Scholar & Physician at Truck was pretty brilliant. Real sense of adventure and occasion.

Antony & The Johnsons at QEH.

The Knife at Scala. Not Forum.

Jasmine says Team Brick. She is right.

Tim Ten Yen at The Garage was really special.

because pretty much all of the gigs I went to this year were amazing.
Some of them stand out more because of who I was with and what was going on in my life... so in no order, this is who I've seen this year... that I can remember...

Hearts of Black Science
Sebastien Tellier
Joey Negro - Salsoul grooovalicious nights that rock...
Final Fantasy...
The Knife
Methodaire
Guillemots
Twisted Most Definately (BLIM, Gowan, Tamsin, Damian, Chris Carter)
Help She Can't Swim
Bearsuit
DJ Pak and Chris Barnett at the SalSoul evening
iLiKETRAiNS
The Hundred Handed
Editors
:(
Bell Orchestre
The Go! Team
Matthew Herbert
Germlin
The Puppini Sisters
Hot Chip
Goldfrapp
The Mescalitas
The Rank Deluxe
The Faculty
Mokita
iForward Russia!
Envelopes
Ulrich Schnauss
Black Strobe
Hotel Motel
Alice Russell
Nostalgia 77
Dr Lonnie Smith
Lou Donaldson
Pet Shop Boys
Kirmann
Brainlove Records showcase at Notting Hill Arts Club
Tim Ten Yen at The Garage, Shimura Curves
Various WHATEVER and COMPUTER BLUE and the odd ANTISOCIAL evening
The rather Manson-esque 'Arthur Brown' ('FIIIIIIIRE')

TVOTR@Koko

It was free.

closely followed by Gang Gang Dance at Luminaire.

at Roskilde. Possibly the best double whammy ever.

at the sheffield leadmill

jeremy warmsley at sheffield plug

mates of state at nottingham social (supporting the new pornographers)

the chalets at sheffield fuzz club

belle and sebastian at sheffield octagon

there'll be some I missed I know!

Battles/AC at astoria

Wrens @ ULU
Okkervil River @ Cargo
Broken Social Scene @ ATP
Decemberists @ ATP
Regina Spektor @ Truck
Calexico/Beirut @ Roundhouse
Yo La Tengo @ Forum

If I had to pick one absolute best gig of 2006 it just might be Okkervil.

gay against you, husbands, junkplanet @ cardiff buffalo
moutain goats @ old blue last
electrelane @ ATP
probably

Final Fantasy, Whelan's
The Books, Stuk.

Society Of Imaginary Friends at 12 Bar, London
Intermission To Saturn at Adam And Eve, Birmingham
Hafdis Huld at Glee Club. Birmingham

ryan at bush hall

but as i only saw about 6, its not hard to choose

bordoms at atp was pretty decent

i can't really remember what ive seen this year though...so many!!!

but mostly:

the mv + ee medicine show/tight meat duo, captain's rest, glasgow
sunn o)))/burning star core/leopard leg, hippodrome, london
liars/erase errata/barr, hippodrome, london
liars/leopard leg, nice n sleazy's, glasgow
xbxrx, luminaire, london
hush arbors/james blackshaw, mono, glasgow
lightning bolt/gay against you, grand ole opry, glasgow
animal collective, dour festival and king tut's, glasgow
les georges leningrad, buffalo bar, london

top5 of the year:

65daysofstatic @ ULU
65daysofstatic @ Barfly
Yndi Halda @ Water Rats
65daysofstatic @ Mean Fiddler
Aereogramme @ Water Rats

+Biffy, Final Fantasy, TV on the Radio, Forward Russia...

Lightning Bolt @ Lumie
The Bronx @ Soma
Mondo Generator Deal @ Viper Rooms
Mastodon @ Meanfiddler
Big Business @ Buffalo Bar
Unholly Alliance @ Brixton Acad

Germano

it's a tossup between

Eden Maine, Crydebris + Let Our Enemies Beware @ Luminaire

God Is An Astronaut, They Came From The Stars... and The Strange Death Of Liberal England @ Luminaire

Frank Turner @ The Snooty Fox

or volcano! @ Luminaire

All four were stunning.

Misty's and Kate Goes at Pressure Point in Brighton
Regina Spektor at Truck
Bearsuit anywhere

that's all i can think of at the moment.

