List 19: bands/artists I have seen live

I really like music. But then again I'm sure everyone could say that. I listen to music pretty much every waking moment of my life; on the bus and tube, in the shower, at work, in the car, working on my computer. But for some reason I've never really got into the whole live music thing. And I have a confession to make. I, Zoe Jade Bateman, have never been to a festival (unless you count the one time I went to Lovebox, but I don't because a) it was in London, and b) I slept in a bed.) However to show I'm not a total hermit, here are some of the bands and artists I have seen live during my 25 years on this planet...

1. Bloc Party - I saw them at Heaven many, many years ago just before Christmas, when their Silent Alarm album had only just been released. It is an album that perfectly defines that period of my life, and I still listen to it and love it. They were very good live, and their drummer wore angel wings.

2. McFly - oh yeah, I'm a huge fan of these boys. I've seen them in concert about five times, which I probably should be embarrassed about but, well, I'm not because I love them so.

3. Thomas Tantrum - annoyingly it was my ex who told me I would love TT, and love them I did (and in fact still do!) I saw them play at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes when they hadn't even released their first album, and me and my sister were pretty much the only ones dancing along to every track.

4. Peaches - I was given two guestlist tickets to see Peaches in return for doing some flyering/promo work for a club night. Peaches' first album is what I listen to when I'm going out dancing to get myself in the mood, I love her rather a lot. When I watched her perform it was just after the release of her second album, and although she played songs from her new release she also played lots of tracks from her first album too. All I remember about the night is dancing my socks off, and looking up at one point and releasing that everyone around me was dancing too!

5. Art Brut - all I really remember about this gig is getting absolutely drenched on the way home (torrential rain like you have never seen, and it was summer so we weren't prepared) and not being able to stop singing 'We Formed a Band' for several weeks after. I really adored their first album, for me it will always be connected with a basement flat in Ealing and catching a cold in the middle of summer.

6. Busted - oh you know I had to mention them in here somewhere.... my first ever live music thing was Busted. Yup, I am THAT cool people. I absolutely love them, and if they ever do a reunion tour I will be all over it like nobody's business. Those boys put on a good show. Plus they have nice faces.

7. Hot Chip - couple of thousand people going mental to the opening of 'Over and Over.' Most fun I've ever had at a gig. Ever. Even if someone did pour an entire pint down my back. Not mentioning any names....

8. Funeral for a Friend - when they were on the Kerrang 'Taste of Chaos' tour with The Used me and my sister went to see them at Brixton Academy. It was crazyyyyyyyy. I thought we might die at one point. I used to love FFAF, but not so much now. Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation is amaze though, when I listen to it I remember that gig and being crushed by lots of teenagers dressed in black and wishing I could stay that age forever.

9. Good Shoes - me and some of my fellow Oafettes went to see Good Shoes play at Dingwalls in Camden. I drank too much and danced too much but it was so fun,and I knew all the words to all their songs.

10. Brakes -me and my friend Jon saw a very odd show by Brakes at a record store in Camden. It wasn't really a gig, rather three men, one with a guitar, one with a single drum, and one singing without any microphone or anything. There were no electronics used at all, and there wasn't even a stage. They just rolled up and started doing their thing, and it was brilliant. I bought their album the same day.

Writing this post made me realise that I do kind of miss being 'into' music properly, and going and watching bands I like play live and supporting them in that way. I used to go out with a boy who was really into music and, for all his flaws, he got me really into it as well. Most of the music I listen to now is as a result of his influence (as much as I hate to admit it), and he was the reason I saw most of the artists in this list. Maybe one of my new year's resolutions should be to see more live music, or maybe to try to listen to a wider variety of music in general....