What were your cultural highlights of 2014?
The Gloaming's album and live show took my breath away at the start of the year and set a high standard for everyone else to follow. Other 2014 records still getting played at year's end came from Damon Albarn (Everyday Robots), Neneh Cherry (Blank Project), Shabazz Palaces (Lese Majesty), Odesza (In Return) and Caribou (Our Love). Two live experiences stood out: a giddy, colourful Mardi Gras spent in New Orleans; and a Sunday afternoon of prime-time thumping techno at Berghain, in Berlin. Both surpassed most live band shows in 2014.
Elsewhere, the films that I'd happily see again include We Are the Best!, Boyhood, '71, Pride, Nightcrawler, Out of Here and Her. On the documentary front, The Legend of Shorty, One Million Dubliners, Twenty Feet from Stardom and Supermensch were fantastic, while The Honourable Woman, The Blacklist, Transparent, Prey and House of Cards rewarded small-screen bingeing.
And the year’s biggest disappointments?
Gone Girl was a film that had you going "ah here" quite a lot at the screen and made you wonder what drugs the critics who gave it glowing reviews were on. The U2 album was heavyweight horse manure from a band who have, sadly, lost all semblance of basic cop-on and musical relevance of late.
What caught you by surprise?
The verve, psychedelic colour and heat of Richard Mosse's Enclave exhibition drew you deep into a tragic story about what happens to people in a time of war.
And what will you be glad to see or hear the last of?
The Garth Brooks soap opera over the attempted five in a row at Croke Park was great craic at first but quickly entered the realms of the ridiculous. Here’s hoping we never have to endure that again.
Who or what was 2014’s unsung hero?
The Apple boffin who came up with a way for people to delete the unwanted copy of Songs of Innocence littering their iTunes library.
What’s your top tip for 2015?
Expect the Rough Trade label’s brace of Irish acts – Girl Band and Soak – to make big splashes.
2014 in three words?
Twelve long months.
