My Bloody Valentine ~Roundhouse, (London 2008)
Mogwai ~ Royal Albert Hall (2006)
Pixies-Point Depot (1992)
Neil Young-Vicar Street (2003)
Kraftwerk- Electric Picnic (2005)

Bubbling under...very hard to pick 5!

Joseph Arthur ~ Stables, Mullingar (2001), Massive Attack~ Point (2003)...Mark Kozelek~ Whelans (2006)...Daft Punk~ Marlay Park (2006)...Lou Reed~ State Theatre, Sydney~2000....PJ Harvey/Go-Betweens~ Sydney, Enmore Theatre (2000)....This Will Destroy You~Whelans (2008)

My Bloody Valentine ~Roundhouse, (London 2008)
Mogwai ~ Royal Albert Hall (2006)
Pixies-Point Depot (1992)
Neil Young-Vicar Street (2003)
Kraftwerk- Electric Picnic (2005)

Bubbling under...very hard to pick 5!

Joseph Arthur ~ Stables, Mullingar (2001), Massive Attack~ Point (2003)...Mark Kozelek~ Whelans (2006)...Daft Punk~ Marlay Park (2006)...Lou Reed~ State Theatre, Sydney~2000....PJ Harvey/Go-Betweens~ Sydney, Enmore Theatre (2000)....This Will Destroy You~Whelans (2008)

i have a good few that are bubbling under the top 5 too:

every other nomeansno gig i went to. (awesome live band)
the go betweens in the olympia in 2000(got to meet grant mclennan after. genuinely nice bloke)
css in the ambassador
tool - the point 2006 - amazing visuals
iron maiden - the point 2003
beck - the point 2003 (it's all been down hill since sea change)
the slackers - crawdaddy 2007 (not a lot of people know about this band but should, check out wasted days and the question. a great mix of soul and ska)
melt banana - crawdaddy 2008
weezer - the point 2005
rem - slane 1995 + ardgillan castle 2005
glenn branca's 100 guitar orchestra - grand canal docks 2007 (because i played at this)
torche - whelans 2 weeks ago
the waifs - whelans 2008
sonic youth - witnness 2002

* radiohead - Ent Centre, Sydney (OK computer tour)
* joseph arthur - nerve centre, derry 2004/5 (the master, have a live recording of the gig if anyone wants a copy)
* frank and walters with the barrack st band, speigeltent, cork, 2008 (well worth the 8 hour drive)
* ray davies - waterfront, belfast, 2007 (lashings of the Kinks with an amzing band)
* the national - mandela hall (just brilliant, brass section a bonus)

who is Joseph arthur?

Seriously??

I don't know if we were at the same gig, but I saw him doing the Greendale show in Vicar St and it was a dry and empty performance from Neil. The bulk of Greendale was bland and the oldies set was patronising. For £100 I was (at the very least!) hoping for something similar to his Mtv Unplugged.

how was it patronising? did he sing it sarcastically? did he give a cheeky nudge and a wink after every line?

One of the few memories I have of that gig was the second set. When everyone realised he was done with the new songs and was playing his older music people started shouting out requests. Thinking back, he just sat there for what seemed a long time without any reaction as people shouted out their favourite tunes. Maybe he was waiting until someone happened to pick the song he was about the play, I don't know, but it felt like he was pandering to us. I didn't like it.

Eventually I think someone shouted "Just play a f**king song!"

personally, I prefer being pandered to. I just think we're paying you enough, give us what we want to hear.
That's one of the annoying things about going to see someone like sonic youth, they'll only play a good set if they feel like it. the first time i saw them they just played loads of stuff from "1000 leaves" and 2 oldies at the end. it was kind of a let down after waiting so long to see them

24 foot tall New York singer songwriter. when playing solo, he loops the acoustic as lead, rythmn and percussion and brings it all together, super stuff. has a band behind him now. there is at least one of his session gigs on the archive section of KCRW on the t'interweb...has also been known to create a big piece of painted art during a show, then put all the pieces together in a gallery in NY at the end of the tour...busy hooer

PQ

sound, thanks. must check his stuff out. sounds interesting.

another one to add to the list: NIN at marley park last year. top show

In no particular order.

Future Kings of Spain - Music Centre 2006 - No support band, just theme tunes from movies/cartoons/etc. Most fun I've had with my clothes on.

Roisin Murphy - Oxegen 2008 - Probably the most pleasantly surprised I've ever felt at a gig.

Biffy Clyro - Music Centre circa 2003 - Only other people at it were assorted members of snow patrol and JJ72, plus my first time seeing FKOS (support). Remarkable for my coversation about s**t (literally) with Gary Lightbody (before he got boring) in the toilet where the power had gone. Good times.

The Verve - Slane 1997 - My first BIG gig, I was about 15, got very drunk/stoned. Ended up on a bus to cork, managed to convince bus driver to throw me out at traffic lights in my home town which he did while the bus was still moving...sore head but a passion for gigs (and drinking) were born.

Damien Rice - Vicar Street 2003ish - Around the time when O was still a magic album and one that he hadn't pimped to death. Was the last of a series of 10 gigs in 10 days for me. Ah to be young again.

was at that verve gig. each to their own but i thought it was one of the worst gigs i've ever been to. only went to see the manics and they were awful at it. was actually pleasantly surprised by robbie williams at it. he blew everyone else off the stage that day. i'm not a fan but he put on a good show.

also, got seperated from my friends and got bit of a hidin off a shower of knackers just after the verve came on stage which just made the whole thing even crummier

I think my enjoyment was more to do with the 'atmosphere' I created through the mix of legal and illegal substances.

Moral of the story...just say no.

Aye, the drugs don't work

My lack of enjoyment probably had a bit to do the atmosphere around the place too, that and finlay quaye. He was really awful.

He was really bad...and he didn't even play that song he was famous for...just kind of pouted his way through the set...

James were excellent in a culchie teenager on tour singalong kind of way. Happy days of yellow sunglasses and beetroot skin...

My top 5 are, in chronological order....

Dublin 1989 My Bloody Valentine, McGonnigales (the 2nd gig I'd ever been to - blew me away & nearly left me deaf!)

Dublin 1997 Pavement, The Red Box (despite Malkmus being a sour-pot during the show, it was 2.5 hours of sheer enjoyment, bouyed on by the consumption of some rather nice LSD!)

Amsterdam 2004 Sonic Youth, Paradiso, (Amazing venue - spliff friendly too & a wonderful performance, including a breathtaking display on bass from Jim O'Rourke... he added SO much to their sound)

Benicassim 2006 Morrisey (thought it'd be a duffer, but was far from it)

2007 Stradbally, Jesus & Mary Chain, Electric Picnic (danced me cotton socks off!)