tour before I'm married. I can't take it all in. We're having two weddings -- one in London and one in LA. It will be like a wedding tour!"

Simple Kind Of Life

As an inspiration to would-be rock chicks everywhere, we asked Gwen for a little advice. "I try not to give advice because I do my thing and if people get inspired, that's great. I feel like, who am I to give advice? When we started, I was 17. I didn't do it to be a star. I did it because I loved music and I wanted to be in a band. If you're successful, it's a miracle because the chances of it happening are slim. It's important to follow your dreams, but I meet so many people with stars in their eyes and I feel bad for them. You have to do it for the right reasons."

Hella Good

Not that we're counting, but this is the fourth time No Doubt has been Down Under. At the very least, it proves they aren't sick of us. "We always have a great time in Australia. This is our third time, at least. It's like ever since 1995, we've been touring straight, so everything starts to blur. Last time we came, I wasn't expecting people to know who we were because it had been a while between visits, but it was great! I think Australian crowds seem to be pretty jaded because you guys see a lot of shows, so we have to work hard to get your attention compared to other places. The challenge is always good though and Australia is always a challenge. I'm not saying that as a negative thing, I'm just being honest!"

I'm Just A Girl

There's no doubt that Gwen's a real superstar, but she's still just a girl at heart, especially when it comes to fitting everything into one suitcase. "This tour has been really hard to pack for because I've had to pack for the tour, the wedding and the honeymoon. I just tried to remember everything, but I was panicking, thinking, 'How am I going to fit all this stuff in?' I was in such a bad mood when packing, I forgot a lot of important and sentimental things for the wedding. I'll have to go home to pick it all up."

Underneath It All

Rock Steady is No Doubt's third commercial album, and it could be their best. That's what Gwen thinks anyway. "We were happy from the moment we started. After going through all the success over the past few years, we came home and decided to make a new record. It was harder than we thought, so we felt like we'd accomplished so much. We had a great time. We also got to work with many other great artists, too."

Don't Speak

Our Gwen likes a chat, which is weird considering she does an interview almost every day. However, talking too much has its drawbacks when you have a big gig. "I have to do a show tonight and I can go on and on, and I think, 'Why did I talk so much?' because then I've no voice left!"