Never heard Bellowhead, but now will have to try to go out of my way to find their sound. With that much heat generated about them, they certainly seem to have pissed off a lot of 'critics' (I do accept that some have said that they just have bias - do not like their style! - that is acceptable comment!) - so they must really have some talent! Thanks for bringing them to my notice! :-)

Last night I attended a High School 'band concert'. They were somewhat shaky on the early part where they did some 'Classical Symphony style' Music, but when they hit the more 'pop/rock' stuff they were A+. The young singers did have a few wobbles here and there, but overall they were great. Enjoyed the evening. Realized that the level of confident performance was directly related to the type of music that these kids were most likely to have listened to most of the time while growing up - on radio, etc in their lifetime.

I grew up playing pipe organ. I always wanted to play piano accordion as a kid, but my parents could not afford one. I found one at a price I could afford some years ago and fell in love (now have several) - the two instruments are very similar in playing technique.

I gave up listening to negative wankerscritics when some all knowing clown (didn't see him playing at all at that accordion festival!) tried to tell me that the piano accordion - fitted with various switches to bring in and remove various sets of reeds on demand from the keyboard (like a pipe organ does with pipes), should never be played with only one set of reeds engaged for the keyboard!

There's often a certain amount of jealousy from 'B graders' - those who cannot perform more than 'passably' (or often cannot even play any instrument at all!) towards those better - a sort of self defensive self justifying delusion.

As a player, you MUST know deep within yourself your real level of competence - allowing for nerves and practice history - :-) - if you get a few very nasty comments now & then, perhaps you should know these negative critics for just what they really are. :-P

:-)