ROBBIE Williams has been voted Best Live Solo Artist of All Time, and U2 Best Live Band of All Time in The Carling Music Survey.

The survey also found 96 per cent of people in the south west say rock is their favourite music.

And Andy Pett, who runs one of the Swindon area's most popular music venues, Riff's Bar in Hook, agrees.

Sixty three per cent of people in the region said they were into punk with 38 per cent into heavy metal.

They also listen to the most music in the UK but don't believe there are enough venues in the area.

Andy, 37, said: "In Swindon there is a great scene. The youngsters are into punk nowadays not the old Sex Pistols type, but the new American-influenced sound.

"But there aren't enough venues in the Swindon area. A lot of pubs help, but for the bigger concerts all we have is the Oasis.

"We have a lot of different groups playing here and there is definitely a following here. People prefer the live acts. It is a backlash to the Pop Idol synthesised fake music thing."

According to the survey, south westerners voted Queen as the best live band of all time and Nirvana's Nevermind as the best album of all time.

Geoff Barker, who hosts BBC Radio Swindon's Saturday Night Rock and Roll Party, said: "There is definitely a big scene in Swindon, which is something reflected across the south west.

"People don't want synthesised music any more, they want real musicians who play real instruments."