Gigs of the year

[nickh]

Tindersticks - Acoustic Stage - Glastonbury

Tindersticks - Hyde Park

Tindersticks have been on fire this year and are set to tour again in the new year. Contemplating my first gig abroad and seeing them at The Bataclan in Paris…seems appropriate somehow.

Spaceshipp - RFH

Massive Attack - Brixton Academy

Nick Cave, Warren Ellis and Martyn P Casey - Royal Court Theatre

and a late winner...Spiritualized at The Barbican


The 2009 St Etienne award for the worst gig of the year goes to Doves at Brixton Academy.

[Greeny]

Spiritualized at the Barbican wins hands down in this or pretty much any other year.

Honourable mentions to PiL at Brixton (boy I've been spoiled this last week), Animal Collective (Forum), Metallica (O2), The Specials (Brixton and Hammersmith) and Carter USM (Brixton - 101 Damnations and 30 Something special).

Been much more about quality than qunatity for me this year...and almost no 'new' music at all, a definite sign I'm getting old!

[olan]

(I was tempted to lable this 2010 Best of in honour of Runcible's album thread) Here, in chronological order are the best gigs I went to this year:

Spiritualized, London RFH 1st night October 2009
Durutti Column, Kings Place London October 2009 (A Paean for Wilson show)
The Doves, The Hi-Fi Bar Melbourne, July 2009
Mogwai, The Forum Melbourne, March 2009
Silver Apples/Spiritualized The Hi-Fi Bar Melbourne, January 2009 (Spiritualized were great but Silver Apples was truely magnificent).

I flew all the way from Australia, and I had tickets but missed The Heads/Mudhoney in London in October (sobs quietly) because (sighs) I (gulps) had (chokes) to (sniffles) work (breaks down and weeps). But its OK, I'm over the dissapointment now. Fucking adult responsibilities....

Worst gig: Pink in Melbourne (took my daughter who loved it, but she is 6 years old so can be forgiven - once).

[toomilk]

2009 was a very low-key show year. It was a gig-safe year, meaning I only went to shows for bands I really wanted to see, as opposed to other years where I worked 3-4 shows a week and was paid to be at a majority of them. No festivals this year either. On the whole, I maybe went to

Best (of course) was RFH gigs in London. Holy fuck. Favorite band playing my favorite album in an incredible city. I feel blessed that I was able to go. Most beautiful experience of my life.

Other winners include Spectrum, Fucked Up, Darker My Love, and BJM/Primal Scream. And the last two weren't even that great. Oh yeah, and The Heads in London were fantastic (thanks to the Mark(c)s!).


Worst would probably have to go to The Avett Brothers and Grizzly Bear, two shows I went to just to appease my ex-girlfriend. The Avett Brothers seemed forced with their "down-home" witticisms that were neither witty nor personable. Just a load of crap if you ask me. And Grizzly Bear was ruined mostly on the fact that everyone in the crowd was there because they are super hyped right now. It seems like all of their songs stick to a predictable format. All of them use the same rudimentary vocal harmonies, which are then drenched in reverb and effects to make them seem artsy and musical. They are horrid musicians who revert to effects instead of songwriting/musicianship. Plus, their music is much darker than any of the dancing "scene" teenagers in the crowd would like to admit. There was so much flannel that it felt like a fucking Bass Pro Shop. Everyone there was more interested in 'seeing and being seen' than listening to the music. What a waste of time...

[runcible]

The highlights for me:

The Heads in Leeds and London
Spectrum in Leeds
Spiritualized at the RFH

The reformed Magazine were OK but overall slightly disappointing, as were The Cult on the Love Live tour.

That just about covers it...

(olan - I merged this thread with Nick's as they were the same subject... hope you don't mind)

[bunnyben]

spz- ladies and gents rfh night one
danny johnston- concorde 2

[sensitized]

Spiritualized, Ladies and Gentlemen - Sage Gateshead the gig of a lifetime.

Prodigy - Newcastle Metro Arena and Massive Attack - Newcastle Academy kept the year going!

[sm-iom]

Have only been to a couple....

....but, great:

SPZ at RFH first night
Kaiser Chiefs in Isle of Man

SM

[stegraham]

Spiritualized at RFH (1st Night)
The Cult at Royal Albert Hall
ACDC at the O2

Looking forward to seeing the reformed Primtives next year at Scala in London.

