After 42 shows in 50 weeks, heres my top 5:

#1 - Bobby McFerrin @ Royal Festival Hall
for his playfulness, outstanding performance, and inspirational interaction with the audience.

#2 - Max Richter @ Union Chapel
for his beautiful melancholic music, and perfectionin performance.

#3 - Alex Lloyd @ The Troubadour
for the heartfelt simplicity of his songwriting and performance.

#4 - Andrew Bird @ Union Chapel
for playfully weaving beautiful melodies with little else but himself.

#5 - Fever Ray @ The Forum
for their eye poppingly slick production and dark ambience.

In particular, Bobby and Andrew and a particular Buckley-ish flavour to their shows, with their energy on stage, and musical playfulness. A special mention goes out to Noah and the Whale @ Crisis Hidden Gig, Tori Amos @ The Savoy, Bob Brozman @ The Half Moon, and Massive Attack @ Brixton Academy.

Samples:
Bobby_McFerrin-Sweet_Home_Chicago.mp3
Max_Richter_-_On_the_Nature_of_Daylight.mp3
Alex_Lloyd_-_Beautiful.mp3
Andrew_Bird_-_Why.mp3
Fever_Ray_-_Keep_The_Streets_Empty.mp3

Anyone into blues and guitar knows of prodigy Bob Brozman and his flying fingers. Having myself discovered him on youtube, I just had to see him in action. He came across as a normal guy, who mingled and drank with the audience before and after his sets. His hardworking ethic on stage was also evident, from setting up his own kit of 5-6 guitars, to playing with the ferver of a madman for over 2 hours.

He worked the crowd with wit and humour - something that also carried through his performance, often turning a melody or changing texture for comedic effect. He played a vast range of styles from places all over the world, which was quite refreshing.

The Half Moon as a venue may be forced to close by its owners, after 50 years as a music venue. If you feel like showing your support, go to a gig, and send your comments on their forum. The last thing London needs is 1 less independent music venue!

check out a few Bob samples:
Bob_Brozman_-_Down_The_Road.mp3
Bob_Brozman_-_Death_Comes_Creeping.mp3
Bob_Brozman_-_Do_Your_Work.mp3

image by albertof on flickr.