No question.

Honourable mentions:

Death Cab in Manchester (and to a lesser extent Leeds),
Okkervil River,
Tilly & The Wall,
Jens Lekman,
British Sea Power,
Jenny Lewis + Johnathan Rice,
David Thomas Broughton (4 Times! Highlight: Chinchilla Fest, first time I saw him and was just amazed)
The Shins,
The Leeds Folk Collective (Ben Wetherill, Sam Berrett, David Thomas Broughton, Fran Rodgers all forming a local supergroup to play their own individual songs as a group, and traditional folk covers (including sea shanties!) in a church!)

...& Probably some others I've forgotten.

...& Probably some others I'm forgetting

or The Tim Ten Yens

Both lovely and life-affirming.

Tie:

Monks - Dirty Water Club
Sunn 0))) & Earth - Islington Academy

Also a special mention to Magik Markers at the Wheatsheaf in Oxford and Haino/Corsano at the Spitz

Sufjan @ Barbican
Ryan Adams @ Philharmonic
Cave In @ Manchester Uni

at Global Gathering! :D

65Daysofstatic - Newcastle Academy
65Daysofstatic - STA alldayer
British Sea Power - Middlesbrough Empire
Engerica - Download Festival
Muse - Newcastle Arena
Coheed and Cambria - Newcastle Academy

dinosaur jr @ atp#2
youthmovies @ truck
seafood @ the metro
optimist club @ the pleasure unit
guillemots @ reading
tv on the radio @ reading
ryan adams @ the borderline
wilco @ 9:30 club
gang gang dance @ hole in the wall

words cannot describe how i felt

*sigh*

Mew @ Colchester Arts Centre
Radiohead @ Hammersmith Apollo
The Hidden Cameras @ Union Chapel
Fuck Buttons @ 93 feet East
I Was A Cub Scout @ 93 Feet East
Camera Obscura/Francois&The Atlas Mountains @ Colchester Arts Centre

propbably more, too..

Lightning Bolt/Volcano! - Hull Adelphi
Forward Russia - Leeds Joseph's Well (Nine single launch)
xbxrx/Barbarians - Manchester Klondyke Social Club
Gay Against You/Esquilax/Cutting Pink With Knives/Barbarians - Manchester The Phoenix
Animal Collective - Manchester Academy 3
Final Fantasy - Leeds Cockpit
Guillemots/Misty's Big Adventure - Leeds Cockpit
British Sea Power - Manchester Roadhouse
Broken Social Scene - Manchester Academy 2
Sufjan Stevens - Manchester Academy 2
A Hawk And A Hacksaw w/ Beirut's backing band - Luminaire
Belle and Sebastian - Summer Sundae festival

lightning bolt - boat club, nottingham

or

broken social scene - leadmill, sheffield.

volcano! at The Luminaire
The Besnard Lakes at Main Hall, Montreal
Massive Attack at Westonbirt Arboretum
Guillemots at The Astoria (2nd Night)
Jimmy Edgar at The Rhythm Factory
Mystery Jets at Truck Festival
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (acoustic) at Bush Hall

Final Fantasy @ ABC, Glasgow. That was bloody magic.
65daysofstatic @ Barfly, Glasgow didn't like the supports, but they like, ROCKED HARD.
Broken Social Scene @ Indian Summer. So many beards :D
Patrick Wolf @ G2. Because I am a sad fangirl.

Broken Social Scene at Liverpool Carling Academy.

at king tuts.

for about 10 gigs after that i just spent the whole time wishing i was at animal collective again.

also Lightning Bolt + Gay Against You! was AWESOMENESS

David Thomas Brougton at Chinchilla Fest

At Edinburgh Meadowbank

at the arches

completely obliterated, annihilated, destroyed all closest competitors. that includes sleater-kinney, tv on the radio, art brut, m ward, guillemots, mr lif, 65daysofstatic, lemonheads and animal collective

Gregor Samsa + Barzin

none of them were actually better than any others really. but they were good.

TV On The Radio and Tilly & The Wall at leeds were probably the best.

the venue couldave been better but its my first time seeing them and theyre my favourite band of ever. the "singalong" atmosphere was great.

