KILBURNFLYER

Have been badly neglecting the Fleyer - it is the only way I can keep track of gig activity.

Since the summer festivals have seen:

Echo and the Bunneymey at the Palladium - absolutely first class gig - the whole of Ocean rain with an orchestra and a greatest hits set. What's not to love.

Pop Will Eat Itself at O2 Academy Islington - great fun as usual but with Clint poppy no longer with them felt a bit odd.

Volbeat at the Forum - absolutely magnificent - really got the bug for them over the summer and bought their entire back catalogue. First time I have seen them when I knew all the songs they played - Evelyn was a particular highlight - not one ofmy favourite songs but what I didn't know was that the 2nd vocalist is Mark "Barney" Greenaway from Napalm Death - he came on for that song - brilliant.

Motorhead, UK Subs and Anti Nowhere League at Hammersmith - Subs were great - indeed much better than back in the day - basically Charlie Harper and a half decent young metal band supporting him. ANL - all good but a bit going through the motions. Motorhead were back on form - they were poor at Sonisphere - and did a great set.

Hard Rock Hell V at Prestatyn - the greatest weekend of the year as usual but that down to the people not the bands - most of whom were a bit average except Girlschool, Reckless Love, Ginger Wildheart and the magnificent SSS.

Def Leppard, Motley Crue at Wembley Arena - sadly got there late and missed Steel Panther but great sets from both as usual.

GingerWildheart at the Garage Islington - exactly the same as Prestatyn - good but not great.

Saxon at Koko - fucking brilliant show. Full of energy, great setlist - well done chaps you really try hard and it shows.

KILBURNFLYER

I should now be writing about one of the bestgig weeks I can recall. DIO and Slayer (twice) at the Forum and then Motorhead supported by the Damned and Girlschool at Hammersmith. Sadly for reasons of illness/injury DIO cancelled (stomach cancer - nasty lets hope the caught it early) and Slayer (back injury to Tom Araya) got rescheduled for next March.

Only caught the back end of Girlschool due to Tottenham game late early evening kick off - seeing them next weekend at Hard Rock Hell III. The Damned - well have been a fan since the beginning and first saw them as a callow youth at the 100 Club - not in the heady days of 76 but about 79 when they were more established - only got 45 minutes but were great. Usual mix of old and new - neat neat neat, love song, smash it up, new rose and Eloise all got aired.

Motorhead were great but not brilliant. Very similar set to last time I saw them and seemed a bit tired. Still very enjoyable from Iron Fist to Overkill.

KILBURNFLYER

Girlschool were very good at the Astoria 2 with Blitzkreig supporting which made it even better. Was never a big fan and although I must have seen them about 20 times over the years but this was the first time I have seen them as the headline band. Top job ladies. As an aside, a very odd thing happened - a bloke in a Motorhead T-Shirt complained twice that I was "standing in his way" - FFS it was a tiny gig in a tiny venue and most near everyone was jumping about having a good time. Regrettably I just laughed at him - got the right T shirt mate but so not the right attitude.

KILBURNFLYER

My last gig of the year tonight - Girlschool at the Mean Fiddler so thought I would have a quick review of 2008. Overall a good year for gigs - 32 separate concerts, 2 festivals and 2 overseas trips - one every 11 days or so which is not bad for a 40 something with a relatively busy job. The good the bad and the ugly are below:

Best gigs; Muse at Dubai and the Royal Albert Hall, Wildhearts at Hard Rock Hell and the Forum, the Infectious Grooves at Mean fiddler, Bunneymen at Royal Albert Hall, B52s at the Roundhouse and surprising Slayer at Hammersmith (again twice in as many days)

Honourable mentions to AC/DC at Madison Square Garden (again twice) - not what they were but still really enjoyable - and Marky Ramone at Dubai technically a tribute Band but still great.

Shit Street - Korn and As I Lay Dying at Dubai and Black Label Society at Hard Rock Hell - excited about seening them all but really shit. Purple in a car part just pants. Saxon at Shepherds Bush on St Georges day was also very very disappointing - am a forgiving sort so saw them twice since and they got better.

Newbies of note - The Answer supporting AC/DC, Pride Tiger and Big Linda - am sure I will see all three again and again.

Most fun - Hard Rock Hell, Marky Ramone and Muse at Dubai (everyone else was either shit or really shit) as well as Overdose (AC/DC tribute band after Madison show)

Meets of note - Schenker in a sulk in a wet street in Colchester - still one of my heroes, Pete Way at Hard Rock Hell slowly getting pissed but really nice, friendly and talkative. The drummer/singer from Pride Tiger who was just so nice - genuinely nice - at both Hard Rock Hell and at the Barfly.

Event of the year - Hard Rock Hell - line up and venue not as good as 2007 but still a great weekend.

Moment of clarity - 20 seconds into Wildhearts at Hard Rock Hell I just knew they were going to be brilliant - and they were. Tigertailz doing Creeping Death which made me reconsider whether they were actually not the crap band I thought they were.

Sad bits - Mitch Mitchell dying, Wolfmother splitting up and the terminal decline of Deep Purple.

Hopes for 2009 - already booked for The Answer, Metallica (twice) and AC/DC (thrice), Priest and Megadeth, Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as Hammerfest. Hope for lots more especially want to see the return to Europe of Suicidal Tendencies and Van Halen - both have played the US recently so get your arses over the pond.