Dolly Rockers: won't someone think of the children?

It's a bit over-generous to describe the Dolly Rockers as "X Factor losers", when they got 12th place. Also-rans, maybe. But, I guess, if you're going to work up a froth of outrage about them, throwing in their appearance on Karaoke Cowell Richer adds a certain something.

Anyway, they managed to upset all of Thanet, or bits of it, at the Thanet Pride festival:

According to kentnews.co.uk, the three piece-band began their set by asking if anyone was p****d and then continued to swear between songs, at one point asking if anyone else had ever had a s**t relationship.

One father said he was forced to cover his children's ears.

Thanet Pride events organiser Horace Hotman said: "We booked them a long time ago and we got them for peanuts.

"We do try and keep the language down because I always say that stage has got to be kept more precious than a television set because at least with TV you have the off button, but with Margate seafront you have everybody right there."

I love the way Horace suggests that had he waited to book them they'd have been commanding a premium price. But, splendidly, he does go on to dismiss the complaints in fine fashion:

On the swearing, he said: "That’s nothing really – if they have said the F or C word it would have been something different. People were probably upset that their kids didn’t get to say it first."

There is one curious footnote here, though, about the festival itself:

Organisers chose not to use the word 'gay' when publicising the event in an effort to attract as many people as possible and there are no LGBT references on the Thanet Pride website.

So it's a gay pride event, but one which is too nervous to use the words about which it is expressing pride? How does that work, exactly? Perhaps they should redub it The Pride Which Dare Not Speak Its Name.

Geldof inspects Kent; Kent is found wanting

Seemingly having decided that Africa is a bit big for one man to sort out, Bob Geldof has instead picked Kent to save. He's been writing letters to the local paper about:

"It's a mad mystery - the battle of the ugliness of (Kent seaside town) Margate against the charm of its beaches. Kent is a bit scruffy and worn at the edges and some of its ugliness is inexcusable."

The county of Kent resorted by pretending to have trouble hearing, saying "what was that? Bob Geldof accused me of being 'a bit scruffy and worn at the edges'? Bob Geldof?"

A more measured response came from Andy Somers, president of a local college:

"This is just another slap for the kids of Margate - to be told by somebody they respect that their home is ugly."

Actually, Andy, it's Bob Geldof. I suspect not many kids even know who the strange old man moaning about the hanging baskets being wonky is.