It was a year of cut-backs, cut-ups, cut-offs, cock-ups, condoms, market crashes and country music! A year also where the song and anti-song vied or dominance – and both survived.

The song was represented by new traditionalists like Dwight Yoakam, Peter Rowan, John Hiatt (whose Dublin concert was one of the best of the year) and Chris Isaak, as well as latterday exponents of the form like The Jesus and Mary Chain (whose Dublin concert wasn’t one of the year’s highlights) and The Pet Shop Boys.

The Anti-song, where form triumphs over formal structures, is best represented by the rise of the 12” single and particularly M/A/R/R/S via whom my longtime favourites Colourbox finally made it to the top, albeit under a different guise, bringing the ideology of sampling to the fore(court) in the same breath. Other worthies (and, despite the prophets of gloom there were many) included the Cold-cut remix of Eric B and Rakim, all of J.A.M.’s stuff, mantronix and many a house cut – whether from Chicago, New York, London or Leeds Noise annoys!

Aside from Self Aid and you know who, Irish rock waited in the wings, looking to the next wave. Already The Hothouse Flowers and Aslan are on the starting blocks with albums scheduled to run in the new year. But have we truly found what we’re looking for? A prediction for next year; the emergence of Gavin Friday as a major force. Finally on a personal note, the “one-night-only” reformed Radiators concert exceeded all our expectations. A good night was had by all.

Good night 1987!