‘Hot Press Journalist In Double Justin Trist’ headlines aside (I wish), 2003 will be fondly recalled every time I drink beer at midnight on a Down Town Manhattan rooftop, hear Nada Surf play ‘Popular’ live or stand ten feet away from Chris Cornell.
The year was also marked by a plethora of incredible gigs: the sweaty punk glory of The Distillers in CBGBs (and meeting Josh Homme outside), the sonic arrest of Radio 4 in Whelan’s, the sheer brilliance of Blondie in Vicar St, the genius of Massive Attack in The Point, the dirty growl of Mark Lanegan in The Village, the animated noise of Hot Hot Heat in Whelan’s, the delectable Dandy Warhols in the Olympia, groove-meisters AIM in the Village, Turn’s finest moment in Vicar St, everything about Lisdoonvarna… the list goes on.
It was also a phenomenal year for Irish music with Bell X1’s Music In Mouth, Damien Dempsey’s Negative Vibes and Future Kings Of Spain’s eponymous debut all doing residencies in my top ten of the year. Singles-of-note came in the form of the relentless Beyoncé with ‘Crazy In Love’, the aforementioned Darkness with ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, Interpol’s ‘Obstacle 1’, little-known UK band Kasabian’s fan-fucking-tastic ‘Processed Beats’ and, oddly, the inimitable girl trio Fannypack with their inspired number, ‘Cameltoe’ – a song about female frontal wedgies.
Despite the passing of the much loved No Disco, we were given reason to be cheerful when national radio got a new lease of life thanks to Jenny Huston and Cormac Battle. Add to that Damien Rice’s international success and a second series of Other Voices, Songs From A Room, and we’ve got plenty to look forward to in 2004. Bring it on!