my musical highlights of 2012

welcome to 2013, the year of the glock!

before the new year kicks off proper on the gig-front for me (which it will, when i attend eurosonic in groningen in a few days time), i thought i'd have a look back at the year that just closed (just like i do most years; the last one is here). i'm not sure i actually went to quite as many gigs in 2012 as i did in 2011 - at least it seems that i didn't shoot as many anyway - but i definitely had lots of musical highs. my most vivid memories bring me back to the amazing festival/events i went to, that took me - literally - to all four corners of the netherlands, as well as to a couple of nordic cities (copenhagen and reykjavik).

gigs 

// i'm not so great at making 'best of' lists (not that you'd know that from all the three lists in this post!), but i think i'd go with these top 5:

1. sigur ros (paradiso, amsterdam)

// it didn't quite knock the gothenburg gig of the top-spot (my first time seeing them & one of my highlights of 2008, see here) but it was still 100% magical // link to original blogpost here (no flickr set, cos i did't take any 'real' photos)

2. megafaun (on a beach, near middelburg)

// megafaun on a beach as the sun was setting, wow! followed up with the best house gig ever - i don't have so many great shots of this, so instead i would direct you to see some magnificent photos by niels here & here

3. cheek mountain thief (album launch in reykjavik)

// with a special mention to the kaffibarinn choir, my favourite gig from my whole time at airwaves! (and of course the cheek mountain thief gig in utrecht was also a huge highlight - see below) // link to original blogpost here (to be added soon) & to full set on flickr here

4. paul thomas saunders (in the woods, on the dutch island of vlieland)

// this was my fave gig of my fave fest of the year (due to the superb location and fabulous weather) // link to original blogpost here & link to full set on flickr here

5. wooden constructions (melkweg, amsterdam)

// this gig was my funnest gig of the year // link to original blogpost here & link to full set on flickr here

(tough choices! other faves include: bon iver in groningen, damien jurado in all the 4 locations i saw him around holland, sharon van etten and moonface both times i saw them last year - plus everything about le guess who may day festival in utrecht in fact, pinkunoizu in amsterdam, fenster in copenhagen...)

albums 

// i've never done a favourite albums list, but i'll give it a go now; (following the OFPM's #yuletide75 format of alphabetical order) here is my top 10, with accompanying links to any photos taken at 2012 gigs:

burning hearts (FI) - extinctions // (not seen them yet, so no pics!)

cheek mountain thief (IS) - cheek mountain thief // utrecht & reykjavik

damien jurado (US) - maraqopa // haarlem & den bosch

efterklang (DK) - piramida // eindhoven & amsterdam 

fenster (DE) - bones // copenhagen  

moonface (CA) - with sinaii: heartbreaking bravery // utrecht & reyjkavik

perfume genius (US) - put your back n 2 it // amsterdam

rebekka karijord (NO) - we bcome ourselves // den haag

sharon van etten (US) - tramp // utrecht

tilbury (IS) - exorcise // reykjavik

miscellaneous 

// 2012 saw a number of 'firsts' for me that also were related to music in most cases and here is my top 3:

1. playing glockenspiel on stage with a band for one night only (this had been my dream for ages and it finally came true!) (sept. 2012, with cheek mountain chief - thanks to mike for responding to my bonkers request and to jon for passing on my message in the first place; photo set & videos from this gig here & link to original blogpost here)

2. contributing to a radio show (OFPM) with my nordic musical tips (i never even dreamed i'd do this ever!) (nov. 2012)

3. getting a photo published in frame magazine (of squarepusher) (bit random!) (dec. 2012; set here) (& in another 'publishing' yet non-music related first - i also got my first article published in an irish newspaper in january!)

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thanks to all who contributed to making last year so much fun. now, let's get cracking with this year and see what it will bring. lots of creativity and inspiration hopefully, with more glocking perhaps?! ;)

x