17/1: Charlie Drew (ex Freefall Felix) launches his solo career at the Shed. A big crowd and an excellent night of music.

21/1: Get Your Band On's indie showcase at the Musician features Kids in Cars, Razmataz, Autohype and the Heroes.

28/1: The Charlotte closed.

30/1: The Heroes and Autohype move their show to DMU and 600 people turn up to see them.

Stayfree Rehearsal Rooms leaves its city centre location in Conduit Street for new premises in Frog Island.

14/2: The Valentines Day gig at the shed with the Heroes and the Pickpockets supported by Indigo Slam and the Last Few.

15/2: Leicester bands Neon Sarcastic and Ictus play at the Flapper in Birmingham for Surface Unsigned.

22/2: Summer Sundae auditions are held at the Musician with Dumbfound, Buenos Aires, The Midbeats and others.

24/2: The Screening head off to London for a gig

6/3: A big show at Superfly features The Utopians, The Pennyhangers, The Fazed, The Midbeats, Natalie Squance, Charlie Jones and the night is rounded off by international DJ Lisa Lashes.

10/3: The Musician hosts a show headlined by Declan Bennett (aka Sum Lad from Cov) who returns to Leicester following a successful career in the USA.

29/3: London Jersey Budd appears at The Albert Hall with Kasabian.

12/4: Birmingham: Formal Warning and M48 play at the Flapper for Surface Unsigned.

20/4: London: The Fly hosts a super gig with the Heroes, the Rugged Sound System and top London band Fearless Vampire Killers.

23/4: The Empire Band competition moves to the Donkey in Welford Road for a highly successful show featuring Smokestacks, Paris Revolution, Sugar Snatch, The Lowreys and Holy Bones (who won that round.)

1/5: Leicester's youngest rock band My Kid Brother, play at the Hammersmith Appollo with McFly. Now that's an achievement!

10/5: Tired Irae play an intimate gig in Leicester at the unusual setting of the Arts Centre, with support from Autohype and Deep People - awesome night!

22 - 24: Glastonbudget festival takes place in Wymeswold on a hot and sunny weekend. The best yet. Lots of local bands take to the stage together with a line up of Europe's finest tribute acts.

1/8: Caribbean Carnival takes to the Streets despite the rain and a huge number of people turn out to watch.

10/8: A great night at the Shed with an outstanding lineup of Minus IQ from London, Liecester bands The Pickpockets and the AstroManiacs, Screwloose from Stoke on Trent and Razmataz headlining.

11/8: Singer Nick Thorton (The Eaves) puts on a monumental, non-stop 2 hour set at Walkabout. Legend!

12/8: Get Your Band On's night at the Musician featured Deadslow, Smokin the Profit, The Waits, The Stiggz and the wonderful Primal Device from Milton Keynes. Great bands.

13/8: The main night of the Summer Sundae Fringe and The Heroes and Autohype play to a packed Shed, with Megadub and Fists.

14 - 16/8: Summer Sundae Weekender festival sees some national names and a good load of local bands and acts. Razmataz open the main stage (14/8) and the Heroes play the Musician Stage having won OBS. Other local bands playing at the festival included Maybeshewill, Dumbfound, Deap People, Free Control, Great Imitation, Megadub, Minnaars, Missing People and Out of Karma to name but a few. Arts in Leicestershire is excluded from covering the event because, in view of the SSF, we were not important enough. Hardly any of the reporters they did let in bothered to review the local bands.

30/8: Minnaars appear at the Leeds festival.

5/9: The Heroes play at Leicester Pride, with rapper boy band Blazin Squad and Leicester's Vinyl Throwbacks.

5/9: Hinckley band The Chairmen make their comeback at the Y Theatre supported by M48, These Furrows and The Fazed.

6/9: The Great Imitation play at O Bar. Nominated by several people who were there.

12/9: Leicester band Dutch Courage is the last band ever to play on the legendary stage of the Carling Academy in Birmingham before it closed for ever, making way for the new O2 Arena. The Heroes and Slaine win the vote to play at the national finals of Surface Unsigned.

25 - 26/9: Local bands The Heroes and Slaine play at the Millenium Dome in the national finals of Surface Unsigned but were trounced to the winners podium by a London band.

The future of Big Session and Summer Sundae festivals falls into doubt as huge losses are announced and De Montfort Hall manager Richard Haswell is suspended.

3/10: Young band White Ashes wins the Silver Bullet Winner Takes All contest.

8/10: The Charlotte re-opens with the first band on stage being Razmataz, followed by Autohype, The Screening and the Booby Traps.

10/10: Joel Owen, Dave Wyatt and Steven Faulkner - several readers remembered this gig as one of the best.

15/10: Arms of Atlas put on a blistering gig with support from Exit Avenue, at Sumo. An awesome night of music.

20/10: Maybeshewill at the Firebug (nominated by readers.)

22/10: reports appear in the press that moves are underway to keep the Phoenix Arts Centre open as a venue for young bands.

The new centre for digital media and the arts Phoenix Square opens. A bit like The LCB Depot mark II, the response of Leicester people is less than enthusiastic. The Cultural Quarter begins to look like an elephants' graveyard.

7/11: At the biggest local live music event of the year, Autohype play to over 20,000 people at the Abbey Park Fireworks.

28/11: Singer Danny Doney wins the Battle of the Bands at the Mandarin Lounge.

29/11: Minnaars, make a rare appearance in their home town, putting on a really good night at Sumo with Autohype.

The last gigs of 2009 for The Heroes, Weekend Schemers, Razmataz, Formal Warning, playing out the year with great performances.

Rage Against the Machine wins the Christmas No.1. slot over the X factor with most Leicester musicians and fans going for it.

24/12: Solo singer Steve Faulkner puts on a magnificent performance at the O Bar at a Melting Pot show.

27/12: Primal Device (Milton Keynes) plays at the Shed and gets a place at the Glastonbudget Festival.