* That made you think, "This is the heaviest band, ever!": CHIMARA - maybe slayer are still the thing to aim for, but these lads are great. * That was so fun, you had to smile all through their set/album: most of frankie lanes stuff, the mans a gem. * That you left you feeling hyped and euphoric after seeing/hearing: The Roots - the tipping point. Finally a rap album that doesnt try to be cool, it just is. and there are no raps about rapping, killing, referring to girls as female dogs or refernces to drugs. (not against any of these things just bored with them) * That you banged your head the hardest to: Velvet Revolver in Manchester - HELL YEAH! no brains just braun. get over it sissys. * That made you wish *you* could get up there and do that: mike patton (again) with tomahawk about three years ago in dublin. still fresh in my head. * That was so talented, your jaw dropped: Tim Rice - Condeleza. Guitar players should be force fed his stuff before calling themselves good/worthy of picking one up. * That left you scratching your head: a cd by an unsigned dublin band that will remain nameless only to ask - WHY? and wonder how someone stands in a studio, listens back to a track and decides its acceptable! HOW IS A GUITAR OUT OF TUNE ACCEPTABLE ON A CHEESY ROCK BALLAD! a grungy/punky affair is OK, but not when you've gone Michael Bolton-esque! otherwise, auh, Alien Ant Farm. i love the tunes but cant figure it out. nothing about them is what im into but the tunes are class. i must be off my head on coffee or those magic beans i bought instead of the shopping today. have i gone on too long? sorry.

* That made you think, "This is the heaviest band, ever!": Some local metal band that I was dragged along to see, lead singer was a cross between Keanu Reeves and the Incredible Hulk. Needless to say, they were pretty crap. * That was so fun, you had to smile all through their set/album: Neosupervital, as he doesn't think he's too "cool" to get the audience involved. He gets them to sing, to dance, to be silly. As he says "real end of the peer stuff", but who cares, its fun. Before that: Flight of the Conchordes, a folk-parody comedy duo. I haven't laughed so much in ages, but they would put many "real" musicians too shame with their abilities too. * That you left you feeling hyped and euphoric after seeing/hearing: Grandmaster Flash, still a genius on the wheels of steel. Before that: The Skattalites. Half the original and may be gone but they are still great, and they are playing Ireland again soon. Do yourself a favour and go see them, the original and best Ska band. Thats right, better than the Specials, that good. * That you banged your head the hardest to: I'm not really a headbanger, trying to preserve the remaining few braincells that I possess. * That made you wish *you* could get up there and do that: Grandmaster Flash again, as I said, genius. * That was so talented, your jaw dropped: Esbjorn Svennson Trio. I don't have time for self indulgent jazz musos, these guys on the other hand are anything but that. What they are is incredibly exciting, listenable and interesting live, yet at the same time possesed of an almost superhuman musical ablility that makes you wonder "how on earth are they doing that?", "how can he make an instrument do that". Serious musicians, but definitely not self indulgent. If you want to see what an entire room of people with their jaws on the floor looks like, go see EST. * That left you scratching your head: Warlords of Pez: About as amusing as toothache and not in the slightest bit good musically, not even in a Shaggs, so bad its good kind of way. Like a bad stoner student band gone horribly wrong.

* That made you think, "This is the heaviest band, ever!": some band in new york i saw on a trailer in battery park holy s**t. * That was so fun, you had to smile all through their set/album: any of the hoot nights i've been at, especially the santa one. some of the bands playing are so funny... * That you left you feeling hyped and euphoric after seeing/hearing: Interpol. in boston earlier this year. holy god. * That you banged your head the hardest to: the pumpkins in 96. or jimi hendrix as an extra in a film! * That made you wish *you* could get up there and do that: the strokes at oxygen. i wanted to wrestle their guitars off them. before that, radiohead made me want to be in a band. * That was so talented, your jaw dropped: rodrigo and gabriela. amazing. * That left you scratching your head: tons of local bands. but auf de mar. jaysus.

* That made you think, "This is the heaviest band, ever!": The Deftones are definately a force to be reckoned with when they play live. Shame I'm not into 'em as much as I used to be. * That was so fun, you had to smile all through their set/album: My Vitirol about 5 years ago at the TBMC * That you left you feeling hyped and euphoric after seeing/hearing: InMe when they opened for the Deftones in Manchester last year. * That you banged your head the hardest to: Tool about 4 years ago when they were doing the Laterallus tour. * That made you wish *you* could get up there and do that: Metallica on the Load tour - so when they were good * That was so talented, your jaw dropped: InMe in manchester. I was amazed because they shot my original perceptions of them to bits. With ROCK bullets. * That left you scratching your head: A band called Amped. They werent sure if they were INXS or Tool

* That made you think, "This is the heaviest band, ever!": Foo Fighters at trip to tipp around 6 years ago, maybe more.. * That was so fun, you had to smile all through their set/album: flaming lips in vicar st about 2 years ago - pure fun * That you left you feeling hyped and euphoric after seeing/hearing: my morning jacket in tbmc around feb maybe * That you banged your head the hardest to: not really into the ole head banging but primal scream in red box during the summer * That made you wish *you* could get up there and do that: blur in rds in 96 i think made me want to learn to play guitar - for about 10mins though * That was so talented, your jaw dropped: calexico in v street in april - magic * That left you scratching your head: dandy worhols last year in olympia - i didn't get it