I gave up on the Smooth Ops Awards, after they banned Show of Hands after the first ever Public Vote, "because, they'd just keep winning", as their 'host' Mel, said, on the BBC Radio 2 board.

After that, they changed the voting system.

Total crap way to do a public vote.

Sorry, but if your public votes for you, they vote because you're damned good, because you've worked damned hard to get where you are and because one helluva lot of people take the time and the trouble to make sure that the artists who they respect the most, get the Award they richly deserve.

I thought it was the most disgusting behaviour I've ever seen, but hey, it was done by Smooth Ops, the company who's 'Customer Care' department used to have a photo of him sticking two fingers up at his er..customers, so what else should I expect?


Show of Hands, the Banned Band...and Longdogs, The Banned Band's Banned Fans.


You couldn't make it up really, could you.

And Kerfuffle are grand. Saw them a while back now, at Abbotsbury, as guests of Show of Hands, on their Family Day Gig down there in those beautiful gardens.