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pissed jeans @ the fenton
mbv @ apollo
stapleton @ packhorse
islands @ brudenell
spy vs spy @ fenton
sinaloa @ packhorse
dananananaykroyd @ brudenell

1.MBV at the ICA, just a smidgen better than at the roundhouse as I was in the seats.
2. Stars of The Lid, Lichens, James Blackshaw, amazing line-up, great projections in a nice church, could well be joint first.
3. Bill Callahan, I'm a huge fan, he had a proper electric backing band, was loud, in a church again, played I Break Horses.
4. Fuck Buttons, my first gig of the year at the ICA, my first noise gig and it kind of opened the whole genre up.
5. Animal Collective, Koko, surprisingly good sound, and a lot of sound, real interesting and fun.
6. Micah P. Hinson, Hoxton Hall, only about 50 people, Micah on the stage with two friends, no support just about 3 and a half hours of raw Micah.
7. Mogwai, Apollo, I'm a new convert to them but that gig ble wme wee socks off, again added bonus of FB.
8. Low, EoTR, I was absolutely entranced until the slightly shocking ending.

ox eagle lion man & ipso facto at hoxton bar and kitchen was the best. hopefully i'll be seeing fucked up and lets wrestle on monday

but, when I think about it, the only gigs I caught in Bristol and Bath this year were Los Camp, Explosions in the Sky, No Age/Black Lips, UNKLE and Gay For Johnny Depp. I had seen a shitload in November.December who were all brilliant though (especially Mono, Liars and Parts & Labor). And I sold my MBV ticket because I decided I don't really like them that much.

Anyway, without further ado, and in no real order....

Pissed Jeans @ Release The Bats
Mudhoney @ The Forum
Comets on Fire @ The Luminaire
Mogwai w/Fuck Buttons @ Hammersmith Apollo (although QEH was louder, this had a better setlist)
EITS/Eluvium @ Ansom Rooms Bristol
Built To Spill @ Koko
Zu @ Cargo
TVOTR @ Cargo
Gutter Twins @ Shepherd's Bush Empire
Rolo Tomassi @ Barden's

I'm really surprised how recent a lot of them have been. I've obviously been going to a lot more gigs than earlier this year, and they've also been all really high quality. Need to go to some smaller shows though, I think, so that'll be my aim next year. More new bands in smaller venues.

Probably the best was Pissed Jeans, Mudhoney or Built To Spill. But don't quote me on that.

Bands I'm sore to have missed/will be missing this year: Butthole Surfers, Sic Alps (curse my laziness), RTX, Boris, Dirtbombs, Dalek, GZA.

1. Sigur Ros headlining Latitude this year. I was stood about 2 metres from the barrier, it was simply the best thing I have ever seen live, and also one of the few performances I have seen where I was actually upset when they left the stage, they walked off and I was thinking "has this really been an hour and a half already?". i saw my teacher not long after and he commented that I looked like I was on a cloud.

2. Public Enemy performing It Takes A Nation Of Millions at the UEA. This is the first time I've seen a band play an album in full, and also the first time i've seen live hip hop and will definitely be seeing more. they put so much energy into their show, fly kicking across the stage, speeches, no encore just a 2 hour long set. brilliant.

3. Los Campesinos! at Norwich Waterfront. I was gonna go with a cute girl but she pulled out at the last moment leaving me to go alone, needless to say I was quite upset and also very disappointed that Lovvers werent supported and instead we were getting Wolves premier lad rock band, The Lines. All of these was lining it up to be a shit gig, however the band came on and from the opening calls of Broken Heartbeats I had so much fun, dancing and shouting along to one of my favourite albums this year.

4. Rolo Tomassi at Norwich Waterfront. Blood Red Shoes made a bad decision getting these supporting them on their tour, they were totally blown out the water by Tomassi's jerky mathy jazzy prog-core and I fell in love with Eva throughout the performance.

