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Sun 24 May – Girls Aloud, Julian Perretta, Emma Deigman, Girls Can't Catch

Bloomin' amazing - if you've read a bunch of reviews earlier, I wouldn't be adding anything different, but there's five different sections to the show - showgirl dresses, classy style, futuristic style on the B stage, the poledancing section (their hottest outfits by far) and the encore. It was also DVD night, so you'll be able to see all this by Christmas... probably on Blu-Ray too, because we all know Girls Aloud in HD is the shiznit.

Setlist...

The Promise
Love Is The Key
Biology
Miss You Bow Wow
The Loving Kind
Waiting
Love Machine
Rolling Back The Rivers In Time
Untouchable
Sexy! No No No...
Broken Strings
Love Is Pain
Call The Shots
Revolution In The Head
Sound Of The Underground
Fix Me Up
Womanizer
Something Kinda Ooooh

ENCORE - (all songs done in a medley)
The Show
Wake Me Up
Jump
No Good Advice
Can't Speak French
The Promise - Reprise

Fri 30 May – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Absolutely amazing - Bruce Springsteen is still as awesome as ever, he even did the running onto his knees bit and a version of Homer Simpson's chicken dance. Everyone was jumping around like loons by the end of the show - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were on stage for nearly three hours, and they didn't flag once. I really liked that Springsteen was taking requests halfway through the show - it really demonstrates the vast quality of his work that he can afford to leave out a lot of classic songs, and we still don't complain.

A lot was said before the show that it would be quiet because Islington Council had imposed a sound limit due to local complaints, but I could sure as hell hear him, and I was in Cesc Fabregas territory on the halfway line. Oh what a feeling that was to be on the hallowed turf of the Emirates. I even got to touch Arsene Wenger's seat. Anyway, I'm fairly sure those fans sitting up top in the North Bank (the stage was situated at the Clock End) could hear just fine.

SETLIST (thanks to The Boss's official site, since I couldn't remember all of them off by heart)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Radio Nowhere
The Ties That Bind
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Magic
Atlantic City
Reason to Believe
Candy's Room
Prove It All Night
Because The Night
Working on the Highway
Cadillac Ranch
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Point Blank
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Glory Days
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Dancing in the Dark
American Land

Sat 17 May – Girls Aloud

Absolutely amazing - Girls Aloud were at their very best once again, probably their most complete show yet. The O2 Arena is such a massive venue, and Girls Aloud filled every single seat in it - but everyone was standing from the moment they "flew" in. They also had a walkway to a small stage in the middle of the arena, where they could sing some of their ballads to the fans further away from the stage. Lots of pyro too - a pretty big budget this year. Plus this show aired live in Vue cinemas, and was recorded for a DVD, hopefully in HD this time, that should do them justice!

Setlist...

Sexy! No No No...
Girl Overboard
Sound Of The Underground
Close To Love
Can't Speak French
Love Machine
Black Jacks
Biology
Whole Lotta History
With Every Heartbeat
I'll Stand By You
Fling
Push It
Wake Me Up
Walk This Way
Control Of The Knife
Call The Shots
Jump
Something Kinda Ooooh

Thu 27 Mar – Kelly Clarkson, Jamie Scott & The Town

Once again, Kelly Clarkson was pure awesomeness, and still very very funny. Her voice is still sounding fantastic this deep into her tour, and she was bouncing around like the sexy Tigger she is. My only criticism is that her set was a bit short at only 75 minutes, but she did get through quite a few songs in that time.

The songs off My December sounded brilliant live, and the old favourites were as popular as ever, signing off with an amazing SUBG.

SET LIST
Irvine (recorded intro)
One Minute
Behind These Hazel Eyes
Don't Waste Your Time
Never Again
Maybe
Gone
Addicted
Because Of You
Up To The Mountain
Be Still
Beautiful Disaster
Miss Independent (mixed with Back in Black and Jesus Walks)
How I Feel
Breakaway
Walk Away

ENCORE
Sober
Chivas
Since U Been Gone

Sat 17 Nov – The Arcade Fire, Clinic, Wild Light

My second Arcade Fire show of the year, and they were amazing yet again. Bit of a shame that I can't say the same about Alexandra Palace. It's a very long walk up hill - Win even complained about it - the only working toilets were in the main hall, with big queues, and there was this stupid token system to get drinks, with people still queuing for tokens when the band came on. I could maybe understand £3.50 for a pint, but £1.75 for a can of Coke? C'mon. And the shuttle bus back down after the gig was a shambles. The security staff lost control of the fans, and it took me half an hour to get onto a bus. Can't say I'll be going back there again, even if that means that their next London show is at Wembley Arena, which some will see as a sell-out.

