Although I admit to knowing next to nothing about PA I did wonder when I first went into that enormous tent why there were no speaker stacks halfway down. Perhaps it's all down to £££.

A long time ago, someone is supposed to have asked Finbar Fury why he played everything so fast. He's reputed to have replied "Because I f*****g can"! Is that why sound engineers turn it up so loud? I do think that people who regularly work in these conditions must have damaged hearing and, perhaps, don't realised to what extent they risk damaging other people's.

This is folk (I prefer the word traditional) music after all. I suppose if Fred Jordan were still around and singing in the Scola marquee they'd be able to hear him in Shrewsbury bus station. But it doesn't seem right somehow.