Nick Mitchell: My gig of 2009

David Byrne, Glasgow Concert Hall
31 March

No grassroots event this, but Dumbarton-born David Byrne's show in the classical setting of the Glasgow Concert Hall was at least a pseudo-Scottish event.

And frankly I'd be telling a lie if I chose any other gig as the best I witnessed this year.

Why? Part of it must have been that strange feeling of collective awe when a roomful of lifelong fans is finally sat face-to-face with one of their musical idols - even if it was from a distant balcony seat in my case.

Byrne restricted the scope of the gig to his work with Brian Eno, but seeing as the famed studio boffin produced three of Talking Heads' best albums, that certainly didn't make for a defiantly obscure song selection.

Byrne has always conducted himself as a multi-faceted artist, a New York Renaissance Man, so the appearance of a trio of modern ballet dancers wasn't exactly a shock (it actually worked well as a visual accoutrement).

What was more surprising was just how great an entertainer the silver-haired Byrne still is at the age of 56, and the entire crowd of fanboys and girls defied the conventions of the venue and were off their seats for the latter portion of the night, when Byrne & band blazed through songs like Burning Down the House and Crosseyed & Painless.

I don't meant to dismiss the exploits of Scotland's younger generation by picking a middle-aged Manhattanite as my live performer of the year, but Byrne was clearly still proud of his roots, and - for what's it's worth - he would no doubt be impressed by the music scene if he still lived here.

(For the record, my favourite smaller gigs of the year included The Japanese War Effort supporting Meursault at The Bowery, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Findo Gask's triumphant sets at T in the Park, the mesmerising Rob St John at Edinburgh's Retreat all-dayer, and an early Dupec show at Sneaky Pete's.)

What was your gig of 2009? Let us know below...

Billy Hamilton: My gig of 2009

Versus, The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
10 September

To put forward the inaugural Voodoo Rooms-based Versus as my gig of 2009 is doing the night little justice.

You see, this wasn’t just your bog-standard three band soirée that underpins gigs the length and breadth of this country. No, this was a spectacle – a loud one at that.

With Dead Boy Robotics, Foundling Wheel and Meursault taking up the leading roles, the three-pronged stage invasion had melody mingling with discord and folk frolicking with noise.

A pre-show natter with the man behind the concept, Ted Koterwas, revealed a desire to engage the polarized factions of Edinburgh’s music scene in a battle royale of sound that would open up doors and knock down walls.

But it wasn’t about indulging in a spot of musical peacekeeping, it was much, much more. Sounds blasted from the stage as if igniting from a Kennedy Space Center launch pad, while a roll-call of Auld Reekie luminaries took turns in complementing the starring trio’s kaleidoscopic mash up.

Bulging instrumentation frothed with all the frenzy of a rabid dog chasing its tail, leaving the senses of the punters ragged, frayed and, most of all, alive.

By the time the finale of tumbling percussion and electrified synth crushed solar plexuses, you knew what had unravelled was something very special indeed.

A night to remember? Perhaps. A night not to be forgotten. Definitely.

The next Versus night features eagleowl, Found and Oates Field, and takes place at the Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh on 21 January.

What was your gig of 2009? Let us know below...

Elaine Liddle: My gig of 2009

Nackt Insecten supporting Fuck Buttons, Stereo, Glasgow
24 September

There are countless acts I just knew I would love even before the gig that I could have written about in this slot; so I've picked one which surprised me.

From the little I knew about Nackt Insecten, I was certainly intrigued (this is a guy who did a noise set on the Glasgow Subway, after all) but I didn't expect to be particularly enamoured. Not that I felt I'd hate Ruaradidh Sanachen's work, just that it didn't seem quite for me.

How totally wrong I was. The songs - or rather, very long soundscapes - were indeed a bizarre mash of sound, but they were also breathtaking. They also had the added element of other band members - notably Galchen's Peter Kelly on drums - which lifted them up and made them just work in a live context.

That surprise, the freshness, and the downright hypnotic effect of this particular set makes it stand out so clearly from the rest.

Craig Dickson: My gig of 2009

[Photo: The Queen's Hall]

Our 2009 round-up continues today as new UtR writer Craig Dickson nominates his favourite gig of the past twelve months...

Frightened Rabbit, The Queens Hall, Edinburgh
Tuesday 18 August

Frightened Rabbit have been playing material from The Midnight Organ Fight across Europe and the US for over a year now, and it shows. For this Edge Festival gig the band was tight, the performance polished, but the sincerity of the music still clearly apparent.

Everything seemed to come together, with the sell-out crowd in the palm of their hands from start to finish. The atmosphere was first-rate, the fans responded with complete warmth, singing every word back to the band and creating that interaction that's one of the hallmarks of a great show.

Combined with impeccable sound, an electric atmosphere and a sensational performance, this was pretty much everything you could ask for in a gig, and a reminder of just how vital and exciting live music can be.

What was your gig of 2009? Let us know below...