Dalliance.co.uk

Belle and Sebastian's snowy appearance at Manchester Apollo was the stuff of gig legend and capped off a year of some excellent gig going. It is near impossible to order the list surface to say that it is the Scots first and everyone else as honourable mentions.

Mentions like The Magentic Fields at Manchester Cathedral which other people hated but - sitting four yards away from Stephin Merritt in the front row - I found very little to dislike about or the pregnant brilliance of Arcade Fire, again, in the North West as the year's offering from the sublime Jens Lekman who dreamed away a Mancunian night at the Deaf Institute. Flight of The Concords was different, genuinely funny music, and that was at The Apollo again, in Manchester.

Even the best Wedding Present gig of the year was in Holmfirth where David Gedge supported himself with a Cinerama set before a storming playing of Bizarro in full. Leeds take note as it builds its arena and preens itself as the capital of the North. The best gig that Leeds had to offer this year was Paul Smith at the Brudenell Social Club and even that was damaged by the constant chatter of talkers.

Head North West, it seems, if you want to hear as well as see a good gig.