A Look Back On 2024: Neil Ainger

So… how was your 2024? 
Peaks and troughs, as usual, but overall pretty good thanks! I got my writing mojo back and started writing here, which was a bit of a bucket list item for me actually. I turned 40. I had a few nice little trips away. I can’t complain really!

What was your best moment? 
The best moments usually tend to involve family and friends. My wife and I celebrated 5 years of marriage and, as I had a milestone birthday, I had a party at my favourite little hangout – Diego’s Joint in Sunderland. I find that the older we get the more difficult it is to get so many people together in the same room, so that really was quite special to me. 

Who was your favourite band/artist this year? 
I went to see Ferocious Dog at Sunderland Fire Station and absolutely loved it, so I’ve listened to them rather excessively since. 

Your favourite song of the year? 
Spin by the aforementioned Ferocious Dog has been played repeatedly this year. 

Recommended album? 
Little Weight by 40 Watt Sun is absolutely gorgeous, if you like things minimal, slow and gloomy. Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation has been taking a hammering recently also. 

Favourite TV show of the year? 
Oh it just isn’t possible to pick only one and frankly it’s rude of you to ask me to do so. I finally got round to watching The Boys and now I’m all geared up for the new season. I’m enjoying the second season of Bad Sisters, because I’d watch anything Sharon Horgan is involved in, but that’s not finished yet. Two of my favourite series aired final seasons this year too: Inside Number 9 and Curb Your Enthusiasm. They were both brilliant. Baby Reindeer was great. Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office. Ludwig. No, I can’t do it. 

Your favourite film? 
My favourite film that I saw for the first time this year was probably Lala Land. I was really taken back by how much I loved it. I also loved Breaking Away, Roman Holiday, Past Lives and The Third Man. My favourite film released in 2024 was probably Gladiator 2. 

Best book you read? 
I’m afraid I haven’t read much at all this year so it’s not really a choice. My favourite book I’ve read is, by default, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. However I’ve recently watched the TV series The Big Door Prize and was just starting to get into it when Apple canceled it, so I’m currently reading the novel on which it was based. 

Favourite new word that you learned? 
It’s not a word but I learned that apparently there is a Danish euphemism for menstruation – “there are communists in the funhouse” and so that’s now a favourite new collection of words. I haven’t confirmed it’s authenticity and so should any Danish people be able to tell me that it’s actually nonsense then please don’t. 

Best podcast? 
The Rest is Entertainment is Richard Osman and Marina Hyde discussing TV, film and pop culture in general. They keep it light and accessible while offering some insight about how things work which can be interesting. They’re also both very amusing. 

Favourite venue that you visited? 
I’ve been to Pop Recs, mostly for community film nights and pop culture quiz nights. It’s such an important community venue. Additionally The Fire Station has continued to be an exquisite venue that is also very community driven. Serial Bowl Records run frequent DIY punk and hardcore shows in The Museum Vaults. Don’t sleep on what’s happening in Sunderland. On Tyneside, I think The Lubber Fiend is brilliant. 

What was your favourite gig/show of the year? 
This is just as rude as the TV question. Acid Mothers Temple at The Lubber Fiend was mesmerising. Sunn O))) at The Boiler Shop was great, and I finally got to see Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter who were the support. There was an absolute riot of a Serial Bowl Records punk all-dayer at The Peacock. My wife and I had a couple of days in Edinburgh to see The Manics and Suede. I’ve got to say though – it’s really hard to beat Bruce Springsteen. That was terribly terribly impressive. 

Tell us about 2024’s guilty pleasure.
I don’t believe in guilty pleasures and therefore I don’t think I really have any. Do quiz and game shows count? Because I watch a ton of those. 

And your best discovery this year?
A very good friend both introduced me to and bought me The Bird of a Thousand Voices by Tigran Hamasyan and that was pretty captivating. I also went to Lindisfarne festival for the first time so that probably counts as a discovery. It has such a lovely, laid-back, positive vibe. It’s essentially a field full of people being unapologetically their true selves for a weekend and that’s a beautiful thing to be a part of. 

Any up-and-coming artists/acts to keep an eye out for in 2025? 
Dilutey Juice out out their debut EP this year and I’d love to believe that there could perhaps be a full-length record in the coming year. Dead Wet Things also seem primed to gather more and more momentum. 

Any predictions for next year? 
Sunderland will become a Music City. There are lots of people putting some serious work into it and they absolutely deserve it. 

Is there anything you hope to tick off your bucket list in 2025?
Judas Priest are now atop of my gig bucket list, so that would be nice.