5. YACHT at Latitude. I had only heard a few select songs before going to see them and they were one of the funnest bands Ive seen live, routine jerky dance moves over disco karaoke makes for a fun show, I've seen them dissed on here before for not having live instruments, well what does it matter if the show is fun?

1. TV on the Radio - Nouveau Casino, Paris
2. Holy F*ck - T in the Park
3. Radiohead - Glasgow Green
4. Leonard Cohen - Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow
5. Mars Volta - Cirkus, Stockholm
6. Rage Against the Machine - T in the Park
7. Animal Collective - Oran Mor, Glasgow
8. Band of Horses - T in the Park
9. Art Brut - The Hive, Edinburgh
10. Twilight Sad - Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh

Looking back, this has been the best year of my life! :D

Final Fantasy @ Forum
Twilight Sad @ 100 Club
Bjork @ Apollo
HEALTH @ Scala
Dananananakroyd @ Old Blue Last
Marvin @ the Miller
Worlds End Girlfriend @ ATP
Glass Candy @ ATP
A Place To Bury Strangers @ ATP
Jens Lekman @ ATP
...Trail of Dead @ ATP
Mogwai/Fuck Buttons/Errors @ Apollo
Tall Firs/Declining Winter @ Luminaire

The Faint at Cargo (this really surprised me)
A Silver Mt. Zion at the Scala
Low at End of the Road

Worst (2008 or any other year)
Thanksgiving at Cafe OTO

all of these at hammersmith apollo:
neil young
bjork
al green
mogwai

my bloody valentine at ica, roundhouse, atp new york

hot chip at atp vs pitchfork

mudhoney at the forum

shellac at primavera and the forum

devo at primavera

fuck buttons at primavera (amazing!)

current 93 + baby dee at queen elizabeth hall

low at union chapel

meat puppets at atp vs pitchfork

pissed jeans x 3

de la soul at explosions atp

silver jews at primavera + explosions atp

the national at explosions atp

envy at explosions atp

public enemy 'nation' at primavera

killing joke at the forum

glen campbell at the mermaid theatre

built to spill at koko this week

AND december is still to come, which will no doubt be fucking amazing.

Dananananakroyd at Madame Jojos
Los Campesinos! reading festival
les savy fav at the astoria
Death Cab for Cutie at Camden electric Ballroom
REM at Jones Beach New York

gonna kick myself when I go and look at ticket stubs t'upstairs in a bit

but so far:
Pysch Horseshit/Pink Reason - Bardens
Jay Reatard - Bardens
Sic Alps - Bardens
Kan Mikami - Cafe OTO
Pissed Jeans - OBL

Haven't been to a bad gig this year.

(all London shows unless stated otherwise)

Nicole Atkins - Soho Revue Bar

Alphabeat - Dublin Castle

Sara Bareilles - The Parish SXSW

Tilly And The Wall - Habanna Calle 6 SXSW

She And Him - French Legation Museum SXSW

Nellie McKay - Wireless Festival

Eli Paperboy Reed - 229

Spear Of Destiny - Islington Academy

Beth Rowley - T In The Park

Nouvelle Vague - Scala

1. Bjork @ Hammersmith Apollo (best gig I've ever been to)
2. Sigur Ros @ Latitude Festival
3. Sunset Rubdown @ Kilburn Luminaire
4. Joanna Newsom @ Latitude Festival
5. My Bloody Valentine @ Roundhouse
6. The National @ Dublin Olympia
7. Of Montreal @ Camden Koko
8. Wildbirds and Peacedrums @ Kilburn Luminaire
9. The Hidden Cameras @ St. Leonards Church, Shoreditch
10. O’ Death @ Hoxton Bar and Kitchen

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Given the amazing couple of months ahead though, I wouldn't be surprised if this changes quite a bit by Xmas.

