In honour of the year 2008, all of us here at The Joy Collective have asked the great and good of South Wales and Bristol what they thought of the year that’s in it’s dying embers. Throughout the next week or so we’ll be posting the opinions of various band members, promoters, music shop workers, venue staff, journalists and anyone else we cared to ask. To kick start the weekend, I thought it was only fair that the JC contributors should answer the questions we’ve asked everybody else, so I’ll begin with me:

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Locally, 2 albums from Los Campesinos!, a live CD from Future Of The Left, the Bedford Falls album is class, Threatmantics releasing their debut to the world and the EP from The Graveyard Johnnys. On a wider spectrum, The Gaslight Anthem, Attack In Black, Frank Turner and Langhorne Slim all tickled my fancy.

Live music highlights of 2008
Loads. Dananananakroyd in Barfly (twice). Seabear downstairs in Clwb. FOTL and Frank Turner at Reading. Joy Formidable at Swn in Clwb. The crazy Fucked Up gig, again downstairs in Clwb. The Deadstring Brothers playing Hot Burrito in Le Pub. Finally seeing The Weakerthans in Bristol and getting to see Cats & Cats & Cats and Tubelord play our Joy nights.

What else did you enjoy this year?
One day out at Wembley more than another. Getting the chance to co-own a record label. Writing for this site and being on Radio 1, albeit only in Wales!!

2008 was…
Fucking eventful. It started badly with the end of a relationship and a need to move house but has got progressively better since. It’s been a year where I’ve been very glad of the friends I’ve got and it’s going to end with me spending longer with my family over Christmas than I have done in years. A lot of things have changed but I’m pretty happy and looking forward to next year.

2009 will be…
Less traumatic hopefully. And in a hasty addition, the year of Circa Regna Tonat. I’ve just heard their new album which will be out next year and it’s fucking awesome.