Stuff what happened Summary

Gigs

• The Yeah Yeah Yeahs (only a couple of songs, as I’d double-booked, and then had to hurry onwards to the next item on the list…)
• The Rolling Stones
• Future Islands
• Cat Power
• The National
• Nadine Shah
• Lorde
• The xx
• Sylvan Esso
• Father John Misty
• Beck
• Bjork
• The National
• The Black Lips
• Courtney Barnett
• St Vincent
• Patti Smith
• Nick Cave
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Low
• The Naked and Famous
• The Gaslight Anthem
• Phoebe Bridgers
• Jose Gonzalez

I also had tickets for a couple more, but missed them…
Nine Inch Nails – more than a little gutted I forgot about this until it was too late
Marlon Williams – simply couldn’t be arsed that night

Nick Cave was as good as ever… and had Kylie Minogue out for Where the Wild Roses Grow… the reaction of the british when that happened… absolutely mental. Never seen so many hipsters and the such absolutely lose their shit for a pop singer.
The Stones – I was a little underwhelmed… but never really been a big fan.

Places visited

• Nepal – up the Mustang Valley on a Royal Enfield Classic 500
  • Video 1 – Approach to Mustang
  • Video 2 – Up Lower Mustang
  • Videos 3 & 4 – on my ToDo list
• Netherlands – sunny weekend in Amsterdam

Gigs

• Conor Oberst
• The Naked and Famous
• Ladyhawke
• The xx
• Cat Power
• Japandroids
• Alt-J
• Stone Roses
• The Roots
• Cold War Kids
• Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, The Lumineers
• Feist
• Regina Spektor
• Nadia Reid
• Car Seat Headrest
• The Libertines
• Seasick Steve
• Jack Bugg
• KT Tunstall
• Fun Lovin’ Criminals
• Ryan Adams
• LCD Soundsystem
• Ghostface Killah
• The National (x2)
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
• The Naked and Famous
• Dizzee Rascal
• Lamb
• St Vincent
• Public Service Broadcasting
• Katchafire
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• Father John Misty
• Sylvan Esso
• Goldfrapp
• Run The Jewels
• Prophets of Rage
• Queens of the Stone Age
• Wolf Alice
• Gorillaz
• P.O.S.

Can’t be bothered making notes on each, but highlights were certainly Nick Cave – turning a song like “Higgs Boson Blues” into a Stadium-Anthem absolutely filling the O2 Arena… pure class. And obviously, seeing Tom Petty before his passing.

Lowlights – Libertines, never really got the hype – seeing them live didn’t change my mind. FLC before them was fun but. And Stone Roses – glad I got to see them, but Ian Brown sounded like a drunk pub karaoke singer.

Places Visited

• US-of-A – the-turning-40-like-an-adolescent-trip – New Orleans, Orlando (eyes lowered, shame-faced…. WrestleMania)
• Cuba
• Singapore
• Morocco for Christmas/New-Year – on a BMW F650

Gigs attended (this was the year of opera)

• La Traviata
• Pia de Tolomei
• Primal Scream
• Il Trittico
• Lucia di Lammermoor
• Future of the Left
• La Fanciulla
• Bruce Springsteen (x2)
• The Chills
• Nabucco
• Boheme
• Beck
• Il Trovatore
• Mudhoney
• Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
• Katchafire
• Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop
• Beth Orton
• Ugly Kid Joe
• Ben Harper
• PJ Harvey
• Low
• Pixies

Places visited

• Czechia
• Italy a couple of times (Lake Como – possibly the first place I’ve seen which rivals my biased view of New Zealand being the most beautiful place on the planet)
• Germany