I think I've been to a pitiful 5 so far this year - the lowest by a long shot since my early teens - largely due to becoming a dad this year. I've got a couple coming up in the next week - Conan, Slabdragger et al on Saturday and Graveyard / Spiders in Manchester on Wednesday, both of which I have high hopes for.
Otherwise, my highlights have been seeing Jucifer bulldoze the Redhouse and Graveyard and Horisont at a brilliant, packed sweaty gig at the Roadhouse in Manchester early in the year. For smaller, UK, bands, Tiger Warsaw, Froth, Like Rome and Cry Havoc were all good.
I've kept a record of my gigs on last.fm over the last 5-6 years. In 2008, I managed over 50. This year has been more like 12 (and that includes Rihanna), but they have mostly been excellent.
Highlights:
Desertfest - A revelation, and can't wait to go back next year. Highlights of that were Church of Misery, Gentlemans Pistols, Church of Misery, Valient Thorr, and Stubb early on to a packed house. Only disappointment was missing Truckfighters due to queues to get in the Underworld.
Graveyard / Horisont at Camden Underworld - looking forward to seeing Graveyard again on Sunday.
Torche at The Cellar, Southampton - good but not great.
2012 has also seen some great nostalgia trips with Fu Manchu playing In Search Of..., Kerbdog, Hundred Reasons and Hell Is For Heroes.
This was a bloody great gig, although I was so drunk I don't really remember Slayer at all
DesertFest ruled.
Roadburn was unbelievable. I also enjoyed:
Down at the Birmingham Institute
Fu Manchu playing The Action Is Go
WPC All-Dayer on 30th June
Black Breath at the Underworld
White Hills at the Lexington
Trippy's album launch
Stubb's album launch