Joint first with them is 65daysofstatic at barfly. Amazing, electrix, i was dancing like an idiot and it was great.

other notable mentions go to final fantasy, tv on the radio, and forward russia (supporting we are scientists). My minds gone blank, but i remember there being a few more great ones.

EY?!

Beck at Shepherds Bush number 2
Bearsuit at the Barfly number 3
Morton Valence at the Luminare number 4
Los Camp at the Barfly number 5

I think I have 4 favourite gigs of the year. All for Different reasons.

Animal Collective at The Astoria/Warehouse Thing
Gang Gang Dance at The Lumi
ESG at Dingwalls
The Knife at Scala

Also up there would be Beirut, Lightning Bolt, Deerhoof, Afrirampo, Black Dice, The Books, Final Fantasy and some other things I can't remember.

Hurrah for gigs.

<small> regina spektor was amazing too, though.
&tilly and the wall.

without a doubt. It is the only time I have ever (please take this the right way) lost myself completely and achieved utter \m/.

THEN: Battles at Luminaire. A similar experience.

THEN: Subtle at ULU.

at newcastle university

phil anselmo clean and on form in a dirty basement with a low ceiling leading the metal supergroup through a flawless set of unstoppable power.

and!

at one point the crowd started a chant of "toon toon black & white army" and anselmos response was "i don't know what the fuck you guys are saying but if it means the best then thats us"
and the chant changed to a deafening roar of "SHEARER SHEARER SHEARER"
amazing

Volcano - Luminaire
Erase Eratta - Spitz
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - ATP
Regina Spektor - Truck festival
Hidden Cameras - Nottingham Social
Jens lekman - Bush Hall
Animal Collective - Primavera Sound festival
Islands - Dour festival
Final fantasy - Luminarie
Broken Social Scene - ATP
Herman Dune - ATP
Low - Koko
Mogwai - Primavera sound festival
ESG - Primavera Sound festival
Metallic Falcons - ATP

@ London Garage

AND

The Bronx @ Islington Academy.

Plus, TAAS have been pretty special both times I've seen them. Oh and Andrew Ferris @ the STA All Dayer...

Best Gig: The National at Koko.
Best fest-set: Regina Spektor at V Weston Park.
Best mini-drumkit-brought-on-stage-and-played-by- non-drumming-band-member-at-a-gig: Death Cab for Cutie at Astoria
Best legs at a gig: The Like at Reading fest.

I find it difficult to remember.

LIARS! yes. Myself and my bezzie mate went to see them at Leicester Square, y'know the one. God damn that band were on fucking fire that night. We had always spoken of seeing PIL live when they ruled the whole of the world, and seeing Liars that night was a very close second. Danced!? I aced.

Totally different was Yo La Tengo. I have never bought any of their records but a (different) friend is a big fan. We agreed to go, I bought a ticket and he remembered it was his girlfriend's birthday. So I went by myself. I was feeling a bit flu-ey but as The Forum is around the corner I watched a crap Ewan McGregor film with Andrea, and went late on anyway. Oh they were lovely. I didn't know any songs but they just went on and on playing beautiful music. The atmosphere was incredible, really friendly. I walked out into the lights of Kentish Town with the biggest grin on my face.

Honourable mentions to: Lightning Bolt at the Luminaire, Part Chimp every fucking where - the most consistently excellent band I have seen, Mogwai at ICA and RAH, Sunn wow in Islington and LSq, Buff Medways about 6,7, 8? times this year at the Dirty Water Club, Oneida and YYY at ATP.

Sufjan Stevens at Barbican
Morrissey at Alexander Palace
Hot Chip at Astoria
Radiohead at Hammersmith
Lightning Bolt at Luminaire
Mountain Goats at Old Blue Last
Final Fantasy, La Scala

...too many more to list down. Almost every gig I have been to this year has been amazing actually.

Nervous Test Pilot at Truck

acest thing ever.

