As 2006 draws to a close, it's time to look back at what has been yet another fine year for live music: and once again Room Thirteen has been right in the thick of it!
There were those who were sceptical about the festival season what with the lack of a certain Somerset affair, but plenty of the big boys stepped forward and made up for Glastonbury's absence. The negative side to this summer was that many punters didn't make it to their favourite field due to demand the like of which the UK has not seen across so many events. T in the Park, V and the Carling Weekend all sold out in record time meaning much frustration pressing redile on every phone in your possession and hours wasted on the internet. Elsewhere Download, Guilfest and the Isle of Wight experienced unprecedented popularity, and then there was the new comers like Electric Gardens, Latitude and the Indian Summer who all made strong debuts.
There's an argument that says the market is heading towards saturation point and fast, but that can be considered another day, as can the question of how to solve the ticket tout problem. Right now we simply want to refresh your memory of the events we covered in 2006 (yep record numbers for us too), or wet your appetite for 2007...that festival season is only a few months away, and for Glasto lovers your old friend is back!
This review is not just about festivals, unlike some sites our in depth live music coverage includes gigs all year round. Once you've ploughed through the multi-band events check out selected reviews from some of the major tours we covered in 2006.
Our live review of the past twelve months is rounded off by a few of our most die-hard of live reviewers picking their top five gigs and festival sets from 2006.
Have fun with this little lot and keep your eyes on Room Thirteen over the next twelve months as we aim to bring you even more live reviews than ever before.
Festivals:
Bangkok 100Ian Brown, Franz Ferdinand and Oasis went in search of some winter warmth, and so did we.
Bloodstock Indoor This one may have a roof over it, but for metal fans it's still a must visit each year so of course we're there too.
Bloodstock Open AirWe were all over this metal festival like a rash and if it rocked or was rubbish, we told you about it anyway.
Camden Crawl The one night manic music event show-cased many of the new acts who would dominate the summer: Automatic, Dirty Pretty Things, Fratellis, Morning Runner, Young Knives and around forty five others across twelve venues.
Carling Weekend, Leeds FestivalIncluding Pearl Jam, Muse, Maximo Park, Arctic Monkeys, Feeder plus comprehensive coverage of the Lock Up Stage.
Download Headlined by Tool, Metallica and GN'r, but as ever we've so much more from across all stages.
Electric Gardens Making it's debut in the Kent countryside, it featured Charlatans, Morning Runner, Automatic and Fratellis amongst others.
Guilfest Growing to become one not to be missed, read reviews of Embrace, Breed 77, Bring Me The Horizon, Kosheen, Winnebago Deal and the last festival performance from the Lightning Seeds.
In The City The annual new music event returned to Manchester at the end of October.
Indian Summer Antony and the Johnsons, Fall, Gang of Four, Hot Chip and Yeah Yeah Yeahs played this small Glasgow event.
O2 WirelessHeadliners included Strokes and Massive Attack, plus Raconteurs, Gogol Bordello, Flaming Lips and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
Oxegen Ireland's leading music event returned for another hugely successful year.
Prog Power UK Room Thirteen will be working with Prog Power UK in 2007, check out reviews from it's debut event last March.
Rock and Blues The annual biker festival this year featured Damned, Quireboys, UFO and more.
Summercase Forum Primal Scream, Daft Punk, Belle and Sebastian, New Order and a Room Thirteen writer in the Spanish sunshine.
Stockton Fringe Read reviews of King Eskimo, McQueen and Mike Park.
T in the Park Check out reviews from amongst others Arctic Monkeys, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand and Sigur Ros.
T on the Fringe Radiohead, Raconteurs and Be Your Own Pet.
TDK Cross Central An August bank holiday dance event with a difference held in central London.
V Festival That headline set from Radiohead, plus Kasabian, Beck, Hard-Fi, Faithless, Ordinary Boys, Lily Allen and more.
