Mr Sly, no need to sheepish about R.E.O. Speedwagon. They're awesome!
Anyway, my top ten of a very busy, largely excellent concert year:
1. Trans Siberia Orchestra (24/10 Manchester). One of the best gigs I've ever attended, let alone this year. Cheesy for sure but pure vintage cheddar!
2. Shonen Knife (1/5 Leeds). Female Japanese punk/power pop trio. A riot.
3. 10CC (26/10 Bradford). Veterans on top of their game. A great night. Kudos to Red Sky July for a sparkling country pop support.
4. Asia (12/6 Holmfirth). More phenomenal veterans, with a great new guitarist. Vim, vigour & a fine mix of old & new, song-wise.
5. A Roomful of Mirrors (20/6 Ambleside). An acoustic blend of psychedelic pop & English/Eastern Euopean folk. Just stumbled across them playing in a pub & they were mind-blowing.
6. Seventh Sin (14/2 Wakefield). Dutch female-fronted symphonic rock, supporting the evergreen Edenbridge but even better on the night.
7. Molly Hatchet (7/2 Wakefield). Marvellous southern rock, metalled up to the nth degree. Phil McCormack is the best front-man I've seen in years.
8. Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. (3/9 Leeds) Lennon fils & chums. Swirling psych guitars & keys. Strong songs & a surfeit of hair. Brilliant!
9. Jefferson Starship (24/1 Clitheroe). Went along not expecting too much but they were fab. David Freiberg was in fine voice & Cathy Richardson sensibly did her own thing rather than ape the blessed Grace. A very pleasant surprise.
10. The Heathen Kings. (10/10 Leeds). The new Steeleye Span? A tiny backroom concert & a stirring pot pourri of mandolins, guitars & lovely male/female vocals. If this were 1972, they'd be stars.
There you go. Not overly-festooned with prog, I suppose but great memories one & all.
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