amazing live videos of Rush, Blur, Regina Spektor & more to watch while every show is cancelled

April 22, 2020

Basically no shows are happening due to the coronavirus outbreak (though some artists are doing livestreams instead), but if you’re already jonesing to see a show, or just need a brief distraction from the insanity of the world right now, thankfully there’s YouTube which has an amazing array of live footage from throughout the history of pop music, from clips from concert films, TV performances and other pro-shot footage, to tons of fan-shot video from shows. If you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve been picking some of our favorites. Here are five more:

Rush in 1980/1981 (Exit… Stage Left)

On their tours for the now-legendary albums Permanent Waves (1980) and Moving Pictures (1981), Rush recorded Exit… Stage Left, which came out as a live album in ’81 and later got released in film form too. It splices in interview footage too, and the live footage finds Rush at the height of their powers, powering through now-classic songs like “Limelight,” “Tom Sawyer,” “Closer to the Heart,” “YYZ,” “2112: Grand Finale,” and more. It’s still kind of unbelievable how huge Rush could sound with just three members, and they looked as larger-than-life on stage as their music sounded. We miss you, Neil. [Andrew Sacher]

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Blur in Köln, Germany 6/16/1993

The “Blur” sound really took shape with the band’s second album, Modern Life is Rubbish, where glam and ’60s groups like The Kinks began informing their sound. That album was just out when Blur played this show for German television and you can tell the new direction was exciting for them from the spring in their step. Kicking things off with “Popscene,” their set includes “Chemical World,” “For Tomorrow,” “Sunday Sunday,” and “Colin Zeal” plus first album single “She’s So High” and one that would end up being instrumental to their next: “Parklife.” [Bill Pearis]

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Mobb Deep on Teen Summit – 1996

The Infamous turns 25 this week, and it’s getting an expanded reissue this Friday to celebrate, and we’re also celebrating today with this classic video of Mobb Deep on BET’s Teen Summit in 1996. This was actually around the time The Infamous‘ followup Hell on Earth was released, and they played that album’s great single “Front Lines (Hell On Earth),” but not before doing an incredible rendition of The Infamous‘ breakthrough single “Shook Ones.” It’s unfortunately just these two songs, but footage of Mobb Deep in the mid ’90s is not easy to come by, and this video does a fine job of showing what a dynamic duo these two were in their prime. RIP Prodigy. [Andrew Sacher]

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Regina Spektor @ The Hammersmith Apollo, London – 12/4/2009

Regina Spektor is backed by a string quartet and a drummer at this 2009 London performance, and they flesh out her sound beautifully; frankly, I get goosebumps listening. The setlist is made up mostly of songs from Far, which was released sixth months prior, but she plays plenty of older material too, all sounding at the top of her game. [Amanda Hatfield]

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The Wedding Present @ Reading Festival 1989

Once infamously called “Smiths’ fans second favorite band,” The Wedding Present were known for their lovelorn lyrics and manic jangly sound. Here they are at the 1989 Reading Festival, just a couple months before releasing their second album, Bizarro, ripping through ’80s indie classics like “My Favorite Dress,” “Brassneck,” “Everybody Thinks He’s Daft,” and more. The video is a little shaky — how did people sneak video cameras into festival back then? — but bonus for getting to hear the late, great John Peel read tongue-in-cheek festival announcements before their set, like “Blue Ford Sierra license plate number” your car’s about to be towed warning. [Bill Pearis]