WELCOME TO THE QUIET REVOLUTION.

It has been a busy time for gigs of late, and few have been better than recent dates by Mogwai and Sigur Ros Both played intense sets to packed houses, clearly enraptured by the complex sonic landscapes they wrapped around their audiences. Both happen to be signed to labels that are part of the Play It Again Sam family and, in London at least, both even played the same venue.

And there is another similarity. At both concerts you could have hoard a pin-drop during the quietest moments of the show. Such was the concentration that no one was talking -- and on occasions when people did they were loudly shouted at by other punters to shut up. It certainly made a welcome difference from industry showcases, let alone most paying gigs. Perhaps silence is the new loud.

An election must be approaching. Last week the Government announced plans to set-up "trust funds" for every new-born child, only to be roundly condemned by key ...