So apparently this year I saw 34 gigs, which includes festivals and club events. These were my faves. In reverse order....
10. Metric – Metro Theatre
So I liked 'Fantasies', but I wasn't entirely convinced that Metric would be good live. Perhaps it was this lack of expectation that made it all that more impressive. They were an energetic and tight, and their songs, especially Sick Muse, sounded absolutely solid live. SOLID. I've been listening to heaps of Emily Haines' solo work lately. She reminds me of a more lively and stronger Sarah Blasko.
9. We Love Sounds/Armin van Buuren
So it was We Love Sounds festival, but I was there to see Armin van Buuren and Armin alone. His set was, as usual, absolutely stellar and it was one of those perfect nights where all your mates are together and you won't stop dancing til they kick you out. Since seeing him in 08 (and being totally blown away, again) I have had major girl wood for Armin.
8. The Flaming Lips – Hordern Pavilion
I thought Wayne Coyne inside the bubble would be impressive, but seeing the band emerge from a pulsating vagina at the start of the show to a shower of confetti really took the cake. The Lips are a genuinely interesting band, and one I tend to find so much more interesting live, maybe because they make an effort to really reach every last person in the audience. Also, Wayne Coyne still remains at the very top of my "guys with white hair I'd do" list.
7, Mogwai – The Enmore
One of my favourite live bands ever. I managed to not have ringing ears for three days after this gig (unlike the previous one I saw of theirs), but I did get my socks totally rocked off when they played Satan again. Holy shit, that quiet/LOUD/quiet/LOUD dynamic they have is explosively good.
6. Doves – Metro Theatre
Another live favourite, I love how these guys' electronica background always comes through at their concerts. 'Pounding' REALLY pounds in your chest, and their new material sounds so much more jangly and dynamic on stage. I gave Kingdom of Rust a second chance after this gig, and I liked it :D
5. Pearl Jam + Ben Harper – Sydney Football Stadium
Ahh I know people dissed this gig because of its size, its lack of the 'big' tracks and such, but for me it was awesome - lots of rarer, older tracks, some great guitar showmanship from mike mccready, and some great energy, despite eddie vedder sounding like he was about to cough up his lung, and despite the 40 degree heat.
4. Big Heavy Stuff – Factory Theatre
A reunion gig in all senses of the word. It was so good to not only see the Heavies, who I saw countless times years ago, but to see a lot of old friends and faces in the audience too. Nostalgia factor was high, but the performance was pretty impressive too - not bad for a band who kinda 'broke up' several years ago.
3. Fleet Foxes – Metro Theatre
So I don't think I'd even really slept (Ferry Corsten at Home was the night before this, which was also the night after New Year's Eve) and perhaps that's what made this gig so damn good. The luscious melodies and harmonies were EXACTLY what I needed, and seriously, was their album not one of THE best of the previous year?
2. The Swell Season – Opera House
If there was something that could touch me more than the movie Once, it would be the performance of the soundtrack (and other related musics) by that sweet pair, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. This concert was amazing. "Magical", I believe a friend described it as. It really was... very warm and intimate; funny too, and entertaining. Can't wait to see them again this year!
1. Ferry Corsten + Giuseppe Ottaviani– Hordern Pavilion
Holy shit, this gig took me by surprise. I'd already seen Ferry earlier in the year, so I honestly wasn't expecting much. He kicked some FREAKIN SERIOUS ARSE on this night. Especially the last hour or 90 minutes of his set... he brought out hit after hit, kept the energy high and by the end we were so hyped up and excited that nobody wanted to leave. A-FRICKEN-MAZING!