Top ten in order of appearance

Camera Obscura & Twilight Sad @ ABC
Frank Black @ The Garage
Sebadoh @ The Classic Grand
Paul McCartney @ Anfield
Lou Reed playing Berlin @ The Playhouse
Radiohead @ Glasgow Green
MBV @ Barrowlands
Frightened Rabbit Acoustic album @ The Captains Rest
Mercury Rev headlining @ Connect Festival

I'm keeping the tenth open for one of these nights coming up - Okkervil River, Jarvis, Herman Dune, Idlewild or The Twilight Sad.

I dunno about 'performance' but all those amps and lights worked a treat!

Also Meat Puppets at Camber, Extra Golden & Magnetic Man & J.Reatard at Roskilde, Shellac in Glasgow last week and Harvey Milk & Asva at Supersonic. Jazzfinger & Burial Hex in Newcastle make it ten.

Efterklang @ Pressure Point or Lido both were ace!
Bjork/Ellen Allien/Modeselektor/Skream/Why?/Battles @ Melt! Festival
MBV @ Roundhouse
Les Savy Fav + Los Camps + FOTL @ Astoria
Radiohead @ Wuhlheide
The Notwist @ ICA
Mogwai @ Hammersmith Apollo
Shred Yr Face Tour @ Komedia
Low @ St Georges Church
M83 @ Cargo

With Sigur Ros/ Okkervil River/ Ryan Adams/ Stereolab still to come :D

1. The Flaming Lips @ Belsonic - Perhaps the best show I will EVER see
2. Black Diamond Heavies @ Masons Derry
3. Jape @ Vicar St. Dublin - Everything an irish band should be
4. Boss Volenti @ Nerve Centre Derry - Everything an irish band should be, Pt. II. Far better than the headlining We Are Scientists
5. Radiohead @ Malahide Dublin (two nights) - Well it's Radiohead. Course it's gonna be great
6. Dan Deacon @ Vicar St Dublin - supporting (3.) Made for my favourite night so far
7. Deerhunter @ Vicar St Dublin - supporting (3.) Made for my favourite night so far
8. Holy Fuck @ Speakeasy Belfast (October date) - an hour of pure energy
9. The Mae Shi @ Limelight Belfast - short and sweet
10. And So I Watch You From Afar - Take your pick. Seen them five times and every one was great

I expect this list to change on Monday night.

80's matchbox b-line disaster/scars of broadway at astoria, mae shi at camden barfly, and morrissey at hyde park

I have enjoyed
Action beat @the packhorse
Earth @supersonic
Efterklang @supersonic
Rolo Tomassi @the cockpit (so true about them showing up blood red shoes, I really like the blood red shoes but rolo tomassi were just wow that night)
Manatees @cafe saki

I haven't seen nearly enough gigs this year, for various disappointing reasons. I have a feeling 2009 will rectify this big time though.

Best of 2008:
The Hold Steady @ Koko, London
R.E.M. @ Twickenham, London
Okkervil River @ Truck Festival
Johnny Foreigner @ Truck/A Day At The Races
Death Cab For Cutie @ Electric Ballroom, London
Low @ Union Chapel, London
Los Campesinos @ Day At The Races, Manchester
This Town Needs Guns/Mimas/4 or 5 Magicians @ The Cellar, Oxford

1. Neil Young @ Hammersmith Apollo..pretty much the happiest I have ever been made
2. MBV @ The Roundhouse..I'm not sure my ears have actually recovered from this
3. Boris @ Primavera
4. Robert Hood @ Primavera
5. Throbbing Gristle @ Primavera
6. Action Beat @ The Lexington
7. Secret Chiefs @ Cargo
8. Gang of Four @ Royal Festival Hall
9. Old Time Relijun @ Cargo
10. Melt Banana @ ULU

Oasis and Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Both were soo good...

closely followed by olafur arnalds at the barbican

los campesinos in bradford
HEALTH at the brudenell
of montreal/les savy fav/the field/foals at field day
no age at the scala
mystery jets at camden barfly
shred yr face, leeds
wild beasts at brudenell

Those were my favourites gigs so far this year, anyway. Not all necessarily just because of the quality of performance, but also because of the atmosphere, crowd and general enjoyment of the gig.

