Totally un-current news but how predictable to yack on about the Scissor Sisters? So, Michael Stipe - the American Morrissey or the American Peter Gabriel? I mean everyone has a clutch of REM songs they think ok but is their frontman nothing more than a slightly above average singer with workmanlike absractions in his lyrics, fronting a band you wouldn't let your back room out to even it meant keeping the wolf away from the door for one more week?

And then there is his strange obsession with making himself look like he's been living off Brasso since the mid 80s, and what was that ridiculous blue stripe all over his face he had for Live 8? Surely the fact that his whole persona comes across as someone who is embarressed with what he is doing makes him less trustworthy than a ticket tout at a dog track? Add this this the fact that his band are rather ordinary white collar rock and you begin to wander why they are held in such high esteem.

OK they signed a deal with the devil in the 90s to make 34 albums which explains why their musical stock is bound to be stretched over the 3 ideas they originally had in 1980, but its Stipe really who is the main concern - in 2006 is it slightly irksome seeing a man in his late 40s acting like an attention seeking art student writing and acting for all the world like someone you wouldn't throw money at if they were begging at Old Street Roundabout, even though he's worth about £345million?