All in All

What do these names have in common?

386DX, Adem, AFI, Animal Collective, Bad Plus, Bat For Lashes, Battles, Bell Orchestre, Belle & Sebastian, Brad Meldhau, Brakes, Broadcast, Camille, Cat Power, Cheap Trick, Datarock, Decemberists, Deerhoof, Def Leppard, Editors, Final Fantasy, Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand, Go Kart Mozart, Go team, Goldfrapp, Grizzly Bear, Happy Attack, Haswell/Hecker, Hidden Cameras, Howling Bells, In the Country, Isobel Campbell, Jimi Tenor, Kula Shaker, Ladytron, Lambchop, Lene Lovich, Lorraine, Luke Haines, Magic Numbers, Mogwai, My Latest Novel, Nick Cave, Orson, Parka, Paul Buchanan, Pet Shop Boys, Placebo, Radiohead, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Richard Hawley, Richard Swift, Roddy Frame, Secret Machines, Semi Finalists, Shakes, Sigur Ros, Sparks, Strokes, Sufjan Stevens, Sunn O))), Supersilent, Susannah and the Magical Orchestra, Tapes N Tapes, The Aliens, The Glitterati, The View, The Whip, Tindersticks, Tortoise, TV on the Radio, Underskolen, Vashti Bunyan, Vic Goddard, Vines, Willy Mason

Yes, this is the entire list of bands I have seen this year (some of them more than once). No a bad listing in my opinion. Now, I know November hasn’t finished yet but after Paul Buchanan on Sunday and Grizzly Bear (for the second time) next weekend, I have nothing left booked for this year, so I feel safe in publishing this now.

A small note, the list includes support acts and bands I have seen fleetingly at festivals (Homefires and T in the Park being the only festivals this year). For a band to be counted I have had to see at least one whole song by them, so admittedly Go Team, Kula Shaker and Orson barely scrape through but I’m counting them and it’s my rules that count!

I won’t be commenting on these or highlighting the best shows yet, I think I’ll save that for the round up of the year next month. However, Lorraine get picked from this list of 77 names to be the pictured band due to their being the most seen at 3 times, and I’d happily see them again tomorrow.

Going to as many gigs as we do you sort of start to form a feeling on whether to see someone based on the venue. This can come down to a combination of many things; location, accessibility, bar layout and service, view of stage, expected audience, etc. I have my favourites - Luminaire, ICA, Bush Hall, Scala, Kings College, Forum - those I find hit and miss - Hammersmith Odeon, Brixton Academy, Astoria - and those I absolutely despise. I've blogged once before about how appallingly suited the former Camden Palace aka KOKO is. Last night I went to see Cat Power at the newly refurbished Roundhouse and what should have been a fantastic gig was utterly ruined by the venue. Absolutely awful - vast, no gradiented floor, like a giant KOKO so unless you you get there early and get close to the front, and don't want a drink or to go to the toilet, you struggle to see the stage over everyone else's head and in that case the majority of people around you end up talking because they can't get into the act. We moved six time last night to get away from people who couldn't keep quiet for even one whole song and never found a decent place to enjoy the show. Like KOKO, I won't be rushing back to the Roundhouse unless it is for someone I desperately want to see.

Strangely enough, like KOKO, the Roundhouse is in Camden (or at least on the outskirts). So are Dingwalls and the Electric Ballroom, two more venues I add to the worst venues in London list. Funny how Camden seems to have the highest density of crap venues, its only saving grace is the Jazz Cafe.