Monday 27 December 2010

Top of the year

The other day a friend and I were trying to recall the good live performances of the year. And we struggled. In our minds, this hadn't been a good year for live music in Berlin. So while being cooped up in the house with all that snow falling outside, I took the time to go through my various calendars and pick out good gigs. I wanted to make my Top 10. I have almost suceeded, with a few more than ten. Turns out this year wasn't so bad for live music after all.

1. Quintron & Miss Pussycat at Bang Bang Club

2. The Strange Boys at White Trash Fast Food
3. Ben Butler & Mousepad at West Germany
4. Tune-Yards and Bear In Heaven at Puschenfest, Festsaal Kreuzberg

5. Max Tundra at West Germany

6. MEN at Festsaal Kreuzberg

7. Ganglians at Bang Bang Club / Marie-Antoinette
8. US Girls at Madame Claude
9. Lake at Schokoladen
10. Chain and the Gang at West Germany
11. Tender Forever at West Germany

12. Health & Liars at Volksbühne

13. Soulwax and Atari Teenage Riot at Berlin Festival, Flughafen Tempelhof

14. Wavves at White Trash Fast Food

15. Tussle and Publicist at Bang Bang Club


The following should have also joined the list but more than 15 on a Top 10 would have been too greedy after all: Wild Nothing, dd/mm/yyyy, Japandroids, Kids Explode, Dean Dirg, Screaming Females, No Age, Abe Vigoda, Joan of Arc, Love of Everything, Sissters and probably The Drums but I didn't go to that last one (and regret it).

Oh, and the most atrocious gig I attended this year was Foals at iTunes festival London. Who knows what happened to them but they used to be really good.

Finally, to highlight one band that had the time of their lives this year it seems and were temporarily joined by Justin Pearson (of The Locust and All Leather) and Dennis Lyxzén (of The International Noise Conspiracy, The Lost Patrol Band/Invasionen and AC4) among others: The Bloody Beetroots. I wasn't at this event but I expect it was grant.

1 comment:

  1. I just stumbled upon a list I made and apparently I didn't really like that many concerts in 2010... hope that's going to change in 2011...

    Xiu Xiu + Former Ghosts + Zola Jesus at Festsaal Kreuzberg

    Double Dagger at about:blank

    Future Islands in Potsdam

    Xiu Xiu at HAU2 (Scout Niblett also played on that evening but I didn't like her)

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