bjork
feist

Mercury Rev, Low and Stereolab to see this year. So the current top 10 would be:

1. MBV @ ICA
2. Boris @ Cargo
3. The War on Drugs @ Old Blue Last
4. A Sunny Day in Galsgow @ Luminaire
5. The Magnetic Fields @ Cadogan Hall
6. El Perro Del Mar @ ICA
7. Bon Iver @ Speigeltent (The Great Escape)
8. Sebadoh @ Koko
9. No Age @ The Dome
10. Akron/Family @ Luminaire

Other good gigs:
Low & Mercury Rev @ End of the Road
Jandek @ The Nave
The Clientele @ Luminaire
Minisnap @ The Windmill
Jonathan Richman @ Shepherds Bush
Ladybug Transistor @ Luminaire
Parts & Labor @ Corsica Studios (if I hadn't been so sick it would have been awesome).

Man Man @ ATP, Camber
Built To Spill @ Koko, London
Ruby Suns @ King & Queen, Brighton
Final Fantasy @ Forum, London#
Future Of The Left @ Audio, Brighton
Caribou @ ATP, Camber
of Montreal @ ATP, Camber
Los Campesinos @ ATP, Camber
Glass Candy @ ATP, Camber
Be Your Own Pet @ Audio, Brighton
Bearsuit @ Some sort of function room, Brighton

built to spill on friday and fuck buttons at iceland airwaves. oh and also darren hayman and jack hayter in june. yum.

Release the Bats - Shellac
No Age and HEALTH at Scala
Liars at Astoria 2

R.E.M. @ Twickenham

Lash Frenzy at Sunflower Lounge

Ponytail @ Fleche D’or
Glass Candy @ ATP
Lucky Dragons & David Scott Stone @ Luminaire
Harvey Milk @ Supersonic
Lightning Bolt & Shellac @ Release the bats
Talibam @ Whitechapel Art Gallery
Black Dice & Chops @ Cargo
Mae Shi & Dan Deacon @ Dot To Dot

jofo/dananananaykroyd @ the end bar
los campesinos @ leeds festival
iwacs/rolo t @ rock city basement
jeremy warmsley/liam finn @ bodega
late of the pier @ leeds festival

NEW MUSIC GRANDPA!

I have seen Smoke Fairies, Planningtorock and Fuck Buttons all be amazing. Fleet Foxes were very good. Cats In Paris have been consistently ace. Glass Candy fucking ruled, against expectation.

Oxbow at Supersonic
Kikuri @ Supersonic
Shellac @ Release the Bats
Melvins @Stylus
Rolo Tomassi @ Doc Brown's

And a few i can't remember if they were this year or last- my memory's shit.

Of Montreal - ATP Pitchfork
Glass Candy - ATP Pitchfork
Ponytail - Bardens
Eats Tapes - Bardens
Daniel Johnson - Indio
Dat Politics - Bardens
Death Set - Bardens
Mae Shi - Favilia Chic
Hidden Cameras - Brighton / London / Manchester
Cutting Pink With Knives - MiMB all-dayer, Brixton Windmill
Liz Green - End of The Road
Devo - Primavera
Bjork - Melt!
My Bloody Valentine - ICA
Lykee Li - ICA
Los Camp - Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
Hercules and Love Affair - Soho Revue Bar
Why? - Madame Jo Jos

There are more. A good year.

