The Mercury Music Prize Part 1

Bloody Jools Holland introduces (mostly) a useless bunch of nobodies. Fast forward through wooooooooooooooooooah Kaiser Chiefs and KT (yawn) Tunstall. Watch Bloc Party who seem to have been sabotaged as the drums are mixed far too much to the fore and the singer says thank you for the nomination into a massively echoing microphone.

Watch a short film on Seth Lakeman, a 14 year old boy from Devon who plays indie folk whatever the hell that is. His whole family is involved in the album including his 1 year old sister on rattle. The family have a nice dog, though. Live, Seth is a 14 year old seething maelstrom of sex and danger. He plays fiddle and sings at the same time about things that didn't happen in Devon in the middle ages. Jools calls him a talent.

Then there's Hard-Fi, one hit wonders from Staines. Apparently, according to the boys, Staines is boring and like everywhere else. They don't seem to realise they're in the entertainment business.

Then there's Polar Bear, a jazz band led by a drummer with massively frizzy hair.

Then we go to bed. More tomorrow.