Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

All that glitters is not gold, an old saying and one of the most profound. In music circles, as in politics, it is perhaps the medium that is most abused and most trusted proverb. Music that finds its way on to reality television can be a big hindrance to any aspiring band coming through that has worked their socks off, no matter the genre, to get where they are. The pain, despair, heartache and the struggle that goes hand in hand with any artistic movement is somehow by-passed in favour of quick glory, not even the 15 minutes of fame that Andy Warhol suggested. Instead, perhaps thanks to the way we live now it’s been downsized to the length of time it takes to open your mouth and start to sing.