I was thinking about posting something along the lines of that question For me, id have to break it down into irish and international categories. Too hard otherwise... So, here goes. Favourite Non Irish Albums Pete Yorn - Day I Forgot Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood Nada Surf - Lets Go Favourite Irish Albums Damien Dampsey - Sieze the Day Paddy Casey - Living Ten Speed Racer - Ten Speed Racer Favourite International Live Act Interpol @ The Village Nada Surf @ Whelans Evan Dando @ First of the village gigs Favourite Irish Live Act Damien Dempsey @ Cleeres Kilkenny Turn @ Witnness Bell-x1 @ The Village whos next..

So many big names this year: Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Stones, Bowie... so I won't name them as my fave. gigs (too obvious) For me: Shack - Whelans Tim Burgess - Village Campag Velocet - Manchester Best album - Too many!!

Best albums for me in 2003 were: Adult. - Anxiety Always Radioactive Man - Booby trap White Stripes - Elephant Chicks on Speed - 99 Cents No Irish bands sadly, there just isn't much in the Irish scene that excites me these days, maybe I'm just missing the really interesting stuff. I have not heard the new Tycho Brahe album, but if its nearly as good as "This is" it would probably make my list. Best Gig: Chicks on Speed - Triskel Arts Centre, Cork (There were plenty of other good gigs during the year, but this just stands out for me for its combination of great music, sheer entertainment value and performance art. It was a bit short, but not bad for 12 euros) Klootfan, I don't mean to sound pedantic but "Turn on the bright lights" by Interpol was released in late 2002, although I suppose it kind of counts because most of us would not have picked up on it until early 2003.

Binokular, your dead right.. Turn on the bright lights was released in 2002.. September 2002 i think. I slipped up there. Well spotted. I wouldnt mind but I remember giving it to a mate over xmas last year. ill edit my choice list then. Nice choice with Elephant all the same

Ruby...can't believe you saw Campag Velocet in Manchester..I thought they'd split?? You lucky f**ker I'd have loved to have seen them play...was it amazin????

Yeah it was spectacular!!!!! As you know they got dropped from their label, so they had to go back to the drawing board and play small venues again. I got to see them in a pub, no stage....just a step!! We were inches from them...got blown away. Then afterwards they came out to the crowd (very small crowd) to have a drink and a chat!!! It was mad......they've always been my fave. band. But apparenty they have a whole new album, and have just found a record label again, so hopefully next year they'll be back with a BANG!!!! PS Pete cut all his lovely hair off :(

That's great news...Campag would blow most of the bands out at the moment right out of the water...they had a sound that was a culmination of pretty much all the music I love...I'd be well into hearing what kind of stuff they are up to at the moment. Speakin of which Air's new album is out on 26th Jan i think...it's called 'talkie walkie' - have no idea what it's going to be like but it had better be a good un!! They are playin the Olympia in Feb and Kraftwerk are playin in March!!! Gig of 2004 I think it might well be. I'm goin to wait til I see the Kings of Leon and the Coral in December before I decide what my fav gig of the year was!

Album : 10SR - Ten Speed Racer. Gig: Paul McCartney. Followed closely by Bowie's Sunday night gig.

I have a few mp3 clips and some video clips from the gig I was at if ur interested. Some of the Mp3's are a bit dicey but mostly good stuff.

wheey..more TenSpeedRacer fans. Great band TSR. Went to see them with a mate recently in the village at the opening night of Expose...some sort of student night club. Well, no one turned up..so the gig was cancelled, but the lads from TSR brought us back stage for a few drinks and to hang out sound blokes...should be a january gig coming up soon

Jesus Christ! Why hasn't Hail to the Thief been mentioned?!? HAIL TO THE THIEF! Roll on wednesday...

Jeff Lewis at Whelans was ace. And Radiohead at the Olympia

Nice one Q2 on starting this thread. 'Tis a nice primer for the annual CLUAS readers' poll which - by the way - will be open for votes next Monday. While I'm here, fave albums for me include Grandaddy 'Sumday', Belle & Sebastian's 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' and Elbow's 'Cast of Thousands'. Maybe I'm showing my age here but I also liked yer man Daniel Lanois' "Shine" album (even if his live show was one of the biggest disappointments of the year). eoghan

best albums the coldspoon conspiracy - plays well with others mogwai - happy songs... radiohead - hail to the thief snow patrol - final straw best gig has to be radiohead in the olympia, roll on the point just a week now.

Just realised I forgot to include "Give Up" by the Postal Service in my list. How could I forget! Incredible album, IDM/electronica meets indie to form perfect synth-pop. Some of the lyrics might make you cringe, but that never stopped New Order from being great.

Good call Binokular...'Such Great Heights' is a great tune. Also The Voight Brothers did a kind of ambient/dance track remix of 'The Main Thing' by Roxy Music and called the tune 'Roxy' I'm pretty sure it came out this year too...savage tune

I think my fav albums would be: B&S - Dear Catastrophe waitress Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun Radiohead - Hail To The Theif Fav Gigs: (in no particular order) Radiohead @ TheOlympia TheFrames @ Lisdoonvarna Bowie @ The Point (Sunday) Josh Ritter @ Vicar Street

Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland. Fantastic

lambchop (is a woman)