It’s not even March yet, and I’ve been lucky enough to go to five gigs already this year. This is a brief round-up of those gigs and a little bit about them. Although I had a great time at all of them, I’m quite glad that my next gig is not until mid-March, as my body (and my wallet) are still recovering.

I am very much looking forward to going to Download Festival this June. The lineup so far is pretty great in my opinion; there are a bands on the lineup that I am a huge fan of, some I'm not some a huge fan of, and some I have never listened to. I don't “hate” any band on the lineup, and in this post I wish to vent my frustration about some of the feedback the organisers have been getting from prospective festival-goers, and their attitude in general.

Released nearly three years after their sophomore effort, Common Dreads, Enter Shikari may have made their strongest album yet. A Flash Flood of Colour is an explosion of ear-candy: roaring guitar riffs layered with thumping dubstep basslines; anthemic singalong choruses with hardcore screamo breakdowns; topped with thought-provoking, heartfelt, politically-charged lyrics. Some of those themes might instantly worry some readers, but I urge you to continue reading and give the album a chance. Virtually every song switches back and forth between numerous genres, so at the very least, parts of each song should appeal to different listeners.

The album is so varied in style, it has reminded me of artists as diverse as: The Streets, Slipknot, Skrillex, 30 Seconds To Mars, Biffy Clyro, The Prodigy, Frankmusik, Rage Against The Machine and AFI. But fear not, the album doesn't sound like an album by any of those artists — it sounds like an Enter Shikari album. The multitude of genres stitched together has become the band's trademark sound. Switching so frequently and distinctly may seem a recipe for disaster, but the St Alban's four-piece manage to pull it off. A song can start with a gentle, synth-led intro with spoken word lyrics, switch into something that could easily be found on a dubstep or drum & bass complication, then just as quickly switch to something that metalheads would happily mosh to. It sounds crazy, yet it somehow just... works.

As we're coming up to the end of the year — and I don't have any more gigs until next year — I've decided to summarise my five favourite gigs of 2011. I've linked to full reviews of the gigs where relevant.

Last Friday — 25^th November 2011 — I went to the UKF Bass Culture event in North London. The event, hosted in Alexandra Palace, showcased over 30 electronic music acts, specifically dubstep and drum & bass acts. Unlike any other gig I have been to before, this one was an all-nighter, with the last act finishing at around 6.00am on Saturday morning.

This is my first attempt at writing a review for a gig, so feedback would be appreciated. Last night (6th November 2011) I went to The Blackout's gig at the Roundhouse in Camden, London with two friends — @foggface and @jonnyeyles. As it was on a weekend, we went into London fairly early to have some leisurely pre-gig drinks and get some food in our bellies. After settling at The Ice Wharf on Camden Lock — which I thoroughly recommend as one of the nicest Wetherspoons bars I have been to — we made our way to the venue in time to catch the last support band who took to the stage at 8.30pm.

So I've decided to try my hand at a full review again, rather than my “In my car stereo” posts. I think this one is a little better written than my last. Feedback appreciated.

Although not a very recent release, Good Charlotte's fifth album is one I have only recently come to enjoy. I have been a fan of the band for a while now, especially their commercial success ‘The Young and The Hopeless’ and the dance-influenced ‘Good Morning Revival’ albums. Although I listened to this album when it was released, I just couldn't get into it. However, after seeing the band perform live at V Festival this year, specifically after performing this album's single ‘Like It's Her Birthday’, I tried giving it another go and I was much more impressed this time round.