PATRICK WOLF (London Bush Hall, 18/12/17)

Patrick Wolf's back, and he's quit the "glam M. Bison" look of his tween-pop phase to re-embrace the boho Slytherin vibe that propelled him to cult fame in the first place. Though it's one of his first performance in years and his nerves clearly show, his endearing stage presence, his mastery of every instrument under the sun and some wonderfully chosen guest musicians (Serafina Steer on harp, Gwendoline Christie (!) on vocals) ensures that my 2017 gig schedule ends on a gratifyingly memorable note.

HAIKU SALUT (London St John-on-Bethnal Green Church, 15/12/17)

Last time I saw the ever-delightful Haiku Salut, the Tories won an unexpected majority, leading directly to Brexit and the demise of civilisation as we knew it. Tonight, thankfully, was a little less dramatic. Their lamp show is pretty much a Christmas institution by now, and their twinkly, lush instrumentals prove the perfect accompaniment to the festive season.

TANK AND THE BANGAS (London Islington Assembly Hall, 12/12/17)

An effervescent set from the New Orleans funk/soul/R&B outfit that was only let down by over-intense bass that muddied the vibrancy of their sound. Give them a couple of good festival slots, and they'll be headlining Brixton this time next year.

FUJIYA & MIYAGI (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 09/12/17)

The underrated, understated Fujiya & Miyagi, with their Japanese name, French sound and British demeanour always provide good value with their addictive, motorik grooves, even though it was sometimes difficult to hear them over the fascinating conversations of Hoxton's most riveting raconteurs.

DESTROYER (London Scala, 07/12/17)

Review: HERE

BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE (London Brixton Academy, 05/12/17)

Review: HERE

YUZO KUSHIRO (London Fabric, 30/11/17)

As a kid I'd listen to the Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack on repeat, so it was pretty - well, "cool" might not be the right word - to see it performed live by Yuzo Koshiro tonight. Nerdy as hell but legitimately joyous.

DAKHABRAKHA (London Oval Space, 29/11/17)

Few bands would compel me to trek to Oval Space on a schoolnight, but my joint-favourite crazy Ukrainians are definitely not a band to miss. Traditional Slavic folk meets rock, pop and hip-hop- what's not to love?

WOLF PARADE (London Kentish Town Forum, 22/11/17)

Not quite as fun as Boat Parade on account of it taking place in London rather than somewhere where people enjoy music, but still pretty darn marvellous.

WEAVES (London Oslo, 21/11/17)

Weaves' off-kilter, grungey art-pop may not have sparkled in the same way as it did at the Scala last year, but they remain one of the most intriguing new Canadian bands of recent years.

WOLF PARADE (Bristol Thekla, 18/11/17)

There are few bands in this world I will ever love more than Wolf Parade, the perfect marriage between Dan Boeckner's hoarse-throated, classic rock 'n roll showmanship and Spencer Krug's yelping surrealist mania, but even by their standards, "Boat Parade" was thoroughly sublime. The new material shines in a live setting, the classics sounded better than ever, and the presence of a dozen good friends ensured this show was one of the most memorable of recent times.

ANNA MEREDITH (London Oval Space, 16/11/17)

Silver capes. Konami dancemats. "Enter Sandman" incorporating the theme tune from The Bill. Tubas. Singing "BUY OUR STUFF" to the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme. Oh, and some bloody good songs too. Anna Meredith: truly one of the best people in British music right now.

RUN THE JEWELS (London Brixton Academy, 12/11/17)

Still never seen a live hip-hop show that's quite lived up to my expectations (except for maybe the Wu Tang Clan,), but RTJ veered pretty close. Their set-up is pretty minimalist and arguably somewhat repetitive, but El-P and Killer Mike's synergy as a double-act carries them through.

U2 (London Trafalgar Square, 11/11/17)

Up-and-coming Irish band, some alright tunes, lead singer's a preachy get. 6/10.

ALEX LAHEY (London Dome, 08/11/17)

A top-notch hour of "Courtney Barnett-meets-Sløtface" indie rock from the Melbourne songwriter, whose take on Australia's national anthem ("Torn") would have brought a tear to the eye of even the most hard-hearted Antipodean.

WOKOVA GENTLE (London Rich Mix, 07/11/17)

Review: HERE

DISTANT WORLDS (London Royal Albert Hall, 04/11/17)

Another year, another fantastic Distant Worlds concert. No less than *five* pieces from Final Fantasy VII (Opening~Bombing Mission, Cosmo Canyon, Cinco de Chocobo, Aeris' Theme and One Winged Angel), a stunning a capella Hymn of The Fayth, the mighty Liberi Fatali, To Zanarkand, You're Not Alone, A Flash of Steel...and of course, Nobuo Uematsu being The Absolute Boss.

!!! (London Electric Ballroom, 02/11/17)

Twenty-one years to the week since !!!'s first band practice. Ten years to the week since I first saw them at the Koko (supported by Holy Fuck, because 2007 was awesome). Several days since I saw them perform the most unabashedly fun gig of the year. "Chk Chk Chk" are basically Chic plus James Murphy plus that Windows 95 conference with Bill Gates dancing, and I'm really not sure that formula could be bettered.

THE ORIELLES (London Lexington, 01/11/17)

Genial indie-rock from the hotly-tipped Yorkshire trio.

BNQT (London Borderline, 31/10/17)

Midlake plus Fran Healy of Travis, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand playing most of their collaborative album, as well as "Roscoe", "Sing", "Why Does It Always Rain On Me", "Hewlett's Daughter", "AM180", "Take Me Out", a Tom Petty cover and The Beatles' "Revolution"? In a 300 capacity venue? Yeah, OK then.