My 2013 in Gigs

With Reflection being a necessary part of our culture at the beginning of each New Year, here
goes my reflection on 2013 in Gigs
To begin with my year in gigs included:
Biffy Clyro,
Bruce Springsteen,
The Courteeners
Liam Fray
Paramore
Johnny Marr
Beady Eye
Miles Kane

   These are the eight gigs that I managed to get to this year, sadly not many more. However these where some of the most amazing nights of the year from hearing Machines by Biffy Clyro to The River and Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen. The atmosphere was nothing short of cinematic. As I had never really listened to The Courteeners before this summer (I know, how I had missed them for this long is ridiculous) Seeing them in Liverpool did truly cement them as one of my favourite bands, the atmosphere and control they held over the audience was incredible, This kind of stage presence was then continued by Liam Fray in September at his acoustic show where he played the B-sides with just the accompaniment of his guitars and a piano. Paramore, once again engaged with the crowd and showed many critics that they were still a band, ignoring all of the rumors and gossip, performing a range of old hits and new records, it gave all ranges of the Paramore fan base, exactly what they where there for.

   Johnny Marr and Beady Eye, both holding a special place in the heart of Manchester, both did not disappoint from the unbelievable performance and combination of Marrs’ most recent record “The Messenger” and  his classics from The Smiths with a cover of I fought the Law made his homecoming show an immense occasion and showed why he truly is hailed as one of the greatest guitarists and musicians of his generation.  Then came  Beady Eye, A performance that showed that Liam Gallagher is still an amazing front man, with a power to control the crowd without even moving. This night was taken to a whole other level with the appearance of Bonehead and the performance of Live Forever, and then with the Beady Eye performance of Cigarettes & Alcohol, Oasis fans could also deem this night a complete success. And then for the final song, a cover of Gimme Shelter. An incredible cover and perfect end to the show.

   To Finish this incredible year of Gigs, Miles Kane in Eric’s. This homecoming show could easily be counted as one of the best gigs I have been to so far. The small venue and the ever growing and improving stage presence of Miles Kane, along with the pure excitement in the atmosphere of the crowd, saw all songs sang along with as loudly as possible. With songs such as Rearrange, Darkness In Our Hearts and Come Closer already classics in his collection, the cover of Sympathy For The Devil was the perfect mix of music for the closing show of his homecoming stint in Eric’s. Three gigs in 24 hours, showed the fans exactly how important this was to him and ended a brilliant year of gigs.