I'm still not sure what to do about the Top Records of 2002 thing, but I did see a lot of good gigs, so I'll do a Top Gigs of 2002 list instead.
8. Stereolab @ the Corner, 29/3/2002
I wasn't a big Stereolab fan before this, though shortly afterward I ended up buying 3 of their albums. (Had I been into them more, I'd probably have placed it higher.) The supports by Ninetynine (who only got half an hour, but rocked in characteristic fashion) and Mid-State Orange were pretty good too, though that's more than one can say for Full Fathom Five.
7. The Charm Offensive, Betsey Trotwood, London, 14/11/2002
It's refreshing to see, in this age of back-to-basics rrrrrawk and obtuse Austrian laptop music, a new band who play nice jangly indie-pop. And, sounding like Birdie or something off Sarah Records, The Charm Offensive are just that. Jangly guitars, boy-girl vocals and a guy with a bowl haircut in a sharp suit; what more can you ask for? Let's hope they release something soon for all the non-Londoners.
6. Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, Old Bar, Fitzroy, 15/4/2002
And now for something completely different, Equal parts Eastern European folk music, spaghetti western and Tom Waits, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen put on intense (and somewhat comedic in places) performances. From Mikelangelo thumping a table and staring down the suddenly hushed audience to the finale, with the musicians wandering through the crowd whilst playing (try doing that with a double-bass), the show was a pretty impressive 2 1/2 hours.
5. Apollo Bay Music Festival, 15-17/3/2002
Not one gig per se, but a lot of them. Granted, many weren't to my taste (there was its share of bland folk and pub-rock), but there were a number of standout performances; Sarah-Jane Wentzki put on some good shows, playing some quite lovely wrist-slitting ballads accompanied by guitar texturist Seth Rees, and reggae band Bomba tore the roof off the tent with their finale. And FourPlay rocked with their two sets.
4. 555 Recordings/Red Square PopFest, Empress Hotel, 3-4/5/2002
Two nights of indie-pop from various acts from Australia and overseas, organised by visiting newlyweds Stewart Anderson (of 555 Recordings) and Jen Turrell. Highlights would be Jen's brand of understated jangle-pop, gay Mod power-pop act Bend Over Boyfriend, retro-styled French-girl-fronted groovers Minimum Chips and local electropop outfit Other People's Children (aka Jason Sweeney).
3. New Order @ the Metro, 30/1/2002
Their first visit to Australia in ages, and they rocked more than a group of paunchy middle-aged men should. Gillian remained at home taking care of a sick child, and was replaced by some younger bloke, but you can't have everything. Barney was dancing bozotically in between singing, and Peter Hook's bass-guitar heroics were the stuff of legend. (If the city of Manchester ever decides to erect a statue to honour the band, one of Hooky standing on a pedestal and playing bass at ankle level will do nicely.) They did the favourites (including Blue Monday, True Faith with the original drug lyrics and Bizarre Love Triangle), and some old Joy Division numbers (including a drum'n'bass-influenced version of Isolation).
2. Mogwai @ the Prince of Wales, St Kilda, 17/10/2002
The Scottish post-rockers made it to our shores and filled the Prince with noise, from assorted guitars, as well as some keyboards, a flute and a laptop. Highlights were Helicon 6, Mogwai Fear Satan (I think that's the track where the quiet flute bit is abruptly stomped to death by a wall of guitar noise), and the full-on, intense rendition of My Father My King which ended the set, leaving everyone's ears ringing.
1. Morrissey @ the Forum, 15/10/2002
Finally Morrissey has graced our shores, and he's still got it. His new songs (with titles like The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores) are right up with his best material, and he played some excellent versions of older songs, both from his solo material and The Smiths, in between bantering with the audience with his Wildean candour. He ended the gig with a spirited performance of There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, and the crowd went wild.
Honourable mentions go to: Kevin Blechdom @ Revolver 28/9/2002 (walking the fine line between naff open-mic material and genius; her raunchy performance of Tina Turner's Private Dancer was quite something), Architecture in Helsinki @ Rob Roy, 6/12/2002 (some of it still feels like kids playing around in a garage, but there are some real gems there; and the balloons were an inspired touch), too many Ninetynine gigs to mention (the one at the Tote after they finished recording their album, and the launch at the Corner stand out, and the Valentine's Day gig at the Punters Club, with Sir and Love of Diagrams, has sentimental value), New Buffalo @ Pony 1/6/2002 (her new material sounded quite interesting, with time signature changes in odd places; let's hope that the recording company don't turn her into Danielle Spencer or something). The Lollies @ the Metro Club, London, 29/10/2002 (tongue-in-cheek punk-pop, including a very New Orderesque rock rendition of their electronica track Happy).
