GIGS OF THE YEAR



Prince's gig voted gig of the year
30th December 2011 By Kim Dawson with James Cabooter
FROM megastars at festivals to newcomers storming it in the clubs, 2011 has been a year of classic concerts. Whether it was the reunited Take That and their giant robot lording it over stadiums or Adele keeping it real in a tiny converted church, there were magic music moments that will live with me forever. I and my team travelled the globe to report on the best shows, and we look back at the best gigs in a year stuffed with highlights.

GIG OF 2011: Prince, Hop Farm, Kent

Why it was ace: After a rumoured headline slot at Glastonbury fell through, Prince settled on a subdued Kentish field to make his only UK appearance of the year. The wee man was worth every bit of his reported £1million pay cheque, as he kicked off with Let’s Go Crazy, Delirious, 1999 and Little Red Corvette. This was a stark lesson in expert showmanship, as Prince, 53, put in a virtuoso performance.

Best bit: The family atmosphere meant you could mosey on down to the front of the stage whenever you fancied. Bizarre but brilliant.

2) Beyoncé, Glastonbury Festival

Why it was ace: Muddy Worthy Farm has never smelt so sweet. In front of an audience of mostly girls, Bey, 30, became the first woman to headline Glasto’s legendary Pyramid stage in 20 years and she did not disappoint. “Glastonbury, you are witnessing my dream,” she gushed. “I always wanted to be a rock star.”

Best bit: With hubby Jay-Z, 42, watching from the front, Bey rifled out her hits and added a sprinkle of Prince and Kings Of Leon covers, plus a thunderous Destiny’s Child medley. Fresh and flash for Glasto.

3) Take That, Stadium Of Light, Sunderland

Why it was ace: After years of will-he/s won’t-he, Robbie Williams, 37, was
finally back on stage with his old band putting to bed rumours and showing he’s buried the hatchet with former nemesis Gary Barlow, 40. We got a two-for-one show as Rob did his hits in a solo set.

Best bit: Giant robot Om waddling down the middle of the stadium with the band in his hands. Jason, 41, and Howard, 43, sword-fighting and break-dancing.

4) Katy Perry, Ancienne Belgique, Brussels

Why it was ace: While half the females in pop felt the need to dress and sound like hookers on tour and in their videos, this year, katy stuck to her brand of cheeky 50s kitsch pin-up. Her show, based on an Alice In Wonderland-style adventure to find her missing puss Kitty Purry, was sugary sweet as a result. She provided glamour, fun and such a good night out I went see her again at the 02 Arena.

Best bit: During Hot N Cold, Katy, 27, managed to change dresses eight times while in full view of the crowd than to some creative trickery. Now that’s magic.

5) Adele, Tabernacle, London

Why it was ace: Before she sold bucketloads of records, and before that BRIT Awards performance, Adele launched her 21 album with this intimate acoustic gig.

Best bit: Alongside beautiful piano versions ofTurning Tables, Rolling In The Deep and One And Only, Adele, 23, charmed the pants off the crowd with her amusing and touching tales of lost love, X Factor obsession and her sausage dog. It’s impossible not to love this girl.

6) Lady Gaga, Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Carlisle

Why it was ace: She made her name by shocking the world so it came as no surprise that Gaga arrived on stage in Cumbria in a gold lamé coffin with a pregnant lump.

Then she wowed us with seriously heavy versions of newies Judas, Born This Way plus older hits like Telephone.

Best bit: When Steph jazzed things up on the piano for
a stripped-back solo section. Away from all the gubbins and silliness, Gaga, 25, is quite simply a great performer.

7) Katy B, KOKO, London
Why it was ace:
She’s known for her dubstep club smashes, but live Katy B offers a different musical flavour. Backed by a big and bold band with horn section and percussion, tracks that began life as hard-hitting Rinse radio bangers sounded more like acid jazz.

Best bit: Katy, 22, was endearingly natural, pitch-perfect throughout and her mixed audience devoured every second of it.

8) Arctic Monkeys, Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield

Why it was ace: More than 10,000 wild fans crammed into a giant blue big top to welcome Arctic Monkeys back to the Steel City. They were on brilliant form from start to finish. A real event.

Best bit: Alex Turner, 25, getting emotional as he let the crowd sing Mardy Bum for him.

9) Foo Fighters, Wembley Arena, London

Why it was ace: Just when it looked like Dave Grohl’s mob had settled for slowing down into rock ballads, they roared back with their best album in years on Wasting Light. Not many bands can get away with previewing an album at an arena show.

Best bit: The way Dave, 46, and the lads roared as if with the hunger of playing for the first time, that made for the goosebumps.

10) Pulp, Primavera Sound, Barcelona
Why it was ace: Pulp. Reunited. On a beautiful Barcelona evening. What more could you ask for? All the classics were there – Disco 2000, Babies, Common People, Something Changed and Under- wear. And Jarvis Cocker, 48, as wiry and athletic as ever, hadn’t aged a day since the mid-90s. Perfection.

Forgot to say it's from todays Daily Star, not the worlds leading musical journey but good to see Prince getting the respect he deserves!

Always great to see and hear Prince getting respect

Hop Farm?

What other shows did they see?

I mean, it wasn't bad there, but gig of the year?

Checkout the first Gent show. Or one of the NSJ shows.

[Edited 12/30/11 11:51am]

udo said:

Hop Farm?

What other shows did they see?

I mean, it wasn't bad there, but gig of the year?

Checkout the first Gent show. Or one of the NSJ shows.

[Edited 12/30/11 11:51am]

Here's a link to the article published in UK tabloid newspaper, the Daily Star:

http://www.dailystar.co.u...-the-year/

It is credited to two journalists, although the first paragraph confusingly reads:

"I and my team travelled the globe to report on the best shows, and we look back at the best gigs in a year stuffed with highlights."

It also inserts a quotation which reads:

"Prince's gig voted gig of the year",

which suggests that the writers of the article (and members of 'their team') voted it the best that they had attended.