As for the gig, a great atmosphere, they did a couple of covers, they did Neighborhood #2 (Laika), Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) and (Antichrist Television Blues), which they didn't do when I saw them in Brixton. They finished with Wake Up, with probably the best performance I've ever seen them do of it, and it was the perfect way to end the show.

The tracklist...

Black Mirror
Keep The Car Running
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Still Ill
No Cars Go
Haiti
Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
Neon Bible
Age of Consent
Ocean Of Noise
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
The Well And The Lighthouse
(Antichrist Television Blues)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)

ENCORE

I'm So Bored of the USA
Intervention
Wake Up

Tue 26 Jun – The Who, The Charlatans

I needed a bit of lifting - having read about the horrific murders involving one of my favourite wrestlers Chris Benoit, I needed good music to cheer me up, and The Who did way more than that.

They started with I Can't Explain, and kept right on going. There was a funny moment when Pete denied that he had invented the Internet back in 1971, and absolutely DESTROYED Pete Pathides from The Times for claiming so. He then went on to owning up to sabotaging Dame Shirley Bassey's helicopter as a way to upstage her at Glastonbury... well, I didn't think she was that offensive, but who's to argue with Pete?

Halfway through the set, they launched into their Wire & Glass mini-opera, which being a new collection of songs from their Endless Wire album, most of the fans sadly weren't familiar with. Soon after though, they launched into the hits, and we got Baba O'Riley, My Generation and Won't Get Fooled Again almost in quick succession. It was clear that was what most of the fans came to hear, and being there to hear those songs being played, and to see Roger and Pete bouncing along like they were still in their youth, plus the big video display, that'll be something I'll remember for a long time to come.

After a while, they were back out for an encore, starting off with The Kids Are Alright, and then starting off a Tommy medley, with Pinball Wizard, Amazing Journey, Sparks and See Me Feel Me to finish off with a bang. Apparently they played one more acoustic track, but I needed to get the last train, so I'll happily take "See Me, Feel Me" as my last track.

I was at Muse at Wembley Stadium last week, and this was every bit as good. In fact, they could easily have played the Stadium with that show, and would have sold out. There is talk that The Who will never tour again, and Pete's apparently said that he thinks doing world tours are a thing of the past. That would be a shame, as on the form they were on last night, they should keep going for as long as they can.

Sat 16 Jun – Muse

Bloody amazing - Muse were right at home on that massive stage. The glitter, smoke, fire and floating acrobats were immense. There were also a couple of surprises too, and everyone left happy... until they got to Wembley Park and got held up for half an hour. And I thought Emirates Stadium was bad for leaving.

MUSE SETLIST
Knights of Cydonia
Hysteria
Supermassive Black Hole
Map of the Problematique
City of Delusion
Butterflies And Hurricanes
Citizen Erased
Hoodoo
Feeling Good
Sunburn
Invincible
Starlight
Man Of Mystery
Time Is Running Out
New Born
ENCORE #1
Soldier's Poem
Unintended
Blackout
Plug In Baby
ENCORE #2
Micro Cuts
Stockholm Syndrome
Take a Bow

[event=66112]Mon 23 Apr – WWE[/event]

When I went, I thought the John Cena/Shawn Michaels match would be a ten minute mess with Edge running in - instead, it was a 45 minute instant classic, better than their WrestleMania match, and probably the best match in RAW history.

Lots of intensity, believable brawling, reversals, psychology and all the big moves, and HBK came out on top with his second Sweet Chin Music of the match. Just beautiful, and it was so special to be there to see it live.

Oh, and I hope José Mourinho enjoyed the reception he got... well, I guess Alex Ferguson, Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger preferred it. :D

And as for Mickie James, thank goodness her trousers were too big for her... :P