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So yes, it's that time of year again - the Annual Gig of the Year awards! I know you're as excited as I am, and it's been another bumper crop this year, and to reflect that we are doing a top 16 (just to be different)! Ole! And so, in reverse order...
16 - Bauhaus @Brixton Academy
Sure they were getting a bit old, but they played all the expected hits and played them well - They would have been higher if the last 5 songs hadn't been totally overwhelmed by the fact that I was talking to Mira from Ladytron. The other thing is that the Dead and Buried Bus ride and post-gig party was actually more fun than the gig itself!
15 - Depeche Mode @Wembley Arena
It was a year for finally seeing artists I've loved for years, and The Mode did not disappoint. In fact I saw them twice. This gig had the better set than the Wired Festival (except they played the abysmal 'Macro'!) one but lost points for the fact that I had to use binoculors, such was the distance...
14 - Ladytron @Southbank Centre
My favourite band according to my Last.FM page and I think this was the best set I have seen them do- a huge beefed-up shoegazery sound, and loads of songs from 'Witching Hour' made this one memorable. Plus the supports were all mental, which was nice.
13 - Emperor @Astoria
They had a lot to live up to after the reports from the Wacken crowd and they were indeed pretty darn good, but in my opinion the later material let the side down. Great to finally see them do 'I am the Black Wizards' and 'Into the Infinity of Thoughts' though...
12 - Adult. @Camden Barfly
Vicki and I thought they would be arseholes but they turned out to be endearingly dorky live. Despite a sardine-can sized venue and a few technical glitches they played all my faves like 'Glue your eyelids together' and 'Contagious'. Good stuff.
11 - Barry Adamson @Camden Jazz Cafe
This was ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) cloudgirl's gig really, but I was so glad I went - Very cool hipster jazz lounge soundtrack music. And we got to eat dinner while we watched the support band from the upstairs balcony. And it cured my cold! The Power of Barry!
10 - Cardiacs @Astoria
This was caveynik's gig really, but I was so glad I went - I didn't really know what to expect and certainly didn't expect a 4-guitar effects-pedal assault - fantastic stuff!I would definately see them again.
09 - Isis @Koko
This was Isis playing 'Oceanic' in it's entirety and it was amazingly good. Power, Volume and big big guitars - Everything I had always hoped for in an Isis gig!
08 - Red Sparowes /Una Corda @Scala
The underworld gig in March was great and all, but this one at Scala was the real deal- Big Screen Visuals, enormous sound, new songs and a support band (Una Corda) who very nearly blew them off the stage...but not quite!
07 - Neurosis @The Forum
I was worried- the previous Neurosis gig was overwhelmed by Jarboe, but this time they had no such problems - very heavy and very loud, this would have been higher if the support band hadn't had been the dreadful Made out of Babies...but 'The Doorway' made up for them being on the bill. Well almost.
06 - The Brian Jonestown Massacre @Astoria
In a year which shamefully featured no Dandys it was a pleasure to see the BJM twice to make up for it - but this gig was the better one by far, and not because Anton seemed slightly more sober this time. 'Anenome' and 'Hide and seek' were definate highlights.
05 - Thomas Dolby @Scala
Who? You all cry - 'The Golden Age of Wireless' has been one of my favourite albums since 1982 and the chance to see the man himself- awesome gig- featuring the highest ratio of nerdy 30-something males I have ever seen, who sang loudly to every song. New album please Thomas.
04 - The Birthday Massacre @the Underworld
These teflon-coated NeoGoth pop kids could out-rock any of the so-called serious goth bands. Fucking brilliant! They played all my favourite songs and in fact ran out of material, so they actually played everything!
03 - Gary Numan @Hammersmith Apollo
I saw The Man twice this year and although the 'Jagged' release gig was awesome, the Hammersmith gig was an amazing mix of souped-up classics and powerful new material, perfectly realised. Ole!
02 - Satyricon @Islington Academy
Oh I thought they would be good all right but not Mastodon-good! This was by far the baddest Rock'n'roll gig of the year - the new songs were so much better live and the old just sounded amazing. 'Supersonic Journey' being worth the price of admission on its own.
01 - Sigur Ros @Hammersmith Apollo GIG OF THE YEAR 2006!!
This one took me by surprise, as I thought they would be interesting live, and they turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. It was by turns funny, heart-breakingly sad and skull-crushingly loud, with great visuals as well. Highly recommended.
The Worst GIG was easily The Sisters of Mercy who were shit above and beyond the call of duty. I will never waste my money seeing that bald, big-eared Gollum lookalike Andrew Eldritch and his hair metal wannabes ever again. However, The Worst BAND was without a doubt the incredibly awful Made Out Of Babies who I was unfortunate enough to have to see twice as support bands for Neurosis and Red Sparowes. My god they are by far the most hideous band in the world. Words fail me.
And just in case anyone thinks I'm just listing all the bands I saw this year, here are some of the other bands I saw:
Sunn o))), Goldfrapp, Hallucinogen, The Cure, Der Blutharsh, Deutsch Nepal, Brighter Death Now, In Slaughter Natives, Stereolab, Killing Joke, Covenant, Jesu, Capricorns, Shihad, Nitzer Ebb, The Young Gods, Air Formation, Ministry, The Cramps, Frontline Assembly, Enslaved, Zyklon, Vreid, , Queen Adreena, VNV Nation, Pzychobitch, Laibach and the entire Black Celebration lineup...
Here's to next year being as good!
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