BOB GORDON
1. Bruce Springsteen @ Perth Arena, Wednesday/Friday, February 5/7.
I believe I saw the past, present and future of rock’n’roll in one. Amazing.
2. The Rolling Stones @ Perth Arena, Wednesday, October 29, and Saturday, November 1.
3. Bob Dylan @ Riverside Theatre, Wednesday, August 13.
4. Timothy Nelson & The Infidels CD Launch @ Rosemount Hotel, Friday, August 1.
5. RTR-FM In The Pines @ Somerville Auditorium, Sunday, April 20.
ALFRED GORMAN
1. Bruce Springsteen @ Perth Arena, Wednesday, February 5.
‘Cause he’s the Boss! I grew up listening to the man, his songs are ingrained in me and to finally see him in Perth (with my sister and mom who’s a massive fan and from New Jersey like him) was just awesome. Backed by the legendary E Street band (and Tom Morello), his epic three-hour set surpassed all expectations. An absolute legend, a powerhouse, unstoppable, a consummate showman – he was born to run.
2. Arcade Fire @ The Big Day Out, Joondalup Arena, February 3
3. Jurassic 5 @ Metro City, March 28
4. Nine Inch Nails/Queens Of The Stone Age @ Perth Arena, March 11
5. Kanye West @ Perth Arena, September 5.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
1. Haim @ Laneway Festival, Fremantle, Saturday, February 7.
The three sisters from Haim were high on the wave of their meteoric rise when they lobbed in Perth for the Laneway festival. The siblings showed a more raw approach to their tunes than may have been expected to rival many of the testosterone fuelled counterparts on the bill. Armed with a set of top notch songs that draw on the best bits of Fleetwood Mac, a chemistry that has come from the womb and a compelling set of rock moves, the siblings swapped instruments throughout, delivering a set that had no flat spots and plenty of highlights. Special mention to Danielle Haim who proved to be a star with her adept guitar playing and a voice that break hearts.
2. Bruce Springsteen @ Perth Arena, Wednesday, February 5.
3. Smudge @ Astor Lounge, Saturday, November 1.
4. Rob Snarski @ Astor Lounge, Saturday, August 16.
5. Ryan Bingham @ Mojos, Sunday, October 19.
TRAVIS JOHNSON
1. Queen + Adam Lambert @ Perth Arena, Friday, August 22.
If I was grading purely on the quality of performance, there’s a chance that Queen wouldn’t have come in at number one. However, as a lifelong fan who never thought he’d never see them live, Queen at the Perth Arena was a bucket list gig.
1. Bruce Springsteen @ Perth Arena, Saturday, February 8
2. The Rolling Stones @ Perth Arena, Wednesday, October 29
3. Nick Cave @ Fremantle Arts Centre, Thursday, November 27
4. Bob Dylan @ Perth Convention Centre, Thursday, August 14
SHANE PINNEGAR
1. Bruce Springsteen @ Perth Arena, Friday, February 7.
For sheer unstoppable emotion coupled with old time rock n’ roll power, The Boss delivered the best gig of the year. Bruce Springsteen doesn’t just play rock n’ roll, he sells euphoria, an uplifting personal experience for every single soul in the room, and with a band of 17 including drummer Max Weinberg, guitarist Little Steven, aka Stevie Van Zandt, Rage Against The Machine string-abuser Tom Morello, just to name a few, and a back catalogue that ranks with the best in the world, he didn’t put a step wrong all night.
2. The Rolling Stones – Perth Arena, 29 October
3. Bob Dylan – Riverside Theatre, Perth, 13 August
4. The Dead Daisies – Rosemount Hotel, Perth, 4 December
5. Suzanne Vega – The Astor, Perth, 11 April
