Basically, no shows are taking place due to the coronavirus outbreak (although some artists are doing live streams instead), but if you’re already watching a show, or just need a ‘a brief distraction from the craziness of the world right now, luckily there’s YouTube which has an incredible range of live footage from all over pop music history, film clips from concerts, TV performances and live music. other professionally shot footage, to tons of fan-shot videos from shows. If you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve selected some of our favorites. Here are five more:
The Shins @ Stubbs, Austin – 07/13/2002
There have been a lot of cool Shins lineups over the years, but there was real chemistry when James Mercer was joined by Jesse Sandoval and Marty Crandall, and here’s a video from that time of the Shins playing in Austin a year after their now classic debut Oh, inverted world came out of. As “nice” as the Shins’ music may be, they had a real bite in those days, and it really showed on stage. [Andrew Sacher]
Modest Mouse @ Nita’s Hideaway, Tempe, AZ – 10/04/2000
Two years before Shins video was shot, they were on the road to open Modest Mouse’s The Moon and Antarctica tour (with The Black Heart Procession also playing), and here’s a video of MM in Tempe from that tour (during which Marty Crandall comes out and dances on stage). Even today, Modest Mouse are a killer live band, but seeing them play in a small club to celebrate the release of their best album is a unique thrill you won’t get these days. They had far fewer members on stage then than they do now, but somehow they were still louder and more intense. [Andrew Sacher]
Bjork @ Cambridge Corn Exchange – 02/12/1998
One of the last shows on Bjork’s Homogeneous The tour took place in December at Cambridge Corn Exchange, which was professionally filmed and broadcast as Living in Cambridge. The Icelandic String Octet accompanies Bjork here and the set, consisting almost entirely of songs by Homogeneous, Start, and To post looks and sounds absolutely stunning. [Amanda Hatfield]
The Smiths on Rockpalast, 1984
Although the Smiths’ 1984 debut album is my least favorite of their albums, this early period of the band – best documented on hollow smell — is my favorite period of the band, when Johnny Marr’s very original guitar playing was unlike anything else at the time and Morrissey was hated by the right, not embraced. Filmed in May 1984, this performance for a German TV show rockpalast is a real hit parade, including “This Charming Man”, “Hand in Glove”, “What Difference Does it Make?”, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”, “These Things Take Time” and “Still Ill” . As prolific as they were, the set was also peppered with songs from their forthcoming album, including ‘Barbarism Begins at Home’ which they performed twice. [Bill Pearis]
The Housemartins “Live Hold Tight” 1986
With their sound that mixed upbeat guitars with mopey lyrics, The Housemartins drew a lot of comparisons to The Smiths during their short but hugely popular mid-’80s run, but they really created their own style through two albums and a few. autonomous singles. They also racked up a number of UK hits around this time, including “Happy Hour”, “Think for a Minute”, “Me and the Farmer” and an a capella single “Caravan of Love” which went to No. 1 This video is short, but so are the Housemartins’ songs and it has quite a few favorites (most of the ones mentioned here), as well as a brief interview segment where they introduce new band member “Little Norman. – aka Norman Cook who would become Fatboy Slim. [Bill Pearis]
And here is a photo gallery of Modest Mouse at Barclays Center last year:
For more of our favorite live videos, head here.
