Talking Heads
Talking Heads in Rome, 1980

amazing live videos of Talking Heads, The 1975, Sugar & more to watch while every show is cancelled

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:

Talking Heads @ Palazzo dello Sport, Rome 12/17/1980

You’ve seen Stop Making Sense a million times (and if you haven’t, do watch that) but maybe you haven’t seen this — Talking Heads playing Rome on the Remain in Light tour. It’s less of a flashy production and and a little more punk, with the augmented “10-piece funk machine” lineup of the group that included Bernie Worrell and Adrian Belew, and the setlist that hits some deeper cuts (or at least just pre-“Burning Down the House”). No big suits, just a killer performance with especially awesome renditions of “I Zimbra” and “Crosseyed and Painless.” [Bill Pearis]

Sugar @ The Academy in NYC – 10/23/1992

Bob Mould’s current power trio setup and his last four solo albums have all hearkened back to the glory days of Sugar, and when he plays Sugar classics live, he does those songs with all the energy and passion you could ask for. His shows have been a real treat over the past few years, but since we can’t see him or anyone else play Sugar songs in person right now, here’s the video of the real Sugar in their prime. Copper Blue had just come out the previous month, and they tore through the songs from that album, plus some stuff that wouldn’t come out until Beaster and File Under: Easy Listening, their cover of The Who’s “Armenia City in the Sky,” and more. The whole thing rips. [Andrew Sacher]

The 1975 @ O2 Arena in London – 2/22/2020

The 1975’s anticipated new album Notes On A Conditional Form comes out this month, and we also would’ve been looking forward to the band’s North American tour with Phoebe Bridgers if not for this pandemic, so to tide you over for whenever that ends up happening, here’s a great full-set video of the band in their home country earlier this year. They opened with the punky NOACF single “People” (a song that really begs to be seen live) and did a handful of other songs from the new album, including “Me & You Together Song,” “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know),” “Frail State of Mind,” “The Birthday Party,” and one that hasn’t come out as a single yet: the jangly, tender “Guys.” The new stuff sounded great, the band’s light show was as vivid as ever, and of course, they did explosive, crowd-dominating renditions of older faves like “Love It If We Made It,” “Give Yourself A Try,” “Sex,” “Somebody Else,” set-closer “The Sound,” and more. [Andrew Sacher]

(And in related news, yesterday Matty Healy launched a podcast featuring Brian Eno, Kim Gordon, Mike Kinsella, Stevie Nicks, Conor Oberst, Steve Reich, and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie; and Phoebe Bridgers, beabadoobee, Clairo, and others will be covering The 1975 on a livestream this Thursday, 5/7.)

10cc @ Hammersmith Odeon, London 6/18/1977

Kinda like a UK Steely Dan, 10cc have been unfairly pidgeonholed and very misunderstood over the years; serious players and songwriters who also rarely did things without a wink and a little theatricality. Here they are at the height of their worldwide popularity (though sadly after Lol Creme and Kevin Godley left the band), with a hit-filled set including all the Love songs (“I’m Not in Love,” “The Things We Do For Love” and “People in Love”). plus “The Second Sitting For The Last Supper,” boogie rock classic “Good Morning Judge” and more. [Bill Pearis]

The Decemberists @ Earlham College, Richmond, IN – 10/31/2003

This Halloween show sadly doesn’t feature any wacky costumes, but it does show The Decemberists playing songs from their very solid first two albums: 2002’s Castaways and Cutouts, and 2003’s Her Majesty the Decemberists, which was barely two months old at the time. The songs on those albums are still some of the most enduring of their entire catalog, and it’s a treat to see them performed over 15 years ago by a younger band. They also play the tender “Engine Driver,” whose release on 2005’s Picaresque was still in the future at this point. [Amanda Hatfield]

And here’s a gallery of photos of The 1975 from over the years:

For more of our favorite live videos, head here.