Well folks, following in the illustrious footsteps of squinty, here’s my top ten;

1. Tom Waits in the Phoenix Park

“What could it be?” said Tom at one point. “Any one of a number of songs.” And it was. There followed Misery Is The River Of The World, just one of innumerable highlights of an unforgettable, dream-fulfilling night.

2. Leonard Cohen in Kilmainham

An outdoor gig, and it didnt rain, and it wasnt cold. “Thank you for your hospitality,” said Lenny, after charging us a hundred quid for the privilege. But I’d pay it anytime, as we laughed and cried about it all again.

3. Lambchop in the Tripod

From the moment Kurt ordered a lamb kebab and sat beside us in Zaytoon, myself & CT knew this was gonna be a winner. They played the whole new album, a blistering Give It, and engaged the crowd as only they can. And then Kurt walked off stage the wrong way and had to shuffle back across with a sheepish grin.

4. Bon Iver in the Tripod

The place was packed, the music was great, and everyone was so awestruck you could hear the proverbial pin drop. And Sarah was there, so…

5. TV On The Radio in the Tripod

They didnt play for long, and they didnt say too much. But still, they were TV On The Radio, and they were magnificent.

6. Joan As Police Woman in the Tripod

“You finally got it huh?” said Joan to me after the show. “I can see all the scratch marks on my face!” She was referring to my bungling attempt to remove the shrink wrap from her album so she could sign it, but it was still very exciting.

7. Aimee Mann in, yes, the Tripod

Aimee was in town, and after a quick venue change from Kilmainham, gigsoc arrived panting and out of breath with Gamblor in tow. Sharon Shannon was on before, and as soon as special guest The Mighty Mundy was dispatched with a well aimed Kopperberg bottle, we were ready to rock. There was no electric guitar unfortunately, but apart from that, Ms. Mann was in spectacular form.

8. Eels in Vicar Street

The Dog-faced Boy and his trusty sidekick The Chet put on a hell of a show between the pair of them, at one point managing to seamlessly swap over between drums and piano during Flyswatter, and then swap back again without breaking the flow. You’re goddamn right it was a beautiful gig…

9. Calexico in the Tripod

“It’s always nice to play a new club in town” said Joey Burns. Pity for him it was the PA disaster that is the Tripod. Nevertheless, you’d have to be dead or deaf to not love a Calexico show, and by the end we could almost smell the desert, and were all dying for beer & nachos.

10. Darragh Hogan in Dolan’s Warehouse

Hogan played all the old favourites like, eh, I Believe, and a couple of Boxmen covers. Sensational.