There's plenty of exciting music out there. This last month I have seen Spyder Byte twice (average age about 20, power rock-cock-pop, starting to get radio play) Lola Colt (average age about 30 - immensely sophisticated psycho-twang) The Chosen Few (average age in the 40s maybe - many nearly were recording stars - the best driving pub-rock and commercial blues you will find) and Martin Carthy who continues to hypnotise and cause shock and awe.

There are some riveting local folk acts down here in Kent (I'm not going to name names, they'll only get big-headed). Some do proper folk, some Americana, some blues. I could name you three women unaccompanied singers (two very traddie) who can stop the row in a crowded lagerswilling pub with a short opening phrase.

And there is some dogshit in open mics and at gigs - one of the gigs I went to had, as well as one good band, a total smartarse with a crap sounding acoustic guitar pissing about with a loop pedal - but he fell off the loop about 5 times - a pair of white acoustic rappers with no boogie and dreadful mic technique (what rap surely lives and dies by) and possibly the least together heavy band I've ever heard - I was out listening to the jukebox in 15 seconds.

There is SO much skill out there in the largely ignored metal music scene - blazing riffs at 300 bpm - and it has sustained itself with no interest from media or record companies for about a decade.

Mumford and Sons are just bland pretenders. Stop dissing folk.