The makeup of that Beeb panel being so unrepresentative is really bad, although the bands they chose really don’t bother me – not because I agree, but because I don’t care. Being tipped to be ‘the next big thing’ is not something I personally give a shit about, so I try and remind the bands I work with not to worry about it either.

Scotty’s point about The List not even suggesting that writers cover Edinburgh gigs really irritates me, because that’s just lazy and ignorant, and the fact that their Hot 100 included awful bands like Jetpacks, whilst not one of FOUND, Broken Records, Meursault, or Withered Hand, all of whom had very strong years last year (and not just in Edinburgh either) merited a whisper, annoys the shit out of me.

Basically if they are representing Scotland, then that list is simply wrong, but then these things are a bit of frivolous fun, so maybe they just didn’t put any thought into it. Maybe we should ask people from Aberdeen or Dundee or Stirling if any of their most dedicated local figureheads got any respect – doubt it.

Having said that, though, Edinburgh is half the size of Glasgow. Until recently its lack of any real music scene will have repelled bands, whilst Glasgow’s reputation as a centre attracts them, so we should bloody well expect Glasgow to have four times more bands and general music enterprises represented in the national press than anyone else – it’s just maths.

It is to the very great credit of the brand spanking new informal online music press we’ve recently sprouted that absolutely none of that geographical tunnel vision seems to be manifested there, however. I hope that I’ve done my best by bands irrespective of where they’re from in the world, and that I don’t show too much bias even when you look at the Scottish bands I cover (although for simple logistical reasons, there probably is a bias).

Certainly Glasgow bloggers don’t seem to suffer from this kind of malaise in the slightest, and you really have to respect them for it, because there’s more than enough going on on their own doorstep that there’s probably no need at all for them to bother with other parts of Scotland.

Simply, though, a lot of the people who complain about myopia in the media deny the fact that basically, it’s often not too far wrong. London is the biggest market for music and has a massive population, so a larger number of good bands are likely to form there and a larger number of good bands are likely to move there. Ditto Glasgow when compared to the rest of Scotland. Inevitably these places will garner most of the coverage because by and large they merit it.

When that becomes wrong, however, is when it engenders willful ignorance. In cases like that stupid lady on the BBC arguing with Olaf, who was happy to just sneer at Edinburgh despite clearly having not the slightest idea whether or not anything good actually was happening in Edinburgh and – even worse – clearly not caring, then it really is a problem. If the List are, as you say, still ignoring Edinburgh bands and venues, despite the fact that they should know damn well by now that there is some amazing stuff here, then it’s a problem. But Glasgow and London having the majority of the music coverage to themselves might be frustrating but probably, on balance, it’s just about right.

As to your label chat… well, this comment is long enough already, so I might send you an email about that one!

That’s my piece anyway, Matthew.

I loved the mix, and the mono-spectacle. Glad you included The Last Battle.

I love the Last Battle track. Absolutely brilliant. Although I have always been a sucker for a folky instrument in a pop song.

i guess you can consider that good or bad