Things may have come to a grinding halt once again, but that doesn’t mean your live music fix should be placed on hold too. The good news is, if you own a Manhattan T3 or T3-R, you have easy access to one of the few limitless musical outlets – YouTube.
This allows you to jump straight in and relive live music experiences from yesteryear or enjoy some iconic gigs for the very first time. The choice is yours. We’ve decided to put together a selection of shows; all special in their own right, all available on YouTube.
Queen - Live Aid, 1985
This 22-minute set of pure magic is widely considered to be the greatest live performance of all time and we would struggle to argue with that. Everything about this show is still compelling today: every goosebump-inducing “EEEE-OOOO”, the sight of what looked like a never-ending crowd and the hits. My word do Queen have some hits. As we know it’d be nearly impossible to cram in every classic from their back catalogue into such a short time slot, however this set offers a digestible insight into what Queen is all about, the fans. Few bands have been able to bridge the connection between themselves, their music and their fans so seamlessly but every word they sing is so clearly buoyed by the crowd’s complementary bellow.
Adele - New York City, Radio City Hall, 2015
From a grandiose spectacle to a truly intimate affair, Adele’s 2015 comeback show is every bit the wholesome tearjerker we have come to expect from Tottenham’s favourite daughter. Despite the 6,000+ capacity, Adele’s warmth and on-stage patter shine through so much that there is not the slightest hint of a fourth wall in sight. The stripped back set design along with Adele’s authentically British colloquialisms will make you feel like you’re enjoying a cosy, winter pub performance that just so happens to be performed by one of the world’s biggest artists.
Stevie Wonder - Rio de Janeiro, 2011
Stevie Wonder live in Rio, that’s got to be as feel-good as it gets, right? And what a repertoire of songs the man has to go along with the great backdrop. The carnival-like surroundings are the perfect accompaniment for timeless tracks like Sir Duke, or the masterpiece that is Superstitious. It’s the softer moments that really capture the attention though. Seeing tens of thousands people singing every word of My Cherie Amour is a sight to behold and something that will no doubt have you itching to experience live music again soon. For now though, this will definitely do.
The Rolling Stones - Glastonbury, 2013
It would be remiss of us to talk about live music spectacles without mentioning the Worthy Farm festival. It’s a case of better late than never with The Stones’ performance in 2013. Very much in the twilight of their careers, Mick Jagger and co. still managed to deliver and how could they not. If we’re talking hits, these guys really have it all. It may be languid and disjointed in parts, but all of this adds to the allure that makes The Stones who they are. Any bits where the quality in performance dips is held up by the audience and their sheer joy in witnessing the biggest rock band of all time at the world’s most famed festival. The outcome: utter brilliance.
CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers - BBC Radio 2, 2017
Talk about ending on a high, if this doesn’t lift your spirits then we don’t know what will. Hits, hits and more hits! Nile Rodgers provides his usual sprinkle of magic dust to this performance to get you dancing around your telly. With songs like Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance it’s clear what the intention is here and this is as perfect a gig as any to give you all the same endorphins that a live performance would.
These are just a small selection of recommendations to help fill the void of experiencing shows first-hand. It hopefully won’t be too long until they will be back, but until then you have YouTube’s endless pool of live music to dive into! Which of these shows is your favourite? Email us or let us know on Facebook or Twitter.