Coldplay – 14 December 2005 – Earl’s Court 1, London

This summer, Coldplay went on a jolly jaunt around several stadia in the UK. Shortly afterwards, Chris Martin claimed that the band wasn’t yet ready to boast the moniker “a stadium band.” So, what better way to back away from this claim, than to play the 18,000-capacity enormodome that is Earl’s Court? Guys, this is a stadium with a roof. This might have been their year, but there’s still some pressure here.

Not that you’d notice, with the band clearly thrilled to be home. As a giant clock behind them counts down towards zero, Coldplay open up with ‘Square One’, the clock hitting zero exactly as the chorus blasts off. ‘Politik’, obviously, just explodes over the throng. A quick recognition that they’re back in their favourite city, and ‘Yellow’ is then sung back with such vigour that Chris Martin is positively drowned out. Throw in a sea of huge yellow (clever) balloons, and the band can do no wrong in these infrequent gig-going, “let’s-leave-early-to-miss-the-traffic,” thirty-something couples’ eyes.

‘Speed of Sound’ showcases Will Champion’s ‘Hounds of Love’-like drumming, while Martin gets in some Bez dancing to ‘White Shadows’. Things drop a gear for an acoustic set which includes the best bonus track of the year, ‘Til Kingdom Come’, and a cover of Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ (Why did his family veto the haemorrhoids advert?).

Normal full-on service is resumed, however, with a group wig-out on ‘Clocks’, while encore ‘In My Place’ drums up a choir-like wail from all and sundry. Set-closer ‘Fix You’, with that lightbulb, sums up perfectly what problem playing a place like this presents. Short on gimmicks (it is, after all, just a lightbulb), it’s always going to be a challenge for any band to fill this massive space. As they showed at Koko in June, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better for Coldplay. Swallow your pride, but Brixton would have been perfect tonight.

Maxïmo Park - 7 December 2005 - Hammersmith Palais, London

Well, what a year it’s been for Maxïmo Park. From not-even-relative obscurity to headlining the Palais in 12 kerr-azy months, while cooking up a storm at Glastonbury and Reading and stealing the show when supporting Kaiser Chiefs, not to mention the Mercury Music Prize nomination. Tonight’s all about recognising how far they’ve come, and how much more they’ve got to give.

First up, though, is Clor – a band for the iPod generation – five songs are about enough at this early stage of their career but, my, what five songs. It’s a veritable trip down 80s memory lane, with choppy, synth numbers a-go-go. A word of warning, though, gentlemen: offering the keyboard player’s hand in marriage to the first dancer of the night will only work so many times – one hopes.

And so, enter Maxïmo Park, with Paul Smith resplendent in a charcoal grey two-piece and tie. If Bono is the Vic Reeves of frontmen, then pray welcome to the new Bob Mortimer. After opener ‘Signal and Sign,’ he’s already knackered, panting his thanks to a receptive audience.

Many bands are wary, almost reluctant, to play in London, particularly if they’re from the provinces. This Newcastle-based band, however, are clearly thrilled to be here, with Smith dedicating ‘The Coast is Always Changing’ to “the mythical place that is London”. Complementing Smith’s scissor kicks and star jumps, meanwhile, is keyboardist Lukas Wooler, throwing so many hand shapes the deaf must be having a field day.

Between songs, the band appear humble to the point of embarrassment at the manner in which the crowd take them to their hearts. But when they’re heads-down ROCKIN’, they seem so angry. With tracks like ‘I Want You To Leave’ to spit out, let’s just hope there are others out there writing tunes of alienation and despair. Otherwise, you’ll only be seeing shows like this in arenas for several years to come. They even get a sea of slow hand-claps during their Pulp-like ‘Acrobat’.

As the show winds up, Smith thanks us again and again for the year they’ve had. He’s still so thrilled by the whole thing, he has to be almost dragged from the stage at the end, he’s having so much fun. “We’ve got nothing else,” he says by way of goodbye. Somehow, I doubt it.

Schmollocks' Top 10 Albums of 2005

10) Goldfrapp - Supernature
She should be too old to do sexy, but Oh... My... God. Hubba-hubba.

9) Editors - The Back Room
So many Indie Guitar albums fade after the first three or four tracks - this doesn't.

8) Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
Belting - best opening track of any album this year.

7) Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
On first listen, more Indie Guitar Pop - on second listen, "Hey. This is actually dead good!"

6) Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll Didn't know what hit me when I first heard this - it's just... great. It shouldn't be, but it just is.

5) Sheryl Crow - Wildflower
She, too, is gettin' on, and Sheryl & Lance is just a big bowl of wrong on the name front. This, however, is her best yet.

4) dEUS - Pocket Revolution
Stumbled across it by total accident, but remains solidly good from beginning to end. Mansun are alive and well, and living in... Belgium, it seems.

3) Idlewild - Warnings/Promises
They could have gone either way with this one - they went the right way.

2) Coldplay - X&Y
Yeah, well, the second half's a bit crap, isn't it? But WHAT a first half.

1) The Go! Team - Thunder Lightning Strike
This is almost too much fun - on the iPod, walking down the streets of London - perfect.

Floating outside the 10: Bruce Springsteen, Hard-Fi, David Gray, Eels, Elbow, Feeder, Antony & The Johnsons, Hot Hot Heat, Josh Rouse, Nine Inch Nails, Ryan Adams (Cold Roses), Starsailor.

Antony & the Johnsons – 5 December 2005 – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

Going to a live concert, and hearing the artist replicate their latest record note-for-note is never that big a deal. Indeed, many artists this year have even played the silent bits between songs when they’re supposed to be wowing the crowds (you know who you are, Interpol). But, on second album “I Am a Bird Now,” when Antony Heggarty’s mesmeric, fragile voice comes out of the ether, it’s almost impossible to think that such a sound could actually exist.

Within minutes of the unreal-looking and -sounding Antony taking the stage, a feeling that something a little different is going to happen sets in. The request from the artist for “complete silence during the performance” is honoured by all and sundry to the point that the sticky floor behind the bars gets irritating.

Of course, plaudits like the Mercury Music Prize and high appearances in most best of the year charts could go to a person’s head. But the boy seems pretty impressed by the size of the sell-out crowd. “Gosh, there are so many of you,” he swoons.

Approaching halfway through the 90-minute set, enter Boy George for his duet on “You Are My Sister.” It’s the nearest we get to a sing-along, finished off with George heaping praise on the critically-lauded Antony. “Every time I hear his voice, it breaks my heart,” he says. Judging by the year Antony’s had, few would disagree with the sentiment. Add the soaring “Fistfull of Love” and a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “The Guests,” and the sticky feet start to sound like they’re almost tapping along now.

Of course, such reverence and silence risks sailing too close to arch-y and arty territory, and a technical glitch leads to a near-tantrum moment for the singer, something he openly acknowledges to the crowd, at least. “Sorry, I came over a bit Mariah Carey there,” he says.

So hearing the album almost exactly as it is – big shakes, huh? In this instance, though, it actually is a big shake. That voice can’t be real. But, listen, it is. This is the sound of people trying brand new things for the first time, and the World is a better place for it.