I definately enjoy listening to the Pogues on CD/tape but I refuse to enter or frequent a bar if I hear a poor imitation of the Pogues in progress (and this goes for any poor imitation singers or groups eg Oasis).

Music is a business and punters are the patrons. If bad imitators attract bums on seats then bad imitators is what you get. I refuse to give my vote to people with little or no imagination who give up their own identity to copy someone else FOR MONEY. I have better ways of spending my money.

Humourous imitators are, however, much more interesting - the example of the Sex Pistols would fall into this category. This reminds me of a female Jazz Pianist/Singer who entertained a Jazz club in London for 3 hours imitating famous Jazz solos - reproducing the sound of the various instrument using only her voice! It was incredible. She also sang like Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday - even Louis Armstrong, and every song she did had a touch of magic through clever use of satirism. She had talent, most imitators don't.

So join with me and only pay to see artists who are making an attempt at originality.

Slan, Laoise.