söndag 28 Dec 2008, 17:57

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3107/2611948912_92a3d4a927_m.jpg

1. My Bloody Valentine - London Roundhouse, 23 June
Alan McGee may have comprehensively dissed this reunion for not including any new material, but Loveless came out when I was four so I was hugely grateful for the opportunity to see My Bloody Valentine live. And the myths were true - they really don't move a muscle, and The Holocaust (which lasted for 25 minutes here) really is that loud. Can it, McGee, this was the best surprise I could possibly have asked for.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2611132827_e8bc5f35e8_m.jpg

2. Radiohead - Victoria Park, 24 June
Having only seen them once, five years ago, seated and miles away, this was my first Radiohead gig proper. And, despite being pretty light on pre-Kid A material (we'll live), the setlist was full of surprises and controversy. And the highlights - a hypnotically awesome 'Idiotheque', pretty much everything from 'In Rainbows' - were unforgettable. (photos)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2583058781_b620e4f07e_m.jpg

3. Abandon Ship - Bristol Thekla, 15 June
Abandon Ship was Bristol Indie Soc's first festival, in which we put on 9 UK bands, all close to one of our hearts in some way. And it was so awesome, stressful, terrifying and emotional that I pretty much slept for a week afterwards. Adem - whose manager told him the wrong date, causing him to fly back early from New York like the inhumanly lovely man he is - finished the day with a solo acoustic set that was like a musical hug. (photos)

4. Mogwai - London Hammersmith Apollo, 24 October
This was simply A Good Gig: perfect sound, a venue where you can actually see the band wherever you're standing, and a nicely-chosen setlist which ended with the two most beautiful Mogwai songs I was hoping to God they'd play ('New Paths To Helicon pt.1' and '2 Rights Make 1 Wrong').

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3098/2690727160_bb04cb8fe0_m.jpg

5. Sigur Ros - Latitude Festival, 19 July and Bristol Colston Hall, 7 November
These were two very different gigs, but both were equally memorable. The Latitude performance, which must have been Sigur Ros' first UK festival headline slot, pulled out all the stops, including a brass section which strutted around the stage for about 30 seconds at the end of 'Se Lest' just to show off. Bristol was a more intimate gig (the Colston Hall is the biggest venue in Bristol but still manages to retain intimacy and charm) with just the four of them performing. Both made the most of their surroundings - at Latitude we got a deafening, OTT finale of 'Gobbledigook', and in Bristol they delivered a version of 'All Alright' so delicate and moving I could see Jonsi's glittery make-up begin to smudge. (Latitude photos / Latitude review)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/2988051120_1912bd25db_m.jpg

6. Fleet Foxes - Bristol University, 30 October
Fleet Foxes were one of the fastest-rising bands of the year, and deservedly so. In October they played a headline gig at our union and somehow managed to fill the room in which I do most of my exams with rustic charm. The harmonies were breathtaking, and the extended banter gave the whole thing a great atmosphere, though the length of the stories probably had something to do with the fact they were playing a sizeable headline show with just an album and EP to their name. (photos)

7. Bon Iver - Bristol Trinity, 12 September
Before this gig, I wondered how Bon Iver would work in a live setting when his entire shtick is built on where and how his songs were recorded. No need to worry - the songs were expanded and changed by his excellent backing band. This was no attempt to recreate that cabin in Wisconsin - the songs were vastly different but just as powerful as that first spin of the record.

8. Low - Brighton St. George's Church, 16 April
A church was an ideal setting for Low, given the amount of stunned silence and awe from the audience. Their voices were delicate and melancholy throughout, but this was a perfect mix of whisper-quiet numbers and louder moments from their back catalogue - 'Canada' and 'Last Snowstorm Of The Year' were two noisier highlights.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2386741613_f065e71866_m.jpg

9. Efterklang - Brighton Pressure Point, 3 April
'Parades', the last Efterklang album, always struck me as pretty but not quite fully engaging, so seeing them live put it in an entirely different light. They're an intense, large band but still focused. Clearly Efterklang are a Live Band - the beauty of their songs only really shines through on the stage. (photos)

10. Death Cab For Cutie - Bristol Colston Hall, 16 November
I watched this gig whilst still hyper from that day's hour-long interview with Chris Walla, possibly the loveliest man in indie-rock (apart from maybe Adem), so that probably distorted things slightly. But this solid gig made up for the disappointment of my previous Death Cab For Cutie live experiences, which were marred by annoying audiences, sound problems and moody Ben Gibbards. The new material sounded huge and held up amongst the classics, and 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark' - with the audience softly singing along - was perfect.