After months of lockdown and countless cancellations, it’s beginning to feel a bit like we’re never going to experience the adrenaline rush of a killer live show ever again. Digging out live DVDs and tracking down the best YouTube recordings doesn’t quite compare to the real thing, but hey, at least it’s cheaper and comes without the overpriced pints and sweaty train ride home.
Whilst we eagerly await the return of live shows, hoping they come soon (yet simultaneously praying that they’re only restored once we’re sure it’s safe), we’ve put together this list of awesome live videos you can watch right now to pass the time and quench that live music thirst.
It doesn’t get much gnarlier than early ‘90s death metal videos, and this cut from Obituary’s landmark second album always results in flailing bodies. Absolute bedlam.
An hour of sludgy greatness from the incomparable Melvins. This is an absolute treat from start to finish, with one heck of a setlist to boot.
Roadburn has become infamous for exclusive sets and “you had to be there” moments, with Converge playing Jane Doe in full back in 2016 absolutely being one of them. This is mental, and an absolute must-watch for fans of this landmark album.
Imagine going back to see thrash legends Sepultura during their prime. Unfortunately, until someone invents a time machine we’re stuck with this striking recording of ‘Arise’.
Re-imagining the tense, slow-building thud of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ as a sludgy stomp, this corrosive cover from two of the doom scene’s most creative bands is an absolute must-hear.
Seeing Craig Charles introduce Napalm Death (circa ‘89) is a pretty wild sight, with the band even busting out a quick ‘You Suffer’ after the Red Dwarf and Coronation Street mainstay jokes about “lighting the mood”.
No one captures the energy of a set quite like hate5six’s Sunny Singh, and Full Of Hell undoubtedly offer one of the metal scene’s most venomous live shows. No wonder then that this cut from 2013 is one of the most intense and brutal live recordings we’ve ever witnessed.
Before Crazy Titch was behind bars and Dizzee Rascal was a millionaire, the two had this volatile face-off, with no one really coming out on top. A tense video from grime’s earlier days.
Post-metal titans Neurosis have been an unrivalled creative force for decades, and still boast one of the most colossal live shows going. This pre-Fires Within Fires festival set from Paris in 2013 captures them at their most commanding.
Torpor are without a shadow of a doubt one of the UK underground’s finest bands. It’s a huge shame that they weren’t able to show their ability at this year’s Roadburn as planned, but this intense, intimate recording from 2018 should tide us all over till next year.
This one sees New York’s Living Colour setting the stage alight with a frantic Bad Brains cover, somehow upping the raw energy of the original. Beautiful stuff.
The Dillinger Escape Plan scaring the shit out of the Golden Gods in 2013 remains a brilliant sight, plus there’s an impressive cameo from a vocalist by the name of Chino Moreno too.
Stoner rock’s reputation insists that it’s primarily slow and lackadaisical, but this rollicking track absolutely steamrolls everything in its path. This video sees a stoner classic played with passion – when that groove kicks in, you’ll be jumping on the sofa wishing you were there.
Beautifully shot with tons of close-ups and crowd shots, this Gojira recording is moody as hell, and captures the subtle intimacies that are often lost when recording a show of this scale.
Candlemass at their gloriously doomy peak, with an always formidable Messiah Marcolin putting his own spin on a track originally sung by Johan Längquist.
Anyone who’s caught Venom Prison – be it at a house show or a tiny club, a bigger festival stage or supporting the likes of Trivium and Dying Fetus – will know that they’ve more than earned their place as leaders of the UK’s death metal underground. This set, recorded by Jake Owens, comes from last year’s Damnation Festival and boasts fantastic picture and sound quality – well worth a watch.
Linkin Park at Rock Am Ring as Avril Lavigne watches on from the side of the stage? Forgive us if this is a little too early ’00s. This one’s a nostalgic cut for anyone who grew up during nu-metal’s peak, and sees the late Chester Bennington flexing his potent vocal chords on a punchy Nine Inch Nails cover.
Black Sabbath‘s ‘Changes’ remains a polarising song in the legendary band’s back catalogue, but few could argue with the achingly poignant rendition recorded by late American soul singer Charles Bradley. This live video has done the rounds on social media several times, and for good reason. It’s made all the more powerful by Bradley’s explanation of what the song means to him before the cover starts, which becomes particularly relevant when he starts making subtle alterations to the lyrics. No, YOU’RE crying.
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Videos chosen by: Rich Lowe, George Parr, Jay Hampshire, John Higham, Tony Bliss
