I agree with Sugwash's point above, that if young people are drawn towards folk music by way of Seth Lakeman, that's a good thing and that makes him a good thing for folk music - regardless of whether you like his music.

I was drawn into folk music myself by the likes of Lonnie Donegan and Bob Dylan. I'm sure a lot of the old folkies around in the early 1960s must have frowned upon both these artists as "not proper folk" and "too commercial" or whatever - similar criticisms that are being levelled at SL today.

In my case they led me to investigate other American and British folk artists, attend folk clubs, discover new types of music (to me), etc. etc. and I was hooked. I'm sure many young people will do similar things by listening to SL.

Oops got to b****r off now, back later