As we approach the festive season in a miasma of secular promiscuity and drug abuse (or is that just me?) our thoughts turn from December's widespread pneumonia and child-inspired consumer rage, to the intermittent good stuff and big heap of mediocrity released in 2007.

Personally speaking, I had a blast, seeing somewhere in the region of 150 live bands, some of whom I'd been waiting to enjoy for years (The Jesus & Mary Chain, Built To Spill) while others surpassed all expectations (The Hold Steady, Band of Horses, Wheat).

Of course, there was some utter shite in there, The Bent Moustache supporting Sebadoh in Louisville springs to mind (how many frontmen have to say something like "I know you think we're shit, but we're not shit!" to the crowd? You wouldn't hear that from Thom Yorke. The Bent Moustache are playing London next year kids - run away, run away.).

Also firmly in the cloacal column, that bloke who supported The New Pornographers at Koko, sounded like Phil Collins and seemed to play for at least two hours. Special mention too, for the worst single night of music I've endured which was actually very entertaining in its way, the other Thursday at Salisbury's famous Alehouse where we were "treated" to a double-bill of ATS (four ASBO-candidates who looked like they were holding blades and played as if they hated music – even a shoddy cover of the Inspector Gadget theme couldn't enliven matters) and The Talks  from Hull who couldn't write a melody if they were threatened with death and had their own gormless faces on the t-shirts they were selling. Good luck with that fashion thing lads.

Go and befriend these turds if you've nothing better to do, then you can post insulting comments on their profiles telling them to give up on the dream and deriding their lack of talent. It's fun.

Overall though, and despite any outdoor event meaning you got pissed on, it was a great year for live music, and I like to think it's going to carry on that way, with established bands making more money from gigs than albums nowadays, everyone has to up their game. No more standing on-stage like knobheads concentrating on that difficult fourth chord, musicians have to entertain and put on a real show, whether that means a Seasick Steve-style raconteur, inviting the crowd onstage as The Stooges & The Felice Brothers & The Hold Steady (amongst others) did, or just being compelling in a different way like Chrome Hoof in their bacofoil spaceman outfits (shame the music was terrible).

Meanwhile Tim from Les Savy Fav risked his life hanging from the Scala balcony, wandered around the crowd stealing clothes from members of the audience, got his hair cut on-stage, and generally upset venue security the length and breadth of the country. For that, and because all his band's recent photo shoots were done in Minehead, Butlins, Mr. Harrington is crowned man of the year.

Ricky 'Don't touch me you poof' Hatton was a close runner-up.

And because this interweb 2.0 is all about interactivity, here's my compilation of favourite songs from 2007, for you kids to steal, download, burn, podcast or whatever the hell it is you do. Fits snugly onto a CD too. Listen to this little lot during the festive over-indulgence and familial boredom period, it'll make you more glad to be alive than any X-factor winner since Michelle McManus. Guaranteed.

John Allyn Smith Sails – Okkervil River

The Equestrian – Les Savy Fav

An Exhausted Fixer – Wheat

A Pillar of Salt – The Thermals

Start A War – The National

Party Pit – The Hold Steady

You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) – The White Stripes

You Get Me – The Broken Family Band

All The Old Showstoppers – The New Pornographers

Honey Bee (Let's Fly To Mars) – Grinderman

Peace Beneath The City – Iron & Wine

(Antichrist Television Blues) - Arcade Fire

Lovers Who Uncover - The Little Ones

You'll Never Catch Him – Buffalo Tom

What This Town Needs - Blanche

Seems Like Home To Me – Two Gallants

This Is All I Came To Do - Dinosaur Jr.

Conventional Wisdom – Built To Spill

No One's Gonna Love You – Band of Horses

Spoke - Shellac