"Sign your reviews. A review by someone with whom you've had no experience is worthless."

While I don't see the point of NOT signing a review, I disagree. A fantastically well written piece of music journalism is a fantastically well written piece of music journalism, irrespective of who wrote it or who/what it's about.

Of course, music criticism covers a lot more than just The Review.

I'd love to see music journalism tone down the emphasis on PRODUCT and COMMODITY and re-engage with the live circuit, the interview, the round-table-discussion. The live circuit in particular. I grew up on Melody Maker and NME, and I used to love the pages of live reviews that went on and on for several spreads. You could read a live review on Wednesday of a band you'd never heard of, then go and see them on Friday in some toilet of a pub, having found out about the gig in the Gig Guide. Ooh, I'm coming over all misty eyed...