FRESH on the scene and raring to go - Little Big Adventure are five musicians from Oslo and Bergen who are setting out to show the Norwegian scene just what they can do.

This Patrick's Day, remember there's more to Ireland than the stereotypes of potatoes, drink, and leprechauns (all of which we will still happily sell to you). With a population of just about 4.5 million, we also punch well above our weight in terms of musical talent. Here are ten Irish acts that burst with talent.

It's a Wednesday night in early January and as George Frakes takes to the stage of this cosy north London boozer, clad in a mishmash of tweed and velvet, there's an air of the English Gent to him. While the crowd at The Wheelbarrow may be rather thin on the ground, those who have turned out are reverent in their hushed appreciation.

There is a natural wariness that takes over whenever anybody asks: "Do you like country music?" As if by admitting to yourself that you like any songs from a genre that spans the majority of Western music means you immediately have to put on a stetson hat and chew on some straw.