Your favourite gigs of 2017

Music
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Which ones stood out? Any surprisingly good gigs? Tell us your stories and favourites.

I went to a lot in 2017. My liver probably isn’t doing too well as a result. I’ve a few more booked this month and have counted that I’ve been to 90+ gigs in 2017. My favourites:

1. The Magnetic Fields - The Barbican.
Their 50 Song Memoir gigs. I thought the album was average on the first skim listen. Went back to the album as I had tickets for both gigs. Loved the album and it’s in my top five of the year. I had an appalling week of work prior to the gigs and brilliant seats whilst getting drunk on smuggled in wine to The Magnetic Fields playing a brilliant album over that weekend was the highlight of my year gig-wise.

2. Brian Wilson - Moody’s Theatre. Austin, TX
On my week’s holiday at Austin. I saw Brian Wilson do Pet Sounds at a London theatre in 2006 as part of the 40th anniversary of that album. It’s one of my all time favourite albums and seeing him and his band (yes, they carry him) do the 50th anniversary was fantastic.

3. Mitski - Mohawk. Austin, TX
I’m a huge fan of her’s. Although I will admit I’d never heard of her before her last album. The outdoor venue there was great. A perfect setting to see her play.

4. Valerie June - Scala
My favourite album of the year. Fantastic live.

5. Desperate Journalist - Scala
Always great live. Probably my favourite new-ish British indie band.

6. Tegan and Sara - The Roundhouse
They always have a brilliant rapport between themselves and the audience. I saw them on The EU referendum night last year at The Koko and have bad memories of that night due to the result. (Fuck you, Brexit-ers). Their Roundhouse show exorcised the gig component of June 23 2016.

7. Shilpa Ray - The Social
If you haven’t heard the album. Check it out. Such an amazing voice.

8. The Wedding Present - The Roundhouse
Another “band performing an album” gig for me. I love their George Best album.

9. Adia Victoria - The Lexington
Second time that I’ve seen her. Great fun.

10. Sheryl Crow - Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Easy to scoff but she was fantastic live. I went to the gig with an old uni friend and it was just a great fun night out.

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Moor Mother @ Café Oto and OOIOO @ Kamio.

Two unbelievably amazing shows.

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Best one was Charlotte Church Pop Dungeon

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I’ve made it to 40 gigs this year, plus the Great Escape. Excluding the ones I worked at;

Hoops - Green Door Store, Brighton
Softer Still/Swimming Tapes - The Lexington
Mac DeMarco - Brighton Dome
Hush Moss/Parcels - Patterns, Brighton
Inheaven - The Haunt, Brighton
Her’s/Wild Nothing - 100 Club
Papooz - Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton (Great Escape)
Pinkshinyultrablast - Oslo
Patawawa/GL - Hope & Ruin, Brighton
Jagwar Ma - The Old Market, Hove

Those were probably the most fun nights.

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2/1- Dangers, Rope, Rough Hands- Black Heart, London
25/3- Anxiety, Snob, Es, Nachthexen, Hex- The Lughole, Sheffield
13/6- Krimewatch, Arms Race, Nekra, Subdued- New River Studios, London
20-23/7- Fluff Fest, Rokycany, Czech Republic (it’s probably cheating to put a fest but I saw so many good sets)
12/9- Downtown Boys, Big Joanie, Beige Palace- Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
7/11- Julien Baker- Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
8/11- Cap’n Jazz- Electric Ballroom, London

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Best so far was probably Goat and Moonlandingz at the Brixton Academy but can’t really vote on this as Mogwai is next week…

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Excluding festivals, I’ve been to exactly 1 gig this year, so therefore my gig of the year is…

Alex G - Patterns Brighton

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I was there! He was “pretty good”.
First time seeing a show at Patterns and I felt very, very old despite being 26 and looking like a child.

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Sacred Paws & Spinning Coin @ The Islington
Tropic of Cancer @ St John at Bethnal Green
Kingsley Chapman & The Murder @ Stockton Calling
Grouper @ The Tin Tabernacle (late set)
The Black Angels, Algiers, Preoccupations and Angel Olsen @ Primavera
Thee MVPs @ Nambucca
The Dream Syndicate @ The Lexington 31/10
Julianna Barwick, Ex-Easter Island Head and Perfume Genius @ Le Guess Who

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Been another great year for gigs :slight_smile:

Actually gonna have a wee think and get back to this cos i know i’ll forget something

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The year’s not over yet. Still more gigs to attend …

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One gig stands head and shoulders above all others for me this year. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in Padua. Nothing short of incredible.

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hmm, I did go a fair few ‘normal gigs’, but faves were all festival. more to attend, but…

@primavera Barcelona- shellac, soledad velez, kevin morby, solange, bon iver, magnetic fields, arab strap, the make up, fingerfingerrr, grace jones, skepta, metronomy, weyes blood

@womad Wiltshire- lamomali (fatoumata diawara, toumani diabate etc), !!!

@east oxford community centre- spook school

@le guess who- grouper, altin gun, weyes blood, ibaaku, pharmakon, linda sharrock

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Been pretty slack with gigs this year, only been to a couple.