Gang Gang Dance at the Luminaire
Boredoms at the Shepherd's Bush Empire
Lightning Bolt at the Luminaire
Afrirampo at Cargo
Animal Collective at Dour
Black Dice at Electrowerkz
DJ Scotch Egg at Electrowerkz
Charalambides at the Luminaire
Final Fantasy at the Luminaire
An Albatross at the Garage
MV + EE all three times but mostly in Glasgow
ESG in Glasgow
Moore/Chasny/Moloney/Corsano at the Old Blue Last
Haino/Corsano at the Spitz
Trencher at the Swan
Prurient at the Luminaire
Mt. Eerie at the Luminaire
Burning Star Core at the Hippodrome
Liars at the Hippodrome
Lightning Bolt at the Garage
Les Georges Leningrad at some place in Brick Lane
xbxrx at the Luminaire

I can't remember all the gigs I've been to, but:

Little Man Tate - Old Firestation, Bournemouth Uni
MSTRKRFT - Canvas
2 Many DJs - Old Firestation, Bournemouth Uni
Shit Disco - Frog, Mean Fiddler

animal collective
radiohead
gay against you
bearsuit
magik markers
final fantasy

misty's/kate goes in november in manchester
or tvotr at leeds
or animal collective
or buck 65 at truck

enablers at the barfly
sufjan at the barbican

that was a great weekend!
also liars/erase errata at the hippodrome, GvsB at Koko...

other than that no one i like has played much or at all this year.

the montague arms, new cross.

october 2006

at islington academy! fantastic! what a buzz they had going!

beats all the above, and any soon to be below :)

But Sunn O))) at Islington
and Subtle at ULU

that I can remember although I keep remembering more and adding them:

Supergrass at the Dublin Castle
the Klaxons in Hoxton Square
CSS somewhere in Brighton
Sunshine Underground/Rumble Strips/Art Brut at SEOne
Tim Ten Yen at the EP Lounge/ the Garage and anywhere else!
TV on the Radio and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at ATP
Beans on Toast and Kid Harpoon at Cargo

I've been to loads of wonderful gigs this year, it's hard to choose..

LIARS at Hippodrome, London.
TV on the Radio at ATP, Camber Sands.
Sigur Rós at Hammersmith Apollo, London.

The Wrens - ULU (not as good as last October's Barfly show though)
Dinosaur Jr/The Shins at ATP
The Thermals - Barfly
iLiKETRAiNS - Barfly
Mogwai - Oxford Brookes

Lightning Bolt + Volcano @ The Adelphi, Hull

and

An Albatross @ The Social, Nottingham

you're going to get a flood. My favourites this year were Tilly at the nambucca and ok, i'm an old bastard but seeing Brian Wilson do Pet Sounds a few weeks ago was special. Please don't someone say Razorlight or Arctic Monkeys though.

for loud, crazy, fun: bearsuit, barfly, june23rd

for ''hey, I actually quite like this band!'': brakes, truck, july

for memories: regina, truck

..Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-upon-Avon. Only about 200 people crammed into a tiny venue to witness genius

is my memory seems to have stopped working.

My vote goes to Frank Turner at Camden Barfly because:

- it was a brilliant happy atmosphere,
- all the supports were really good...
- ...including a rare solo set from Jamie Lenman of Reuben fame,
- it was the gig where he recorded a crowd singalong to one of his songs for the album, and I've never heard any crowd sing so loud and in such unity before.

:)

mogwai at the royal albert hall.

worth a mention would be low & bat for lashes at the dlb gig and arab strap at the abc.

at Truck festival.

come back of the year!

trencher in kingston 27th jan
will haven in kingston 22nd march
ASMZ in brighton 29th may

ymss/foals/tired irie at the zodiac
i can't really think of anything that topped that this year

a brilliant two day gig-athon in leicester, easter time that was brilliant

on the friday:
Fight Fire with Water, Cats x3, Tired Irie @ the charlotte
then on the saturday:
Public relations exercise, You Slut, Meet me in st louis

or broken social scene on feb 13th

but my memory is poor.

Islands at Bardens
Darren Hayman at Bardens (because my hero played at my night and it was wonderful!)
The Books at the Luminaire
Gay Against You at the Old Blue Last
Lady Sovereign at Reading
Okkervil River at Cargo
Calexico/Beirut/a Hawk and a Hacksaw at Roundhouse
Jarvis Cocker at KOKO

the national at ULU
brakes at the luminaire
metric at barfly

Dave Matthews @ ULU
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes @ Astoria
Hundred Reasons @ Scala
Breed 77 @ Tunbridge Wells Forum
Brian May + Roger Taylor @ We Will Rock You @ Dominion Theatre!

:)