warped tour

The Halle' Orchestra 150 Year Anniversary Concert
Efterklang at Corporation
Fanfarlo/Why?/Caribou at Primavera CD Drome stage
Mogwai/Fuck Buttons/Errors at Manchester Apollo
Black Mountain/Richard Thompson/The War on Drugs/Caribou/Laura Marling at Green Man
Cut Copy/Delphic at Night & Day
Interpol at Sheffield Academy
Forest of Sound at Brainwash Festival, esp. Glissando, Winter Nth Atlantic & Greg Haines
Fran Rodgers/Vessels/Sky Larkin at Brainwash
Wild Beasts/School of Language/Banjo Or Freakout/It Hugs Back at Monto Water Rats
Foals/Youthmovies/Esser at Manchester Academy 2
Hadouken! at Manchester Academy
Crystal Castles at Manchester Academy x 2
m83 at The Ruby Lounge
Danananaanaykroyd/Cats in Paris at The Deaf Institute
The Maccabees at Jebez Clegg - I was famous for about 10 secs. as I sang Precious Time with Felix/Orlando
Los Campesinos!/Johnny Foreigner at Manchester Academy
Jonquil/This Town Needs Guns/Ace Bushy Striptease/The Empty Set at Salford Sacred Trinity Church
Fuck Buttons/Deerhunter/TNV at Primavera ATP stage
Devo/The Cribs/Dinosaur Jr. at Primavera Estrella Damm stage
White Williams/Health/BSP/No Age at Primavera Vice stage
Maps & Atlases/TTNG/Colour/Rotary Ten at The Shakespeare

and many more

National - ATP
Bon Iver - EotR
Efterklang - Queen Elizabeth Hall
Frightened Rabbit - Summer Sundae
Adem / Laura Marling - Union Chapel
Sigur Ros - Wesminster Central Hall
Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee / The Lodger - Buffalo Bar
Ballboy - Indietracks
The Wave Pictures - Indietracks
Mogwai - Hammersmith Apollo

Courteeners and the Los Camp/No Age/TNV thing tother week. I choose the latter.

EDIT: Chemical Brothers at Rock Werchter. INCROYABLE.

I suggest that you go to at least two gigs next year.

I need to think further on this, but what immediately springs to mind is Death Cigarettes at the George Tavern, or pretty much anywhere else for that matter.

Devo/Silver Jews/Mission of Burma/Wave Pictures/Bishop Allen – Primavera Festival
Japanther – Bardens Boudoir
Okkervil River – Scala
Of Montreal – Koko
Adam Green – Koko
Matt and Kim – The Luminaire
Conor Oberst – End of The Road
Ballboy – The Luminaire

Foals @Leeds
Glasvegas@Northampton
Eits@London
Radiohead@Victoria Park
Holy Fuck@London

Going to see Sigur,KOL and Coogan
looking forward to Sigur immensely, expect KOL will be surroundeed by stupid bandwagon morons singing sex on fire and Coogan has recieved horrible, horrible reviews

Kyte, Leicester :)

Highlights:
American Music Club @Glee Club
Efterklang @ Supersonic
Oxes @ Hare&Hounds
Fleet Foxes @ Space2
MBV @ Apollo
Yeasayer @ Bar Academy
White Rabbits @ Bar Academy
Cave Singers @ GreenMan
Caribou @ GreenMan
Spinto Band @ Barfly
Hot Chip @ Bham Academy

Disappointing:
Radiohead @ Old Trafford (some great bits, not enough though)
Holy Fuck @ Barfly (not loud or mental enough)
Release the bats @ Custard factory (meh)

pearl jam @ madison square garden (both nights) easily the best live performance(s) ive seen this year by some distance

I just had so much fun I haven't smiled so much at a gig ever.

ólafur arnalds @ holy trinity church, leeds
falconetti @ holy trinity church, leeds
sigur rós @ blackpool
m_nus warehouse project @ piccadilly, manchester
peter broderick @ brudenell, leeds
glissando/ her name is calla @ packhorse, leeds
tindersticks @ bridgewater hall, manchester
audion @ faversham, leeds
simon baker @ mint, leeds
echocord @ melodies, manchester (even tho it got shut down at 2am...)
lucio aqulina @ ruby lounge, manchester

Especially:

Sons Of Noel & Adrian at Union Chapel
Shoreline on the main stage at The Big Chill
Sons Of Noel & Adrian at the End Of The Road festival
The Leisure Society @ The Old Blue Last
The Leisure Society @ Notting Hill Arts Club
The Miserable Rich - all over the shop

Liars / No Age @ Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, Utah

Editors @ The Avalon Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah

Type O Negative @ Shrine Auditorium, Billings, Montana

The Melvins @ Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co., Billings, Montana

The Red Elvises @ Two Mile Festival , Red Lodge, Montana

Meat Skin Jubilee Jug Band @ Two Mile

Boris @ The Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, Oregon

Best Live Performance of this bunch?

