Das Wanderlust, The Bobby McGees, Euros Childs and Emil Friis, The Luminaire, May 23

As far as line-ups go, it was one of the stranger ones. Folksy guitarist Emil Friis started things quite civilly...but things quickly descended into the bonkers, riotous chaos that follows Das Wanderlust around.

Former Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs played his first entirely solo show. San backing band, he nervously stuttered his way through drum machine programmes and absent mindedly counted his non-existent band in, but there was a tongue in cheek kookiness that was as brilliant as it was insane.

Twee-popsters the Bobby McGees took to the stage in a shower of sweets, glow sticks and party poppers, dressed as pirates and sailors. Eleanor Callaghan's cutesy Isobel Campbell-esque voice harked back to the heady days of C86 and her right hand man Jimmy Cairney's hammed up Scottish vocals provided an anti-folk aside to their talks of boy meets girl.

Headliners Das Wanderlust's debut album Horses for Courses was described by one magazine as "literally the worst thing we've ever heard and annoying on an almost nuclear level – eight out of 10," which just about sums them up – so wrong they're right, they finished off a night of silly, throw away indiepop at its best. The perfect antidote to the straight faced fashion electo that was clogging up the charts mid-way through the year.

Moby, The Royal Festival Hall, June 16

A decade after he released the 10 million selling Play, Moby down played the kooky, odd ball ways we've revelled in for so long, bringing a more sophisticated show to the South Bank.

With a seven piece band in tow, including the vocal force that is Joy Malcolm, he was every inch the superstar.

A slow start that eventually catapulted into '91 breakthrough single Go, a techni-coloured light show illuminated the hall and brought the audience to its feet. Moby himself lapped it up, positioning himself at the front of the stage with his arms raised skyward like some kind of preacher – with the luke warm response to his recent albums, it's been easy to remember that was God to a generation of dance fans.

A few tracks from his great new album Wait For Me – Mistake and Pale Horses - were followed by covers of Joy Division's New Dawn Fades and Crosy, Stills, Nash and Young's Helpless, a spine tingling, dramatic version of Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad and a stripped back We Are All Made of Stars ("The only disco song jointly inspired by quantum mechanics and dim witted celebrities," he quipped), which all made for a brilliant show and a reminder, years after the over-kill of Play, of what a talent he is.

Lady GaGa, Brixton Academy, July 14

If the year belonged to one lady, it was 23-year-old Stefani Germanotta. A plain, wholesome American looking girl away from the camera, her stage persona is something rather more spectacular and, at times, terrifying.

The songs are catchy, if at times bizarre ("I'm bluffin' with my muffin", anyone?) and at Brixton the screams reached fever pitch during the likes of The Fame, Paparazzi and Pokerface, which she sang over layers of pre-recorded vocals. But it was the costumes and wild dance routines that make the show the pop concert of the year. Sparkly leotards, wings, tutus...she looked like she'd raided Jetsons Barbie's wardrobe and everyone, kids and dads alike, gave her two massive thumbs up.

The National, Royal Festival Hall, August 10

It was an interesting choice of venue for The National's return to the capital – more at home in the dark snugs of our more traditional gig venues, singer Matt Berninger looked even edgier than usual. His nervous state wasn't helped by a luke warm reaction to their surprising opener, new track Runaway. There was an awkward detachment from the audience until someone shouted "Tell everyone to stand up!" They did, and the collective movement was greeted by the biggest cheer of the night.

From then on, Berninger was lost in lyrics, leaving his eight piece band to take care of business. The crowd, in turn, lost itself on him. A hat trick of Vanderlyll Cry Baby, Squalor Victoria and Abel set the tone for the show – his powerful baritone growl packs a weighty punch that manifests itself in his looming, Ian Curtis-esque stage presence.

Highlights were the brilliant Secret Meetings and Green Gloves but it was the stunning Fake Empire that sealed the deal. Grown men were in tears – despite the grand surroundings, it was a devastatingly sincere and intimate show.

U2, Wembley Arena, August 14

U2's spectacular 360 Degree world tour landed in London for two nights at Wembley this summer. Their infamous 'claw' stage, cost in excess of £60m but offered the 88,000 fans packed in each night an unobstructed view the quintet, and stamped their authority as rock's biggest band.

Crowd pleasers Vertigo and Beautiful Day got things moving but it was golden oldies In The Name of Love, Sunday Bloody Sunday, With Or Without You and Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For that made the night. They even helped detract from Bono's cringe-worthy, dry political preaching, which reached its pique tonight, as he lectured the crowd on human rights abuses in Burma. Unwitting volunteers joined him on stage wearing masked of the deposed Burmese prime minister as he sang Walk On, which has the regrettable effect of making most of Wembley chuckle in disbelief, rather than reflect on his message.

