So, you've got £30 to spend on music this month. There's 3 barn storming albums you want to buy, but 3 other top notch bands are coming to town as well. Where do you spend your money?

I'd probably go for the CDs/LPs for the record (see what I did there, chortle).

Depends to what degree of awesomeness the bands were;
Boris
Fantomas
Isis

^ I would have to go, 3 bands ive not seen live before and really want to.

As for the following i'd go for the CD;
Cathedral
Om
Asva

If one of the bands playing was a band I really wanted to see live, I'd do a half-n-half and both go to the gig and buy some merch.

You awkward git, on average, what would your answer be

If the kind of bands I like performed anywhere near me that often as horrible deathcore bands do, i'd have picked the former. As it is most of my ridiculous neo-folk/noise/power electronics/improvization/dark ambient/hairy drums/contact mic/performance art needs can only be met by records.

Put the bands on myself, thereby getting in to the gig for free, and blag free cds off the bands, probably for putting them up!

I would normally go for the record, it's easy for bands (regardless of genre) to sound live on record if that's what they want, but not so easy to recreate their music live if they use millions of overdubs/orchestras/can't play guitar and sing at the same time etc.

A record is usually what a band wants to sound like as opposed to what they actually sound like. If a band sucks on record, chances are they really do suck.

Which is not to say that great bands don't ever make crap records

I'd rather have the record since that lasts forever. But if the gig is unmissable (like a once only thing) then I would go for that. but I've never had such a dilemma yet touch wood.

Gig. You can always buy an album later in the future, you never know if a gig may be the last a band plays. Plus, you can usually buy Merch at a gig for cheaper than normal.

CD every time. No contest.