Last Thursday I turned thirty one years of age folks. It may come as a surprise to hear that last year I turned thirty on the exact same day! If you were there with me on that night you too will bear the mental scars and I trust you to keep the secrets! I've written about turning thirty, what was going on then and this isn't about that. This is about how amazing this year has been!
What brought this to my attention? Other than the fact that it's going on around me? Gig t-shirts. I kid you not. Gig shirts hold a special place in my wardrobe heart wardrobe...heart...ah well, you get it. I have to really like a band to buy a shirt and considering my average gig attendance of the past 5 years or so has been between one and two per year, for me to go to SEVEN gigs between June 2011 and June 2012 is astonishing! (By the time June ends the figure will be nine, but who's counting?)
Upon reflection of this collection I notice that this year has had me see bands that I absolutely love and all of the gigs have been excellent, with the exception of one. I'm sad to say that Funeral For a Friend aren't a band I shall see live again. The singer's voice is strained and they seem to be under the misguided delusion that they are more metal/punk than they actually are. Inciting a circle pit at your own gig is lame. That said I still hold the music dear.
All of the others, though, were immense. The best of the year? Impossible to tell. Capdown for sheer transporting-me-back-ten-years factor and for not having lost an ounce of energy, Rise Against for being the first gig I went to with Matty since we got together (and it was bloody amazing), Nada Surf because it's Nada Surf who NEVER tour the UK, Orbital because those guys are back on form, Gaslight because it was their only UK show in forever and everyone there wanted to be there very much and Coheed? Coheed was all the way across the pond in Gainesville FL!
I like to get a shirt from shows I go to for a few reasons. Nostalgia - whenever I put it on I'm reminded of the event, how I felt, who I was with, what we did, where it was and all the other stuff that happens at gigs. I've bought and lost/donated to charity many, many gig shirts/sweaters. I regret getting rid of each and every one I no longer possess. All the memories of the fun times spent with friends and making new friends. And the dancing! Ah, the dancing! And the drinking, but mostly the dancing! I also like getting gig shirts because the chances are they'll be specific to the tour and you are unlikely to find them in stores or on merch sites.
So anway, this post is more for me than for anyone else. I want to remember what a fantastic year 2012 has been so far and how far removed it is from 2011, how much can change if you really want it to, how much better life can be and gig shirts are how I choose to remember. It's for me to be able to look back at and smile when I think of all the fun times I've had, what has been accomplished and how much I have to look forward to right now.
Seriously. I might burst.
:-)