But for those who could separate the man from the ego, it was a triumph and a perfect summer night of stadium rock. (Chris Longhurst)

Gang of Four, The Forum, September 26

It was the year of the anniversary gig and, amazingly, 2009 marked 30 years since the post-punks released their landmark album Entertainment!.

All the classics got an airing – Return The Gift, Damaged Goods, To Hell With Poverty, Not Great Men, Anthrax, and singer Jon King was on top form. Earlier in the year he told the Informer how dismayed he was at modern bands' lack of passion and ambition, and at The Forum his actions spoke louder than words. He marched across the stage like a man possessed, and beat a microwave in the corner of the stage to pieces with a drumstick, narrowly missing the Informer's head.

Eddie Reader joined them on stage to provide backing vocals for We Live As We Dream Alone and I Love A Man In Uniform, and the crowd lapped it up, sweatily po-going to their punk-funk, showing the kids how it's done.

Jail Guitar Doors benefit, Proud Galleries, Camden, October 1

Punk's great and good turned out on a drizzly Autumn evening for one of the most star studded charity events of the year. Proud's stables played host to the premiere of director Alan Miles' film about Billy Bragg's campaign, which has seen him round up musicians to donate guitars and hold song-writing workshops in jails across the country.

Bragg himself played an impressive set that included Sexuality, A New England, Greetings To The New Brunette and a cover of Redemption Song before he gave way to the stars of the documentary, Jail Guitar Doors graduates Jonny Neesom and Leon Walker, who instantly won the crowd over with their catchy, sing-along guitar tracks.

Other supporters putting in an appearance included Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Foo Fighters' guitarist Chris Shiflett and Wayne Kramer of the MC5, but it was The Clash's Mick Jones who had the night, joining all of them on stage of spine tingling renditions of Jail Guitar Doors and Kick Out The Jams. Momentous stuff.

Patrick Wolf, London Palladium, November 15

With his 2009 album The Batchelor, is seemed Patrick Wolf had finally become the artist he'd always to be. Known for his flamboyant dress sense and showmanship, he edged away from the nu-folk tag that attached itself to him since his first album was released in '02.

His Palladium show was a celebration of this year, which also saw him spit from Universal Records and raise cash to record by selling shares in it through website Bandstocks.

Old favourites likes Thickets, Bluebells and Wolfsong got an airing, but it was his new material that brought Wolf to life.

With more glitter, feathers and sparkles than a Saturday night at GAY, it was a spectacle made all the more special by an appearance from woman of the moment Florence Welch.

DJ and producer Alec Empire, whose mark is stamped all over The Batchelor, was on hand to add a dirty, electro twist to proceedings with Battle and Hard Times, before the curtain fell on him – pouting and parading on a rotating podium. He was Madonna and Freddie Mercury rolled into one. It was the best show of his life and he was the happiest he's ever been, he told us – and we were right there with him.

Editors, Maccabees and Bombay Bicycle Club, Union Chapel, November 16

The first of Mencap's Little Noise Sessions, curated by Jo Whiley, could have sold-out it's tiny Islington venue a hundred times over, which made it all the more special for the lucky few who got in. Stripped-back sets from some of the best indie-rock bands around, they were forced to be more restrained than usual, with every tiny fault highlighted by the near-perfect acoustics.

Bombay Bicycle Club put on an impressive show, with Dust On The Ground and Always Like This sticking out as highlights, along with was singer Jack Steadman's cover of Loudon Wainwright III's Motel Blues that really showed off his velvety baritone.

The Maccabees' short set included Can You Give It and Love You Better from their brilliant 2009 album Wall of Arms, but it was Toothpaste Kisses that sent a shiver down our collective spine. Editors were equally impressive. Singer Tom Smith seemed strangely nervous and kept fluffing his lyrics but that was part of the night's charm – intimate re-workings of modern classics, it was an honour to be part of a night that felt really special.

Thea Gilmore, Bush Hall, December 3

Like most of us, Radio 2 presenter Janice Long was fed up of the same old Christmas songs being dragged up every year. Unlike most of us, she was able to persuade one of the country's best, if criminally overlooked, singer/songwriters to pen a new one for her.

Thea Gilmore rose to the challenge and recorded a whole album of festive tunes, Strange Communion. She played it, along with a few choice favourites from her back catalogue, at her early December show in Shepherd's Bush.

A typically Gilmore show, it swung between bittersweet and hopeful and dark and menacing, epitomised by the song she wrote for Long, That'll Be Christmas. Now play listed by Radio 2, its sneeringly bittersweet lyrics ("French beer and mistletoe, faith hope and gluttony, that'll be Christmas") it was in direct contrast with the album's highlight, the hymn-like Sol Invictus.

Covers of Yoko Ono's Listen The Snow Is Falling, Elvis Costello's St Stephen's Day Murders and their "cheesey port and stilton moment", a spontaneous version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – even the scrooges in the building left with a warm glow.