So I checked out Ed Sheeran last night.

[Burney]

To see what all the fuss is about.

He is clearly a technically gifted young man. To hold an audience alone and make such a sound by manipulating thon fancy pedal shows a remarkable musical dexterity. He's clearing put the time in and mastered his art.

But the blandness of it all! Jesus H Holy Christ, it's like listening to wallpaper paste!

Kids must be easily pleased these days; either that or their drug of choice is Mogadon.

Radiohead, though. Dreary, shoegazing shïte that only the dangerously pretentious could possibly imagine to be anything but self-important drivel.

[Sir C]

Radiohead, though. Dreary, shoegazing shïte that only the dangerously pretentious could possibly imagine to be anything but self-important drivel.

Someone had the temerity to say something similar on facebook which occasioned Ian Harvey to wade in, guns blazing, in defence of his heroes. His argument appeared to be that not loving Radiohead is prima facie evidence of thickness.

[Peter]

Someone had the temerity to say something similar on facebook which occasioned Ian Harvey to wade in, guns blazing, in defence of his heroes. His argument appeared to be that not loving Radiohead is prima facie evidence of thickness.

There were long, long periods of silence. That isn't good enough. I hated it.

Liam was quite good. At least he is entertaining, if nothing else.

[Sir C]

There were long, long periods of silence. That isn't good enough. I hated it.

Liam was quite good. At least he is entertaining, if nothing else.

For all Oasis' faults, the time is approaching when we're going to remember them with regret as the last flowering of rock n roll music.

[Peter]

For all Oasis' faults, the time is approaching when we're going to remember them with regret as the last flowering of rock n roll music.

That time came a while ago didn't it? I mean, even I am finally admitting it. A Liam and Noel reunion might have saved Glastonbury, just about. A drunk Johnny Depp and a secret gig by The Killers just doesn't cut it I'm afraid.

[Burney]

There were long, long periods of silence. That isn't good enough. I hated it.

Liam was quite good. At least he is entertaining, if nothing else.

I flicked between them and some chap called Dizzee Rascal, who played upbeat, bouncy numbers that had the crowd dancing. Unlike Radiohead appeared to be interested in entertaining his audience and was doing a good job. Why anyone would have chosen to watch them rather than him is beyond me.

[Peter]

I flicked between them and some chap called Dizzee Rascal, who played upbeat, bouncy numbers that had the crowd dancing. Unlike Radiohead appeared to be interested in entertaining his audience and was doing a good job. Why anyone would have chosen to watch them rather than him is beyond me.

I was watching Kate Tempest then. Probably the best thing I saw despite having seen exactly the same performance last year. That is pretty sad.....

To be fair to Radiohead, I don't like them at the best of times so I was never going to enjoy it....

[Sir C]

I flicked between them and some chap called Dizzee Rascal, who played upbeat, bouncy numbers that had the crowd dancing. Unlike Radiohead appeared to be interested in entertaining his audience and was doing a good job. Why anyone would have chosen to watch Radiohead rather than him is beyond me.

When Springsteen headlined it I was concerned for my hero. I thought he'd made a mistake. Given that he doesn't play festivals and that his lengthy sets often contain many obscure numbers, it seemed to me that a casual audience really wouldn't get it. Watching on TV it appeared that he smashed it out the park, as it were. It looked and sounded magnificent. The Guardian gave him 5 stars and the review started 'Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band put on a show so good it's quasi-religious – for nigh on three hours, Pilton becomes the Promised Land' A week later I encountered Ian Harvey who had been at Glastonbury and asked for his verdict. 'Embarrassing', he opined. 'People were streaming away to go and watch something else. He can't hold an audience like Radiohead.' The lying ****.

It is, as you say, a cult.

[Burney]

Someone had the temerity to say something similar on facebook which occasioned Ian Harvey to wade in, guns blazing, in defence of his heroes. His argument appeared to be that not loving Radiohead is prima facie evidence of thickness.

Yes. They're not so much a band as a cult as far as I can see. Every member of the cult has to keep repeating the mantra of their greatness for fear that otherwise reality may intrude and reveal the emperor in his birthday suit.

They have one or two decent songs that they milk shamelessly and the rest is pretty much whiny, tuneless dreck. Also, Thom Yorke has zero stage presence and a terrible voice.

[Sir C]

Yes. They're not so much a band as a cult as far as I can see. Every member of the cult has to keep repeating the mantra of their greatness for fear that otherwise reality may intrude and reveal the emperor in his birthday suit.

They have one or two decent songs that they milk shamelessly and the rest is pretty much whiny, tuneless dreck. Also, Thom Yorke has zero stage presence and a terrible voice.

Do you think that Thom Yorke developed that soul-twisting angst during his comfortable middle class Oxfordshire upbringing? Perhaps his experiences at the same public school as my bil are responsible for his tortured Weltanschaaung?

Or perhaps he's simply a pretentious prick. Who can say?