The Weezer Cruise is coming up and to celebrate the fact that I’ll be drunk and sunburned on this boat of AWESOME music, I’m giving away a whole whack of awesome Weezer gear to one winner and a runner up.

What’s the point of looking back? Here’s the BackstageRider Top 11 Things to Look Forward to in 2012 (so far) with a bit of back-looking, I admit, in the form of musicks I did very much enjoy as well as some guesses about what might be awesome next year.

Ask (on Twitter), and ask again, and ask again, and YE SHALL RECEIVE. Neil Gaiman, man of letters, hero to geeks everywhere, and my personal favourite wordsmith, came through in, EPIC ROCKHANDERY. He sent me this. Featuring Gaiman, Amanda Palmer, OKGo and Ben Folds, this is truly the Monster of all Rock(hands).

While the BackstageRider can’t be at SXSW in person, she has deployed a small army to track down the greatest in indierockhands. Featuring Yuck! The Head and the Heart! Young Evils! Black Angels! John Vanderslice! Esben & The Witch! Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3! GroupLove! Sleepy Vikings! They’re here.

The devil’s horns are the international symbol of rocktacularness. Which is why it is BackstageRider’s greatest goal to create the world’s largest gallery of awesome folks doing the rock hands. YOU. WANT. TO. BE. HERE.

July’s Rock Hands of the Month is awarded to the San Diego’s finest and cleanest, Republic of Letters. Bask in this San Diego pop-band’s double devil horn action.

Throwin’ the horns. The Devil’s hand. Rock Hand. Call it what you will, it is the sign of ULTIMATE MUSICAL MAYHEM. And like revenge it is best served cold…and it is very cold in Toronto where Paul Banwatt from electro dance geeks Woodhands come from.