It’s all in the name of work, and in 2009 these experiences rocked my boat from side to side until I fell into the murky brown depths of the River Plate beneath me.
1. Whale watching in Patagonia
They say you never forget the first time you see a whale and I cannot disagree. As a southern right surfaced on the rosy dawn horizon in May, my spectacles fell off and in fact I saw nothing of these 17-metre-long cetaceans. A boat trip from Puerto Pirámides in Chubut province rectified this and to be within spitting distance of several pods at the start of the whale-watching season was breathtaking.
2. Radiohead live
The British rock band caused a huge stir when tickets for their March gig went on sale. Thom Yorke’s band were long-awaited in BA and they did not disappoint one millimetre. His heart-wrenching vocals were beyond perfection, and tracks came from most of their seven albums, including In Rainbows (2008). Icing on the cake was Creep, one the band says they no longer play live — so powerful and fulfilling it satisfied the most die-hard fan.
3. McFly interview
Good sports of the year go to McFly. In an interview with the British pop heartthrobs, they handled a taxing Argentina quiz perfectly, even if they barely knew any of the answers. Despite their youth (between 21 and 23), they are old hands at the pop game and their Trastienda gig was beyond perfect. Knocking out all the hits, the night was enhanced by easy access to the bar for the three over 18s in the crowd (me and two mates).
4. Inzucare Orchestra (photo)
With a penchant for the unusual, I finally tracked the 10-piece swing band down at the Avellaneda Jazz Festival. Nothing like men in suits expertly wielding brass instruments and bongos to put a glossy shine on an average evening, plus more people should check out Teatro Roma for a return to the olden days of glamour.
5. Oasis didn’t live forever
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. You could cut the tension with a knife between the Gallagher brothers on stage at River Plate stadium in May.The lacklustre 75-minute set showed a complete disregard for their fans plus singer Liam kept vanishing. So dry, it’s a wonder how they ever came up with the band name. Disappointed and letdown, there’s no maybe about buying inevitable reunion tickets: I definitely won’t be.