Madness

Myself and Big Dan are big ska and two-tone fans, and so decided to go to Madness' annual Christmas tour at the London Arena. We were standing a little too-close-for-comfort to the skinheads at the front, and so moved back as the gig progressed, but it must be said that the show was excellent. I'm not normally a fan of stadium gigs, but this one was worth it.

Badly Drawn Boy

Cor, this was a show. A good 2 and a half hours of performance, presided over by the inimitable Boy. He was just so charismatic and, um, brilliant that the night itself was...brilliant. Typically, though, a girl passed out in front of us and it fell to us to cart her off to the side.

Doves

Doves are my favourite band. Ther's no question about that. And for them to be playing in Cambridge was fantastic. However, this was also part of a my uber-gig month, in which I went to see far too many bands in too short a space of time. As a result, I just wasn't in the mood for the gig and, while the band played reasonably well, they didn't exactly "move" me. A shame.

The Levellers

I can't remember this gig. I'd seen too many bands recently. I've regretted that over-indulgence ever since.

Suede

I'd been a fan of Suede for years. Admittedly Bernard Butler was no longer with the band when I saw this gig, but the replacement guitarist played the stuff accurately. Brett Anderson was a bit of a cock, prancing around like some kind of rock n roll superstar, despite the fact he was playing to the Cambridge Corn Exchange and the gig hadn't sold out. When Beautiful Ones came on, though, Dan and I sprinted from the back to the front row before the lyrics had even started. I love that song.

ZZ Top

When I was five, my dad said that we should see a "heavy rock band like ZZ Top". We never did. When my dad was 54, though, I bought him tickets to see the band at Hammersmith Apollo - just to prove I'd not forgotten his comment 17 years previously! We were sat in the front row of the balcony which, while we separated from the main crowd, provided an excellent view. And the band rocked. It was like a "greatest hits" gig, and they played every song I ever knew they had recorded.

Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra

Supergrass

McAlmont and Butler

Kathryn Williams

The Coral

Mighty Mighty Bosstones

McAlmont and Butler

Mercury Rev

The Hives

Doves

Later... With Jools Holland

Hundred Reasons