[clewsr]

two kids these days makes my gigs of the year into basically just a list of the gigs i've been to:

spz - rfh night 2
ac/dc - Manchester
Spectrum -liverpool

honourable mentions to Daniel Kitson 'we are gathered here today' my favorate comedian by a massive distance. If you get a chance go and see him please.

Edit - forgot about spz in leamington, ended up a bit too drunk to remember that clearly. it would end up 5th behind spz at the accademy in manchester i think...

[Noddy]

Spiritualized - Gateshead Sage (gig of a lifetime)
The Aliens - Glastonbury Queens Head stage
Flaming Lips - Glasgow Academy
The Horrors - Glastonbury Park Stage

And on a personal level the band I am in supporting Spectrum at Liverpool Static Gallery/Leeds Library in February, was a dream come true, and supporting The Aliens got me into them in a big way, truly awesome band. Heres hoping to a new album next year.

[sensitized]

Can't believe I missed the Comsat Angels reunion gig at Sheffield Academy off my list.

Saturday's gig at the Sage clearly did blow my mind!
Still not come down from that amazing high

[Shinesalight]

Spiritualized - first night at the RFH
SFA - Somerset House
SFA - Brixton Academy
Neil Young - Hyde Park
Eat Lights;Become Lights - Lectern, Brighton
Stephen Malkmus - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
Woods - Freebutt, Brighton

[Edukator]

My Top 12 would be:

My Bloody Valentine - La Route du Rock
Kraftwerk - Manchester Velodrome
Spiritualized - Manchester Appollo
The Longcut - Academy 3
Wild Beasts - Academy 3
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Academy 2
Blur - Glastonbury
The Horrors - The Ruby Lounge
The Big Pink - Field Day
Elbow - MEN Arena
Bat For Lashes - Glastonbury
Spinal Tap - Glastonbury

[purespace]

Leonard Cohen - Detroit Fox Theatre
Spiritualized - RFH both nights

[They Transmit]

1- Spiritualized- Barbican- both nights
2- Holy Fuck- Scala
3- Cluster/Tortoise- RFH
4-Klub Motorik - Bardens Boudoir- Lorenz Attractor simply fantastic.

[angelsighs]

in calendar order..

Spectrum, Brighton Freebutt, Feb. (my first chance to see Pete in any form, really tiny venue, was a joy for me to hear all those spacemen tunes, especially the beast that was Suicide)

Doves, Coventry Kasbah, Mar. (oodles of brilliant new material was played giving me early signs that KoR was gonna be a corker)

Spz, Leamington Assembly, May (my favourite band play a warm-up show in my hometown.. superb sound and a LONG set too. probably best of all the A&E shows I saw)

Spz, RFH, Oct (it was flawed cause of the disappointing sound, but it was still quite the spectacle. title track was the highlight)

Wilco, London Forum, Nov (yes the new album is rather dull but these guys still put on one of the best rock shows you can see)

ATP, Minehead, Dec (pretty much everyone I saw was amazing, especially Dirty Three, Bardo Pond, Polvo and Explosions in the Sky)

[redcloud]

Sleepy Sun @ The Doug Fir, Portland

I went to this gig on the off chance and stood there in complete awe by them. It was one of those gigs where you feel like you are witnessing something quite special. I bought the album, which I also love and it's one of the best of 2009 for me but live they are something else. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

[Already There]

I've only been to... four gigs last year. Lots of space in between. Oasis in Berlin and Munich... Kasabian and Paul McCartney.

Was that it? Wow... I think so. ^^

[James T]

4 clear winners

Blur in Wolverhampton/Manchester/London/London
Spiritualized at RFH
Neil Young at Primavera Sound
Low w/ Orchestra in Eindhoven

[shalloboi]

saw the warlocks two nights in a row at the empty bottle. i'm not sure which night was better- the first was great throughout, the second night had a slow start but continued to build clear until the final note.
brian jonestown massacre at the metro was great as well- the best time i've ever seen them hands down.
also saw nina nastasia do a two-nighter at the hideout (teeny tiny little shoebox of a place) recording for a live album and playing with strings players. the second night of that one was far and away the best of all of the times i've seen her.

[James T]

oh, I forgot Super Furry Animals in Bangor. Home town parties are clear wins.

[Shinesalight]

Sleepy Sun @ The Doug Fir, Portland

I went to this gig on the off chance and stood there in complete awe by them. It was one of those gigs where you feel like you are witnessing something quite special. I bought the album, which I also love and it's one of the best of 2009 for me but live they are something else. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Hey Redcloud, just seen on Facebook that Sleepy Sun are playing at the East End in Portland, Oregon tonight.....are you going?