Definitely THE RED ELVISES- They are a phenomonally fun, cool live band- Go if you ever get a chance!

here and put rage at leeds.

Ive waited for 8 years. Zack could have whistled flight of the valkyrie while tom shredded his guitar strings with an electric drill and it still would have been a contender.

Overmars, at the Underworld. There were about 20 people there. They opened with a 40 minute song, which was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen or heard.

The Hold Steady - Garage, Glasgow
Idlewild - Byblos, Glasgow (great set, shite venue)
Feeder - Classic Grand, Glasgow
Grinderman - Connect festival
The Coral - Connect festival
Fighting With Wire - Barfly, Glasgow
Bloc Party - Barfly, Glasgow
Feeder - Barrowlands, Glasgow

And still to come is the unbridled joy of seeing Idlewild do a 5 night stand at King Tuts (it's just a pity I'll have to miss Biffy at the Big Red Shed)

josef van wissem @ cafe oto
lightning bolt/drum eyes @ the engine room
astral social club/kylie minoise/family battle snake @ the miller
action beat @ catch
starving weirdos @ bardens
approximate infinite universe @ ica
skaters/axolotl @ cafe oto
hidden cameras @ manchester/london
dj scotch egg/pseudo nippon @ the windmill
afrikan boy @ bardens
justice yeldham @ old blue last
high places @ cafe oto
talibam/towering breaker @ whitechapel art gallery
japanese new music festival @ corsica studios
magik markers/old time relijun @ cargo
bjork @ hammersmith apollo
black dice/family underground/chops @ cargo
library tapes/james blackshaw/dead rat orchestra/spoono @ gramaphone
pink reason @ bardens
casiotone for the painfully alone @ bush hall
david thomas broghton @ green note
boris @ cargo
richard youngs @ cross kings
fuck buttons @ ica
prurient @ bardens
gay against you @ bardens

Red Sparowes @ York Fibbers

Really small show, incredibly intense, excellent atmosphere. Mesmerising pretty much sums it up in one word

Black Lips w/ King Khan & BBQ Show at Heaven
Joanna Newsom at Somerset House
Lightspeed Champion at the Reading Festival
Jeffrey Lewis at the Reading festival.
The Wombats at the Reading festival (for non-Wombats related reasons)
Laura Marling with Mumford & Sons in a tiny pub in Edinburgh
Be Your Own Pet's final ever gig, at Dingwalls
Micah P. Hinson at the Scala last week
Vampire Weekend, Pete & the Pirates and El Guincho at the Forum
Animal Collective in my head.

My bloody valentine at the barras
Mogwai, errors, frightened rabbit, malcolm middleton at the trip tych show.
sigur ros in koln
metallica at leeds.

my bloody valentine @ barrowlands, glasgow
times new viking @ captain's rest, glasgow
buena vista social club @ music hall, aberdeen
hot club de paris @ 100 club, london
joanna newsom @ somerset house, london
the magnetic fields @ some concert hall, london
fucked up @ water rats, london

but other than that British sea power and the national have been my concerts of the year.

The Cure @ Wembley Arena
Bon Iver w/Bowerbirds @ Wexner Center for the arts, Columbus OH.
Laura Marling @ Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Bruce Springsteen @ The Emirates
Radiohead @ All Points West Festival (Friday)
Radiohead @ Malahide Castle Dublin
The Swell Season @ The Barbican
Conor Oberst @ Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Frightened Rabbit w/ We Were Promised Jetpacks @ South Street ,Reading
The National @ Hyde Park
Morrissey @ Hyde Park
Martha Wainwright @ Olympia Dublin

it was at the mean fiddler, and i was right at the front. the gig itself was perfect in every way :D