Gigs of 2007

My gig of the year this year was pretty much a no-brainer, it has to be Prince.

1. Prince - O2 Arena: Yes, he may be a weird fucker off stage but put him on stage and the guy just has it (whatever 'it' is). This gig was at the tail end of his 21 night stint in London, and the general consensus was that the guy rocks. Yes, there are some duff songs - but this was mainly a Prince plays the 'hits' concert and some of those songs are pretty damn good.

And the rest - in no particular order - were:

2. The Hold Steady - Borderline / Shepherds Bush Empire / Electric Ballroom: Yes, Ok, so I am cheating a bit here, by counting all three HS gigs as one entry. If you still haven't either got into this band or seen them live, where have you been?! Recording a new album and due back in the UK in Summer 2008. If you like bands to look like they are enjoying and love what they do on stage, I urge you to go and see them.

3. Scorpions - Apollo Hammersmith: Seriously, who would have thought I would be standing in front of Rudi and Klaus again after all these years. I had pretty much given up on the Scorps in the mid 90s; but nostalgia took hold and I booked a ticket to then find out that not only were MSG supporting, but that Uli Roth would be performing a few numbers with the band. Yes, pre Lovedrive material in the set. Suddenly, things were looking up. The Gig itself presented the sorry stake that Michael Schenker is now in - too pissed and off his face on smack to be able to stand during the MSG set. A true shame. The Scorps themselves however reminded me, 15 years on since the last time I'd seen them, why I always rated them as a live band. I may even be there the next time on this evidence.

4. The Weakerthans - Mean Fiddler: I LOVE this band. This was almost as good as the first time I saw them. One of the best bands of the last decade.

5. Ray Davies - Roundhouse: It can be easy at times to forget just how many great tunes Ray Davies has written. Indeed, how many certified Classic tunes he has written. This gig brought it all home, and the classic Kinks numbers were interspersed with some newer stuff and some entertaining banter. Legend.

6. Ryan Adams - Apollo Hammersmith: I had been wanting to see Adams for a couple of years now, and had somehow managed to miss him on a number of occasions. But, it was worth the wait. Great songs, great harmonies, a tight band (nice to see Neal Cassel). Interestingly sparse stage lighting which wasn't to everyone's taste, but focussed you even more on the music. Two and a half hours of pleasure.

7. Lucinda Williams - The indigO2: No 'Essence' , no 'Car Wheels on a Gravel Road' , my two favourite songs, but Williams is a great performer, and anyone who can throw 'Riders on the storm' into their set without it sounding stupid is obviously going to be on to a winner. COME ON !

8. Crowded House - Wembley Arena: They were great, and they still are great. Neil Finn is a wonderful songwriter, and hearing these songs live was a pleasure.

9. Aimee Mann - The indigO2: First off support act, Jenny Owen Youngs, was one of the finds of the year. Funny, quirky (anyone who can do a folk version of Nelly's 'Hott in Here' deserves to be heard!) and definitely someone to watch 2008/09. Mann herself wasn't really here to promote an album (although did debut a couple of tracks from the new one that comes out in 2008). Now seen her many times, and never disappoints.

10. Kate Rusby - Blackheath Halls: Silver Christmas Trees on stage, and a Christmas themed gig consisting of a set of around half material from Rusby's albums and half of folk versions (alternate tunes) of Christmas carols. All this performed on acoustic guitar, violin, bass, squeezebox, and (for a few numbers) a 6 piece brass band drawn from the armed forces. It sounded great, and demonstrated why rusby is one of the most popular performers on the modern Folk scene. What sets Rusby apart is her rapport with the audience, and her ability to put a smile on your face.

Honourable mention: Shawn Colvin - Shepherds Bush Empire