Ah yes, all those bands that came & went, like The Pogues, now long forgotten, if only they had a more serious vision, they would be as revered today as Red Shift, Whippersnapper, and, er, the other one...

Good spot, nboldock.

That sort of attitude's still very much around in certain areas of the folk "community" - there seems to be this anxiety of somehow being infected if they make the mistake of listening to music that's not approved as authentic folk (I seem to remember that it's some ancient agricultural worker in deepest Norfolk who gets the final say-so).

But "This punk folk is a red herring" is a glorious phrase. I have to use it sometime.

Very interesting. That guy is such a music snob and bitter about the demise of his own folk club. He probably only booked old fellas who sang with one finger in their ear wearing an Aran sweater (oh......wait.......that could be Kirsty's dad ). At least the editor has his head screwed on with his reply.

We have just got hold of an old Folk Roots from 1986. Check out the amusing letter headed "The Way Forward" in the middle column...

Pogue Mahone, Mr Watkins!