For further coverage read the features below:
Bloodstock Indoor
Bloodstock Open Air
Download
Electric Gardens
Guilfest
In The City
Leeds Festival
Oxegen
Summercase Forum
T in the Park
V (Chelmsford)
Gigs:
AFI: London May Show
Arctic Monkeys: Newcastle April Show
Depeche Mode: Spring Wembley Arena show
Disturbed: rescheduled Manchester Spring show
Dresden Dolls: Camden Roundhouse in November
Foo Fighters: Hyde Park in June
Fratellis: home coming gig in November
Hard-Fi: Brixton residency featuring Paul Weller
Iron Maiden: Pre-Christmas Manchester Show
Jack Johnson: Cardiff Arena Show in March
Kaiser Chiefs: Arena tour in Birmingham
Lacuna Coil: one off London date in March
Morrissey: Glasgow Arena Show in March
Motorhead: Manchester gig on October tour
My Chemical Romance: Opening night of November tour in Bournemouth
Muse: Newcastle Arena in November
NME New-Rave Tour: Glasgow in October
Opeth: Manchester Academy on Their Winter Tour
Panic! At The Disco: Leeds show in January
Raconteurs: Opening Night of Winter Tour in Glasgow
Radiohead: Hammersmith Apollo May show
Sigur Ros: Hammersmith Apollo March Show
Soulfly's Return to the UK in January
Stone Sour: Manchester Academy in November
Reviewer Top Fives:
Andy Latham: North of England Live Correspondent
1. Sick Of It All: Leeds Festival Simply stunning from a band that have been going twenty years. they helped to redefine hardcore & are still showing the way. The bulldog run in the crowd was nothing short of sensational!
2. Muse: Leeds Festival I've been into Muse for years but never bothered seeing them live & this just blew me away. The set list was brilliant, the musicianship stunning & the stage show compelling. Even the rain couldn't put a dampener on this one.
3. Ginger & The Sonic Circus: Download Festival Ginger just keeps bouncing back & this performance was top drawer, the crowd were fantastic & the show was excellent. One of the most prolific and underrated songwriters of our generation.
4. McQueen: Manchester Roadhouse (Spring) This was a great set full of energy and passion in a small venue, metal meets punk and destroys everything in it's wake!
5. Hedrons: Manchester Night and Day (November) The fourth time I'd seen them this year & despite a pitiful turnout they were on fire! Great songs & fantastic performers, with an album out in February this could be their year.
Guy Powell: Editor
1. Metallica: Download Festival One of the best sets I've seen...ever!
2. Wolfmother: Leeds Festival First time I'd ever really heard the band and along with 50,000 other people was blown away.
3. Breed 77: London Show in April R13 favourites played their London preview show of new material.
4. Tool: Download Festival Great band, great set.
5. Placebo: Leeds Festival I enjoyed it even if everyone else I was with found it boring.
Andy Reilly: Scotland Correspondent
1. Hot Chip: Glasgow Arches Set of the year from the band of the year for me, crossed a few genres, gave a brilliant second album and have played brilliantly in a record shop, a gig venue, a club venue and an open field – excellent.
2. J Spaceman: Edinburgh Queens Hall in November Brilliant, uplifting, orchestra and Gospel choir? Coupled with the songs of the Spaceman, that's a fantastic night.
3. Daft Punk: Summercase Festival, Barcelona Parc Del Forum First time seeing DP, 1am outside in Barcelona, 25 minutes after they were due on stage.....everything kicked in. I've probably slightly downgraded it because I know it's something that meant a hell of a lot to me which maybe makes me think it was a better set than it was....but aye, it was good.
4. Primal Scream: Glasgow QMU in April Fantastic rock n roll. New album had just been released and playing a venue far too small for them. Insane and dangerous.
5. Klaxons: NME Tour Glasgow Arches in October Just so exciting. I know why people are thinking "really?" and not getting it because of the hype or the general madness around it...but musically, it was way better than what I was expecting - an absolute buzz.
Simon Webb: News Writer
1. Pearl Jam: Leeds Festival All you need to know is this set changed my mood for the rest of the weekend.
2. Muse: Leeds Festival Proving once again why the stadium shows were only a matter of time, the only set to be nominated twice in this section.
3. Lightning Seeds: Guilfest One of their last ever gigs and they went out in style.
4. Flaming Lips: 02 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park It's as much about the theatrics as the music but both on this occasion were spot on.
5. Morning Runner: Electric Gardens Saw them three times in a short space of time and this the pick of a strong trio of gigs.
Pete Worral: The Mouth of Metal
1. Iron Maiden: MEN Arena in December A tale of two setlists, thankfully I loved them both.
2. Primal Fear: Bloodstock Indoor Primal Fear demonstrated why straight, honest heavy metal is meant to be
played live.
3. Helloween: Spring show at Bradford Rios Helloween looked a rejuvenated band and played a brilliant and varied set.
4. Onslaught: Bloodstock The veteran British thrashers deliver a brutal and high energy set. Welcome back.
5. Coheed and Cambria: Manchester Academy Subtle, Melodic and desitined for greatness. Only an hour set left us all gagging for more.
To work your way through our entire live archives
Click here,Meanwhile you can see our pick of the albums to be released in 2006 by
Clicking here.