I’m already behind in 2018! This year, I’m going to use this blog to cover special gigs, festivals and monthly updates.

Best Gig: Diet Cig with Spook School

Two bands who just want to have fun. It was the perfect line up and a really enjoyable fun, energetic gig.

Band of the year: Aldous Harding

I’m giving the award again to Aldous Harding. This was the year she entered the mainstream. Touring constantly across the world. I was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to play large venues because they’d be too noisy. Amazingly, Aldous seems to be doing the impossible. Now playing large venues to completely silent audiences.

Best new band: Idles

I’ve seen some great new bands this year. But one stood out from the rest and also releasing my favourite album of the year. Idles are the band we need for our current time. They’re a band with something to say. Truly excellent band.

Best Festival: The Great Escape

It was the only festival I went to in 2017.

Best gig photo: Crowd surfer

I took so many photos this year. Choosing a favourite is difficult. But this one just captures the feeling that only music can generate.

Album of the Year: Brutalism – Idles

A brilliant visceral album and an antidote to these messed up times. We need more bands making music like this.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

1. Brutalism – Idles
2. Party – Aldous Harding
3. Three Futures – Torres
4. In My Head – Gurr
5. Relatives in Descent – Protomartyr
6. The Witch – Pumarosa
7. Let the Danvers Inherit the Earth – British Sea Power
8. The Texas Jerusalem Crossroad (re-release) – Lift to Experience
9. Young, Dumb and Full Of… – Cabbage
10. Citizen of Glass – Agnes Obel
11. Carry Fire – Robert Plant
12. Peasant – Richard Dawson
13. Holiday Destination – Nadine Shah
14. Popular Music – Life
15. Dark Days and Canapés – Ghostpoet
16. Visions of A Life – Wolf Alice
17. Stellular – Rose Elinor Dougal
18. Strange Peace – Metz
19. Rock N Roll Consciousness – Thurston Moore
20. Every Valley – Public Service Broadcasting

Artists I liked

Laura Cannell, The Pictish Trail, Alabaster dePlume, Haiku Salut, Richard Dawson

Artists that were okay

These Feathers Have Plumes, Manuella, White Town, The Scruff, Monarchs

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

Charles Hayward (if he’s playing a 30 minute drum roll), Written In Ink, Normil Hawaiians

Best Gig

Richard Dawson

Best new artist

Alabaster dePlume

Best photo

I didn’t get to many gigs, so there wasn’t much opportunity to take interesting photos.

Artists I liked

The Orielles, Nordic Giants, Thurston Moore, Dove and the Wolf x2, Torres x2, Gurr, Daylight Angèle David-Guillou, Sistertalk, Goat Girl, Protomartyr, Myrkur, Nik Bärtsch, Matthew Bourne, Deja Vega, Aldous Harding x2, Hotel Lux, The Orielles, Rews, Deep Throat Choir, The Vaulted Skies, Mammoth Penguins, Deerful, Peach Club, Kid Kapichi, Nova Twins

Artists that were okay

Dan Stock, Boy Azooga, Cover, Sons, VLMV, P.G.Lost, Sarah Angliss, Lietava, Sorry, Ice Cold Slush, Eliza McCarthy, Oh Boland, Árstíðir, Sólstafir, The Hermes Experiment, Lovers Club, Vinyl Staircase, Sports Club, Basement Strippers, Lilith Ali, Kathryn Joseph, 

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

Greek Tragedies, Claudia Barton, Jerkclub, The 924s, Mega Emotion

Best Gig

Torres or Aldous Harding? Two outstanding artists. I think Aldous wins.

Best new band

Protomartyr at the Dome

Best photo

Artists I liked

Wolf Alice, Seamus Fogarty x2, The Radiophonic Workshop, Ed Dowie, Gaygirl, Peach Club, Hotel Lux x2, Yak, Shame, Spindle Ensemble, Michael Price, British Sea Power, Spook School, Diet Cig, Dream Wife

Artists that were okay

Keeva , Maple & Rye, Bedouine, The Wedding Present, Siv Jakobsen, Paul Carter, Martin White, Hexmaze, Skinny Girl Diet, Blood-Dope Honey, J.W.Paris, Baby In Vain, ILL, Will Stratton, The Weather Station, Sorry, Waterfall Boys, Bellow Fellows, Hannah Nicholson

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

Dipper Malkin, Danilogue, Rhythm Method, Namlo

Best Gig

Possibly the most fun gig of the year was the Diet Cig and Spook School gig at the Moth Club

Best new band

Hotel Lux

Albums of the Month

• Relatives in Descent – Protomartyr
• Strange Peace – METZ
• Carry Fire – Robert Plant

Best photo

Artists I liked

Waxahatchee, Margaret Glaspy, Myrkur, Band Of Holy Joy, The Horrors, Graceland

Artists that were okay

Allison Crutchfield, Haze, Starsha Lee, The Bitter Springs, Blue Orchids, The Caress, Tear, HCBP, DZ Deathrays, Kathryn Williams, RM Hubbert, The Saxophones,

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

The Mighty Orchid King, Charlotte Berg, Chernobyl Sunshine Club

Best Gig

Margaret Glaspy at the Lexington

Best new band

As above. But special shoutout to Myrkur who was a big surprise.

Albums of the Month

• Antisocialites – Alvvays
• Mareridt – Myrkur
• V – The Horrors
• Visions of Life – Wolf Alice
• Three Futures – Torres
• Out in the Storm – Waxahatchee

Best photo

Artists I liked

The Duke Spirit, Warm Digits, Nadine Shah, Flirting, Ghostpoet

Artists that were okay

Faces of Eve, Dream State, Drones, When Young, Baby In Vain, Son Joan, Wayne, Honey Joy

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

HeadAche, Waterbaby

Best Gig

Nadine Shah edges this over Ghostpoet. But both were excellent

Best new band

Warm Digits

Albums of the Month

• Peach – Deerful
• Thankful Villages 1&2 – Darren Hayman
• The Hayman Kupa Band – The Hayman Kupa Band
• Dark Days and Capapés – Ghostpoet
• Holiday Destinations – Nadine Shah

Best photo

Artists I liked

Dilemma Collective, Benjamin Brooker, The Shivas, Public Service Broadcasting, Ezra Furman x2, This is the Kit, Mercury Rev, David Julyan & Heloïse Werner, Deerful, Gurr, Fightmilk, The Hayman Kupa Band, The Vaulted Skies, The Kut, Queen Kwong

Artists that were okay

Clémentine March, Spyros Giasafakis, Chorões, Jacob and Drinkwater, A.J. Holmes, Creatures, Hanni El Khatib, Guttfull, The Franklys, Skinny Girl Diet, Blood Dope-Honey, The Pearl Harts

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

Bit Cloudy

Best Gig

Another month with some decent gigs. The highlight has to be Mercury Rev at the Barbican with an orchestra.

Best new band

A bit short of outstanding new bands. Benjamin Brooker has been around for a while and I’ve had tickets to see him, but never managed to catch him. His gig at the Moth Club was full of energy. Exactly what I expected.

Albums of the Month

• Every Valley – Public Service Broadcasting
• Moonshine Freeze – The Is The Kit
• Eurgh! – Breakfast Muff
• In My Head – Gurr

Best photo