There is hope yet for 'real' music in Ireland

Music is a divisive topic in our house. Any attempt by me to play anything that predates 2013 is met with howls of disapproval from the kids, followed by a physical struggle to wrest control of the iPod.

Things get even more heated in the car. As soon as the youngsters see the words Radio Nova on the stereo display, a chant of 'Turn on Spin' rings repeatedly in my ears until I can take no more and finally relent. You don't want to know what happens if I even suggest switching over to Newstalk or RTÉ Radio 1.

You see, I grew up in an era of 'real' music in the 1970s. This meant a daily diet of Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Supertramp, The Police, Talking Heads, Neil Young - the list goes on. The growing popularity of Radio Nova proves we are far from a dying breed, although we are pushing on a bit.

• Imelda May is fronting her own music show on RTÉ

When I was a teenager in the '80s, there was a thriving gigs scene as a whole new generation of musicians were spurred on by the global success of The Boomtown Rats, Thin Lizzy and U2. You had The Blades, Auto Da Fé, Cactus World News, The Fountainhead, In Tua Nua, A House, Something Happens, Aslan, Hothouse Flowers, Cry Before Dawn, Light a Big Fire, The Stunning . . .

Fledgling bands found their voices in venues such as The Underground, Slattery's and The Baggot Inn. You could walk down Grafton Street and hear a baby-faced Glen Hansard belt out his version of Van Morrison's 'Sweet Thing'. It was impossible to go into town without recognising at least one well-known face from the scene. Back then, the city was simply alive with music; it pulsated from its heart and spread through its veins out to the spare bedrooms and garages of the suburbs.

I remember in 1987 when The Waterboys played a free gig on a Greenpeace ship docked at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, close to the iconic Windmill Lane studios. And right enough, there was Bono and Adam Clayton standing behind us in the crowd. I pulled out my last one pound note and they both graciously signed it for me. I soon realised that this had been my DART fare and so began the eight-mile walk home. While I vowed to cherish that note in the expectation that it would someday be worth a fortune, it now remains lost in one of my old Leaving Cert school books.

For me personally, the music scene took a major nosedive in the 1990s and was tarnished by the rise of the boy bands, where being a singing, dancing clotheshorse was seemingly all that was required to make the big time. Would this generation grow up thinking that 'Father and Son' was the only version of the song, having never had an opportunity to hear it in its original glory on Cat Stevens' 'Tea For the Tillerman' album? The answer, sadly, was probably yes.

Even more worrying was the line dancing phenomenon and inexplicable rise of country and western music, exemplified by Garth Brooks (sorry to bring that name up again!). I realise that taste is a subjective thing and I'm something of a music snob but I could never get my head around the unstoppable rise in the popularity of this genre. It's my loss, as I'm often told.

Things have gone from bad to worse in this century. Success is now determined by 'The X-Factor' and other reality TV talent shows, turning half-decent karaoke singers and novelty acts into pop superstars. Ask yourself: could Jedward have existed in any other decade than this? While they're likable, energetic lads and have a certain comedic quality, do they deserve more success than a group of talented musicians who write, perform and produce their own songs?

But I remain hopeful of a 'real' music renaissance. The popularity of The Electric Picnic proves there is a still an appetite for retro as well as emerging acts like Hozier. And RTÉ's new Jools Holland-style show, presented by Imelda May, bodes well for the future. While the opening programme of the season did depend on old reliables such as Mary Black and Donal Lunny, it also featured a blistering performance by The Riptide Movement. I first heard them a couple of years ago when they brought Grafton Street to a standstill while busking. It goes to show that there are still bands out there willing to work their way up the music business through hard graft and talent.

Just like they did in the '80s.