Mark Kaye’s music column

Christmas is here, and once again I am leaving it until the twelfth hour to get my presents...not good! I went into town on Monday but got nowhere, all I found was angry shoppers and diagonal walkers.

In an effort to try and bag some presents I went to the Man United/Unicef night at Old Trafford last week but got outbid for every auction lot so no presents found there either. If I'm being honest it was a good job as I couldn't afford them, but it was a fun night.

Fergie auctioned off his office chair and someone bid £16,000 for it. I would have been working till I was seventy to pay that off. I had my eye on the Man Utd opus, but that went for £6,500 so well out of my depth with that too. So it looks like I'll do what I did last year and brave the Trafford Centre… aargh!

This week I thought I would go to see some live music that wasn't rock related so I went to the Life Cafe where the Brand New Heavies were playing, and it was amazing. N'Dea Davenport is back with the band and she was awesome - and she seemed to love being back in town too. Look out for a brand new album in the New Year and a bigger tour next year as well.

Talking of the Life Café, this Thursday 21st December Xfm and O2 present another live session with Boy Kill Boy and The KBC, and it's also the night of the Xfm Xmas party so it should be a messy late one. I'll give you all the gossip next time if I survive it. If you won tickets I'll see you there and remember the drinks are on my good friend Gareth Brooks.

A Christmas pressie from Xfm to you this year comes in the form of a live Xmas which you can hear from 7pm Christmas day. It will comprise three hours of Winter Wonderland magic, with all the best bits from the Scotland, London and Manchester gigs, so don't miss it. Highlights will include Liam Frost, Ocean Colour Scene, The Fratellis, Badly Drawn Boy, Kasabian, The Kooks and the Manic Street Preachers.

And finally, check out the Xfm website for the Xfm presenters’ top 5s of the year, from best gigs to best albums. And while you’re there, enter the great Xfm listener vote to win the 20 of the best albums of the year. All you have to do is vote for your favourite album of the year as well as favourite gig and festival, and let Xfm know your tip for 2007....easy right!

Have a great Christmas and New Year.