Monster Magnet @ The Brudenell in May were fantastic and Wolves in the Throne Room, again at The Brudenell last night were magnificent, but I think Rocket From The Crypt tomorrow night might blow them both out of the water!

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Highlight for me & best gig I’ve ever been to was Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in Amsterdam.
Have seen them 6 times now and they have always been magnificent live, but this really was something else.

Honourable mentions:
Cat Power @ Vicar Street, really special night.
Spoon, Wilco & Foo Fighters @ Mad Cool Festival - took my teenage daughter to her first festival. I finally got to see Spoon (yay!!) Wilco were great as always (yay!!) Seeing my daughter rock out to the Foos for a couple of hours was just lovely, they put on a cracking show too.

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Definitely going to struggle and remember everything but the standout (as others have mentioned) was Nick Cave. Fifth time seeing him and really the best.

Also mentions for Priests @ Hug & Pint, Perfume Genius/The xx @SWG3 and that Arcade Fire surprise gig @ Primavera.

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1. Underworld - Alexandra Palace

One of the best gigs of my life. Crowd was 100% up for it but as they were largely in their forties, there was also loads of space to dance. Great lighting, all the hits, Karl Hyde being a consumate front man. I really rate Barbara as an album too so enjoyed hearing those tunes.

2. Justice - Brixton Academy

Only just pipped to the top by Underworld. Justice’s current stage show is probably the best lighting rig and stage production of any gig I have ever been to. Videos really don’t effectively convey the effect of what they’ve set up. The next day my girlfriend told me that she was so overwhelmed by how good the stage was that it made her cry. Played pretty much every song they have and mixed them perfectly, crowd was fucking nuts as well.

3. Perfume Genius - Roundhouse

It helped that the new album is so great. After smashing out a few of the more upbeat numbers he announced he’d be slowing things down at the piano for four songs. Usually this would be my cue to get a pint, but fifteen minutes later I was wiping away a little tear. He commanded the whole stage with his voice and his dance moves. Would say he’s now on the ‘see every time they’re in town’ list.

4. Jenny Hval - Rich Mix

Her and her band came on in crochet guts and face paint and smashed through Blood Bitch with the exact level of theatrics and musicianship you’d expect. Handstands and lying down on the floor were all in the mix, but her incredible voice still really shone through, and in the live setting the noisier electronic parts of the album also came to life in a more pronounced way then they do on the record.

5. Broken Social Scene - Brixton Academy

Won a pair of tickets to this but only knew a couple of songs beforehand and was deathly unwell, but I knew it would be a great surprise for my BSS mad friend. Even though I was coughing and spluttering I was fully onboard after about 3 or 4 songs. Band’s really tight and the depth of sound was amazing. Kevin Drew getting the crowd to do a primal scream was a real highlight.

Festival highlights:

Primavera - The Arcade Fire secret show was incredible, especially as I only walked in to the small area on a whim about ten minutes earlier and ended up being a couple of metres away. Other highlights were Haim, Death Grips, King Krule, Sampha, Joey Purp, Flying Lotus

Glastonbury - Probably the best Glasto of the 4 I’ve been to. Perfect weather the whole week and great line-up. Really loved Phoenix, Chic, Justice, Solange, Anderson Paak, Future Islands, Bo Ningen, Run the Jewels and ofc Katy Perry. Don’t want to be cliched but there is really nothing else like it.

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I’ve had a few years in a row with lots of average or good-not-great gigs, but this year has been pretty brilliant. I don’t think I’ve seen a single duffer. However, I’m starting to worry that my highlights all seem to be middle-aged men with guitars…

Joint best were:

Motorpsycho - Two hours of heavy, jammed out, space rock. I’d been wanting to see them for years and they exceeded all my expectations.

Rocket From The Crypt - Last night in Glasgow. Pure fun from start to finish. Even my cynical girlfriend loved it. Perfect setlist too.

Single best live tune was Conor Oberst and Adrienne Lenker doing a duet of Lua in Glasgow.

Notable mentions for Arab Strap, Lift To Experience, Shellac, Half Man Half Biscuit, Placebo (my girlfriend had always wanted to see them and they turned out to be superb!) and Hurray For The Riff Raff.

Also, Swing It Disneyland - A Norwegian, Dixieland jazz band doing cover versions of Disney tunes. Saw them play a free show in the Grassmarket as part of Edinburgh Jazz Festival. Top atmosphere with young kids, old grannies and drunk tourists all dancing together in the rain!

Saw Pinegrove twice. They were superb both times, but obviously tainted now. :unamused:

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I managed to see both Agent Fresco and Leprous in Helsinki and boy, what a wonderful gig. Both present the cutting edge of modern a bit darker progressive rock and manage live sets really really well. If you have chance to see either, I can seriously recommend using the opportunity!

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I used to go all the time (once a week maybe) around 2009-11, when it was audio. It’s the same as it ever was. Weird shape and low ceiling. Seen no age, twilight sad, errors, lightning bolt, Peter Broderick, ASIWYFA, why?, fuck buttons, liars and loads more in there. Used to be OIB’s venue of choice.

If you felt old, imagine how I felt! That was a young crowd.

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