"Toothless Mary are OK, but the Grinders' are fantastic"

I know we're off topic slightly, but watch as I deftly bring it back...

Do keep in mind, Pip, that the average age of Toothless Mary is about 18 (maybe even younger),whereas Grinder's Misfortune includes a number of experienced folk musicians such as Gavin Davinport, Helena Reynolds and Jon Brenner. While virtual babes by folk standards, I'd hazard a guess that the average age in the band might be 10 - 15 years older than Toothless Mary. I realise there are other issues such as choice of instrumentation, but I love what both are doing, and both bring something exciting and fun to folk music.

Which rather brings me back on topic: you don't necessarily expect the same things - in skill, in aesthetics, in polish - from an 18 year old that you would from a 28 year old, or a 48 year old or a 68 year old. What the YFA is (or ought to be) about, IMHO,is spotting the potential within the contestants to BECOME something rather wonderful - you're not necessarily looking for a finished product.

It is rather unseemly for a bunch of middle-aged people to be bitching about a couple of fresh-faced, enthusiastic and talented kids. Particularly when the bitching starts to encompass "the BBC gives airtime to this rubbish, but won't play me/my favourite band who has/have been around for ages and am/is MUCH better." I can't say categorically that it is a bunch of very sour grapes being trampled here, but that's sure what it looks like.