Top 10 gigs of 2012

Another well overdue post, so again, no reviews for now, just straight into it! (If country is not mentioned, band is Australian.)

10. Flight of the Conchords (New Zealand) at Rod Laver Arena, 15th July. With support from Arj Barker (USA).
9. Shellac (USA) at Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom, 19th/20th October. With support from My Disco (19th) and Blacklevel Embassy (20th).
8. Karnivool at Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom, 5th-7th July. With support from Redcoats and sleepmakeswaves.
7. The Tea Party (Canada) at Palais Theatre, 14th July. With support from Georgia Fair.
6. The Darkness (UK) at Palace Theatre, 8th May. With support from Baptism of Uzi.
5. Battles (USA) at Forum Theatre, 28th January. With support from Witch Hats and Other Places.
4. Refused (Sweden) at Palace Theatre, 16th November. With support from Outright.
3. Radiohead (UK) at Rod Laver Arena, 17th November. With support from Connan Mockasin.
2. At the Drive-In (USA) as part of Splendour in the Grass, at Belongil Fields, Byron Bay, 27th-29th July. Other higlight acts also included Dirty Three, Jack White and The Smashing Pumpkins.
1. Roger Waters (UK) - The Wall Live, at Rod Laver Arena, 8th February. No support.

Honourable mentions from headlining, non-festival gigs, in chronological order only:

• Devin Townsend Project (Canada), Meshuggah (Sweden), and dredg (USA) at Forum Theatre, 29th February. What a bill! Courtesy - of course - of the ever-reliable Soundwave Touring.
• Aphex Twin (UK) at Palace Theatre, 6th March. 
• Humans, Sheriff, The Sinking Teeth and Lubbock Lights/Seasuns at Gasometer, 19th April.
• Fu Manchu (USA) and Black Cobra (USA) at Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom, 6th May.
• Dead Letter Circus, Fair to Midland (USA) and Twelve Foot Ninja at Ferntree Gully Hotel, 17th May.
• The Butterfly Effect at Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom, 8th June. With support from The Khyber Belt and The Siren Tower.The final show with their singer of ten years, Clint Boge. A very emotional and special evening for all!
• Trial Kennedy at Corner Hotel, 23rd June. With support from Ikarii, The Pretty Littles and My Echo.
  This was the final show of Trial Kennedy's farewell tour, and again, another one that pulled on the heartstrings a little!
• The xx (UK) at Forum Theatre, 18th July. With support from Flume.
• Jack White (USA) at Festival Hall, 25th July. With support from Lanie Lane.
• The Black Keys (USA) at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, 31st October. With support from Royal Headache.
• Sub Atari Knives (EP launch) at Evelyn Hotel, 9th November.
• My Left Boot (album launch) at Cherry Bar, 22nd December. With support from King of the North and Sheriff.

And some festival highlights:

• Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (UK) closing the Green Stage at Big Day Out, 29th January.
• System of a Down/Slipknot (USA) back to back to close the main stages at Soundwave, 2nd March. Runner-up goes to a killer set from Mastodon (USA).
• Golden Plains, 10th/11th March - nothing in particular stands out, just a great weekend at the Sup' as always.
• Okera, Mushroom Giant and A Lonely Crowd, as part of the all-round excellence of Progfest, 8th September at the Espy.
• Cup My Balls at the Tote, 6th November (surprise surprise, Melbourne Cup Day). Some of Melbourne's finest underground rockers including Sun God Replica, Harmony, Batpiss and Sheriff gathered to give Melbourne music fans an alternative to uhh, that horse race thing.
• Fuck Buttons, Sigur Ros and Ben Folds Five, stand-out acts at another fantastic edition of Harvest, 10th November.
• Primal Scream, Turbonegro, Itch-E & Scratch-E, Saskwatch... yep, Meredith Music Festival was fantastic as always! (7th-9th December).

Festival of the year goes to... Meredith, of course. Harvest a runner-up again. It's going to be hard to break that formula!
Best live Australian act: Karnivool
Runner-up: Sheriff, Sub Atari Knives