yes, that's right - i've made a list. i've seen some amazing bands this year, and some truly not amazing bands.

:( [22/7]
The Abominable Mr. Tinkler [7/12]
Adam Gnade [18/11]
The Ape Drape Escape [16/7]
Ape Has Killed Ape [18/11]
Applicants [28/11, 22/12]
Bad Loader [7/12]
Bat For Lashes [1/11]
Beck [19/8]
Bloc Party [19/8]
Brakes [22/7]
British Sea Power [16/7, 12/8]
Bromheads Jacket [16/7]
Camera Obscura [13/6]
Cementimental [14/12]
Charlottefield [12/8]
Chris T-T [22/7, 9/10]
Cock 'n Bull Kid [25/11]
Cutting Pink With Knives [14/12]
The Dead 60s [19/8]
The Dead Rat Orchestra [2/12]
The Divine Comedy [19/8]
DJ Shadow [16/12]
The Duke Spirit [12/8]
Emmy the Great [22/7]
Esquilax [14/12]
The Fez! [7/12]
Forward, Russia! [22/7]
Francois & the Atlas Mountains [13/6]
Freud [18/7]
Fuck Buttons [27/9, 22/12]
F. O. Machete [16/7]
The Futureheads [14/3, 22/7]
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly [22/7, 21/8]
GoodBooks [22/7]
Goodiepal [2/12]
Guillemots [21/8]
Haeti [1/11]
Harry Angel [22/7]
The Hidden Cameras [4/10]
The Holloways [16/7]
Honeycuts [12/8]
I Was A Cub Scout [28/11]
It Hugs Back [28/11]
Jacob's Stories [12/8]
Jeremy Warmsley [14/2]
Junkplanet [27/9, 25/11]
Keane [19/8]
Keyboard Choir [23/7, 22/12]
Kubichek! [14/3]
The Madeleines [22/7]
The Magic Numbers [19/8]
Max Tundra [7/12]
Mew [5/2]
The Minus 5 [18/7]
The Monroe Transfer [18/11]
My Latest Novel [12/8, 4/10]
Napoleon IIIrd [25/11]
The Organ [23/7]
Pagan Wanderer Lu [25/11]
Part Chimp [14/12]
The Perishers [5/2]
Persil [23/7]
The Piney Gir Country Roadshow [4/10]
Popular Workshop [27/9]
Radiohead [18/5, 19/8]
Regina Spektor [14/2]
The Research [12/8]
Revolution74 [25/11]
Seth Lakeman [23/7]
Tapes 'n Tapes [30/8]
Telegraphs [27/9]
This Town Needs Guns [28/11]
Untitled Musical Project [16/7]
Viking Moses [18/11]
Vincent Vincent & the Villains [16/7]
Willy Mason [18/5]
The Young Knives [23/7]

13 venues. 78 bands. 87 sets. 25 gigs [inc. festivals].

Top 6:

1. Fuck Buttons - 22/12. Just one big smiling noise mush of greatness. Still can't believe how good they were.
2. Mew - 5/2. I love Colchester Arts Centre, especiallywhen one of my favourite bands plays there. Jonas & co. truly rocked out the small church - it was a truly special experience. I completely lost myself at points.
2. Chris T-T - 22/7. I didn't know much about him before I stumbled into Truck's acoustic tent, but his political acousticness connected itself to my mind.
3. British Sea Power - 12/8. I truly believe BSP are one of the best bands of the last 10 years, at least in terms of guitar stuff. Their are stunning live, and in the setting of an old fort, with their mega-meanderings into the noisy abyss, they played like gods. Oh yes.
4. Radiohead - 19/8. The masters of EVERYTHING show many thousands of people why they are the best band evah. Shame it was at V.
5. The Hidden Cameras - 4/10. Triumphantly ecstatic pop, in a lovely church. This band are incredible in every way, and so it was hard not to love their live show.

[Special mentions - Camera Obscura, I Was A Cub Scout, Cutting Pink With Knives, Part Chimp, GoodBooks, Brakes, The Young Knives, The Perishers, The Organ, Pagan Wanderer Lu, Napoleon IIIrd, Beck, Bad Loader, The Research, Popular Workshop, Jeremy Warmsley, Guillemots, DJ Shadow].

Top 3 BOOBS of the year:

1. Freud - 18/7. Supported The Minus 5. They were fronted by a guy with the worst mullet in the world, and were trying really hard to 'rock' the crowd. They were shit though. Boring rock, played by seemingly boring, uninspired people.
2. Keane - 19/7. Tom Chaplin = far too cocky. Keane = far too stale, milky and lifeless. The crowd/general atmosphere of V certainly didn't help.
3. Ape Has Killed - 18/11. Admittedly, this was a free gig, but I'm not entirely sure what AHKA were attempting. Flaky laptop backing, spoken word lyrics and little else does not add up to success.

Venue of the year:

Colchester Arts Centre - it's my local venue. It's a lovely church. It is extremely receptive to new/experimental music, that most venues ignore. It's lovely, and run by lovely people. So yes.
Special mention to 93 Feet East, as we do our gigs there, and because it's a great venue with great sound.

Anyway, yes. I am far too enthusiastic about the live music of 2006, but it has been amazing. I am also currently bored, so I thought I'd share my year in gigs, and ask you to do the same!

sorry for the long post.