YOUR front page told us Status Quo had come to do a surprise gig at a private party for employees of Nestl (January 31). I find that rather remiss of my local newspaper because I had been talking about this gig with friends the night before they played - so what was the big surprise?

I'm not saying that no report of Status Quo should have appeared. However, I do think that a free gig by six local bands in Parliament Street, which lasted for the whole afternoon of January 29, might have merited some report.

Where were you - you can't have missed it, surely? A lot of hard work went into planning and setting up this marathon gig, including City of York Council, Fibbers Caf Bar, and last, if not least, the band members who played and sang all afternoon to Joe Public for free.

Come on, Evening Press, give these local musicians your support.

S Smith,

Northcote Avenue, York.

Editor's note: The bands were part of York's Residents First Weekend, to which we gave massive publicity. We photographed many of the dozens of events but could not possibly cover them all.

Updated: 12:05 Wednesday, February 09, 2005