From Shimrod:

>>>And 'Blowzabella' - good for you! I'm sure that you're 'the exception that proves the rule'.<<<<

'Fraid not! ;0)

I 'discovered' folk music purely through Show of Hands. Not only did their own music prove deeply inspirational for me, but so did their versions of traditional songs and covers of other folk songs too. It's opened up a huge amount of music for me...and also for my children too, aged 12 and 20.

Both my kids love Seth's music. They also love who Seth is. That he is NOT 'touched by fame' in any way whatsoever. We've been watching him for years now....and we've seen his audience change from middle-aged and older folkies, to masses of young people.   

He's exciting. He's young. He's inspirational. He's professional and....he's DEEPLY talented. He's a 'natural' musician.

Some people spend years trying to 'learn' to be a musician....and sometimes they get there too, but the best musicians, to me, are like teachers, it's there right from the moment they're born!

THAT'S what I saw in Seth Lakeman the first time I ever saw him. I see it also in Phil Beer, in Steve Knightley, in John Tams and Bob Fox. It's there in Ashley Hutchings and Dave Swarbrick, in Martin Carthy etc. etc...That 'natural' drive that won't let them stop, that brain pattern that will never switch off, always thinking, always playing, always writing, researching etc etc...

Seth is up there with Phil Beer and Dave Swarbrick in the WOW factor of fiddle playing imo.

What REALLY gets up my nose though, is the complete prats who whitter on about his 'looks' and use that against him in the most spiteful way....

Seth Lakeman IS good looking. But so what? That's not his 'fault', it's just the way he is.

However, even if he stood there with a fat suit on and a bag over his head, the second he started playing his fiddle people would be drawn in like a magnet to him, in EXACTLY the same way! He has a unique sound, he plays in a unique way. When he plays Kitty Jay, the girls are as focussed on that fiddle playing as the lads are...It's amazing to watch him play that song and yes, just as Tom said above, the first time I ever saw him play that, I knew it was something special!
I've seen him play that song many times since, and it never fails to take my breath away.

By all means don't like Seth's music, it's a free world and we'd be very boring if we all liked the same things...but for Goodness Sake, don't drag him down. He's opening up YOUR world to those who'll want to come in! Don't slam the door in his face!

There are many 'natural' musicians who struggle all their lives to get anywhere and it must be so frustrating for them...therefore anyone who is bringing people in, enlarging that world, and with it bringing more opportunities for other musicians to finally be 'found' should receive as much support as possible.

Seth is just the beginning of a whole new wave of folk artists. The, imo, snobby, snooty world of English Traditional music should open it's doors wide to him and stop behaving like the kind of weird people who show their dogs at Crufts!

The folk world is NOT The Kennel Club, but there is a small minority who would dock tails of many a folk musician for not having 'the right accent' 'the right look' 'the right stance' etc..etc..

Lighten up guys....Take your arran sweaters and anoraks off now and put your jeans and T shirts on.

Seth Lakeman and Show of Hands have moved you all forward...into The Winner's Arena, but their Arena is filled with happy, talented mongrels, who wag their long tails joyfully, because they do not have rules and regulations to abide by and they do not conform to a certain English Folk Pedigree.


Lizzie :0)