Credit: IMDb
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Sick of those five hour Netflix binge sessions? Tired of Tiger King memes, nomination challenges and Houseparty quizzes? The GG have you covered.
The internet’s endless supply of great but often well-hidden content has never seemed clearer than in the present situation. While we can’t go out and experience the power of music at a live concert these days, luckily for us many of them have been recorded and published on Youtube. This is perfect at-home entertainment when you’ve tired of those five hour Netflix binge sessions. Here’s a list of concerts to match the widely ranging moods you might encounter in your bed/kitchen/living room in the upcoming weeks.
Boogie town: Talk Talk (Montreux, 1986)
This is for when you just want to boogie a little and don’t care about annoying the downstairs neighbours. You might already have been dancing away to ABBA’s 1979 Wembley performance or Talking Head’s 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense, so another suggestion is the undeniable foot-tapping energy of Talk Talk’s 1986 concert. It is impossible not to listen to the concert’s introductory track Talk Talk without moving your body in a rhythmic sway.
Late night reflections: Pink Floyd (Live at Pompeii, 1972)
In 1972 Pink Floyd performed at the Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii. The whole thing was recorded and the result is the concert film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii where performances are mixed with interviews and footage of the gazing eyes of statues frozen in time. This is a great one to put on while sipping a drink of your choice on a late night when you have nothing else to do and the city’s silence feels a little too unsettling. Few things in history have since beaten the first tap of the drum in Echoes
Productivity pick-me-up: Wintergatan (Victoriateatern, 2017)
You know that feeling when you’ve spent the past three days in bed and you know you should probably be studying for exams but can’t seem to find the motivation to actually do something, anything? Well, folktronica band Wintergatan’s performance in Victoriateatern is the perfect moodsetter to kick your ass into gear: instrumental music that ranges between upbeat and chill, starting with the amazing track Sommarfågel. You might recognise the band if you’ve ever seen the Marble Machine video, and the band is notable for playing on somewhat… strange instruments. But hey, why would you play on any other instrument if you could simply use a typewriter?
Sadness overload: Florence + The Machine (Royal Albert Hall, 2012) / Sigur Rós (iTunes Festival, 2013)
Sometimes we break down and just need to shed some tears. Why not try virtual communal sobbing to ease some of the loneliness? I personally think that there is no better way to cry than in accompaniment with Florence Welch’s jaw-dropping vocals, and my top concert pick goes to her 2012 Royal Albert Hall performance. If that’s not your cup of tea, I also think that there is something mesmerizingly sad in Sigur Rós’ music. This might be one of the few instances that the phrase “you could start a religion with this” is 100% legitimate. What sort of sadness are you craving: Florence’s uplifting tears-a-flowing catharsis, or the extreme melancholia of Sigur Rós’ post-rock sound? The choice is all yours.
Visual cravings: Stromae (Montreal, 2015)
Feel like something to distract you both audibly and visually? Stromae’s performance of his album Racine Carrée in 2015 fulfills that craving pretty well, I’d say. It is filled with Stromae’s enchanting personality and audience participation, wonderful sweaters, and an unbeaten EDM/hip hop music selection. So foot-tappingly good that I confess to singing along to most of the songs with my non-existent French-speaking abilities. Alors on danse!
DAMN THIS ROOM!: Fugazi (any of their over 1000 released concerts)
Listen. I get it. You’re angry about everything that’s happening, the damn uncertainty of it all, and while you’d rather be at the pub chatting to your mates about the latest sports thing, the government’s forcing you to stay in bed. Put on your headphones, skip Nirvana and bump up the volume to Fugazi to release some of that built up energy. You’ve got this. Maybe have a few rounds of pacing around the room. Please don’t hit the wall. I mean that figuratively and literally: you really want that deposit back, don’t you? And Fugazi doesn’t condone that sort of behaviour anyway!
Third coffee of the day: David August (Berlin, 2014)
Ultimate focus vibes. You’re in the zone, it’s 12pm and you’re already on your third cup of coffee, and you’re looking for some not-too-overwhelming background music to aid your study sesh. This is the perfect soundtrack. Nothing more to be said – just keep on working!
