That was the year that was.

So, the year is nearly over, and there isn't a gig in the last week of the year for us to attend, and now it's over I sort of look back on the "tour" with a sense of wonder.
Wonder that we didn't get killed or arrested.
Gigs that we attended this year, in reverse order (oh, and this isn't split 50-50 or anything, we did it all together):

• 12th December - Pelican, High on Fire - Whelan's, Dublin (ROI)
• 11th December - Earth, sunnO))), boris, Altar - Kentish Town Forum, London (UK)
• 4th December - Witchcraft, Gentlemens Pistols, Winters - Fenton, Leeds (UK)
• 18th November - Cold Ones, Bow and Arrow, Gentlemans Pistols - Korova, Liverpool (UK)
• 17th November - jesu - Cockpit, Leeds (UK)
• 9th November - Iced Earth, Heaven and Hell - MEN Arena, Manchester (UK)
• 31st October - Thumper - Hotel California, Birkenhead (UK)
• 30th October - W.A.S.P. - Cavern, Liverpool (UK)
• 26th October - Warning, Against Nature, Unsilence, The River - S & G, Manchester (UK)
• 20th October - Damnation Festival - ULU, Leeds (UK)
• 12th October - Gorilla Biscuits - Academy, Manchester (UK)
• 10th October - Narcosis, Marco Tomasi, A.P.A.T.T. - Roadkill, Liverpool (UK)
• 5th October - Pagan Altar, The Lamp of Thoth - The Fenton, Leeds (UK)
• 29th September - Misfits - Academy, Manchester (UK)
• 19th September - Ramesses, Unearthly Trance, Stuntcock - Star and Garter, Manchester (UK)
• 10th September - Send More Paramedics - Barfly, Liverpool (UK)
• 3rd September - High on Fire, Hordes of Satan, The Freezing Fog - Jabez Clegg, Manchester (UK)
• 30th July - Thumper - Barfly, Liverpool (UK)
• 14th July - Supersonic Festival - Custard Factory, Birmingham (UK)
• 8th July - Metallica, Mastodon - Wembley Stadium, London (UK)
• 7th July - Napalm Death, Impaled - Academy, Manchester (UK)
• 27th June - Boris, Day for Airstrikes - Sacred Trinity Church, Manchester (UK)
• 24th June - Iron Maiden - Brixton Academy, London (UK)
• 23rd June - The Who - Knowsley Hall, Knowsley (UK)
• 18th June - SunnO))), Chrome Hoof - Queen Elizabeth Hall, London (UK)
• 17th June - Fisted Sister - Bath Springs, Prescot (UK)
• 10th June - The Great Donington Bunk-in - Donington Park, Derby (UK)
• 4th June - Capricorns, Lair of the Minatour - Star and Garter, Manchester (UK)
• 29th May - Trouble - Rios, Leeds (UK)
• 22nd April - SunnO))), Bohren und der Club of Gore -013, Tilburg (NED)
• 15th April - Annihilator - University, Liverpool (UK)
• 12th April - WASP, Suspiria, Under God Fury - Carling Academy, Liverpool (UK)
• 8th April - Thumper - The Vic, Widnes (UK)
• 30th March - Thumper, Ornament - Roadkill, Liverpool (UK)
• 18th March - SunnO))) - Bergen Cathedral, Bergen (NO)
• 14th March - Celtic Frost, Kreator* - Bradford (UK)
• 6th Feb - Brutal Truth, Total Fucking Destruction, Narcosis - Music Box, Manchester (UK)
• 5th Feb - Brutal Truth, Total Fucking Destruction, Narcosis - Voodoo Lounge, Dublin (ROI)
• 16th Jan - Atavist, Winters in Osaka - Bar Fresa, Liverpool (UK)

It's been a mad, crazy, sweaty and sometimes frantic year (dashes to the airport, hiding in hotels) but I wouldn't have changed it for anything in the world.

We got to see some amazing, one-off shows, some humdrum ones, travelled to some amazing cities and made some good friends. I can only speak for myself (I'm sure Ste will have something to say about it himself) but it's changed not only the way I think about gigs and music, but the way I see myself as a person. The plan now is to get all the reviews off our seperate blogs and get them on here to give some sort of background to what I hope to be as eventful a year on tour in 2008 as it was in 2007.

I can't wait.