The answer? Intimate, impromptu concerts from their living rooms, streamed live on social media, complete with kids, pets and the added bonus of a sneak peek inside the homes of some of the world’s biggest music stars. Here are nine of our favourite gigs from the first month of lockdown:
Chris Martin
Coldplay’s frontman was one of the first artists to take to Instagram on 17 March and entertain over four million fans with a live rendition of some of the band’s biggest hits. He chatted with fans on comments throughout the Instagram Live recording, taking requests from his US home. Wearing his signature beanie, he begins, with winning self-deprecation, by saying, ‘Hi, my name’s Chris. Is this on?’ He professes to be a bit nervous (this from the man who has sold out stadia), can’t remember some his own songs, but then goes on to play and sing, unsurprisingly, beautifully. Lovely and natural.
John Legend
John Legend was also an early adopter of the ‘lockdown Live’; sharing a 50-minute session with wife Chrissy Teigen perched atop his grand piano on 18 March as he crooned through some of his award-winning tracks, as well as a heart-warming rendition of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ for his three-year-old daughter, Luna, who made a star appearance.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, king of the West End musical, has been taking requests over on his Twitter channel from fans, poised at his piano for a ‘singalong at home’ series – including all the showtime greats from Cats to Phantom of the Opera. We loved his show tune battle with the ever brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Jack Savoretti
Jack Savoretti, the British/Italian artist, has gone a step further than most and released a charity single, Andra Tutto Bene, which he co-wrote en masse with his Italian fans, live on Instagram. Super cool, no? Even better, the proceeds have all gone to raise funds for one of the hardest hit hospitals: San Martino di Genoa, in northern Italy. He’s also sharing a ‘song a day’ from his piano in his west London front room, from Bob Dylan classics to a touching Bill Withers’ tribute.
Lizzo
Possibly not the floor-filling anthems you might expect from the fabulous one, but
Lizzo has been sharing ‘meditations and mantras’ with her legion of fans. Expect crystals, flute playing and chanting on her social media in a quest to support her followers’ mental health through the lockdown. We love it. We would also love a Good as Hell hit too, hint hint.
Pink
It seems that Pink has been using her time in lockdown to productive effect. She took to Instagram to show off the new piano skills she’s been working on with a pitch perfect rendition of Bob Dylan’s (later popularised by Adele) Feel My Love. She has since returned to the piano and shared up one of her own songs and, well, we love her, not least because, at the time of writing, her latest post simply read: ‘Why is my cheesecake exploding.’ A woman after our own hearts.
Gary Barlow
Good old Gary. His Crooner Sessions, released each day at 5pm on his Instagram channel, see him singing duets with the likes of fellow boyband royalty, Ronan Keating (Boyzone) and Shane Filan (Westlife), as well as blasts from the past, Jason Donovan, Tony Hadley and Cliff Richard – he even shared a rare reunion with fellow Take That member Robbie Williams. Squeeee! This lockdown business does have the occasional perk.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus’ Bright Minded Show has featured guests including Elton John, Alicia Keys, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa and Diplo. More of a chat show than a concert, she talks spirituality with Hailey Bieber and anxiety and body image with Demi Lovato. With its own catchy theme song, who knows, Miley may come out of lockdown as the next Oprah.
One World: Together At Home Concert
Finally, the first month of online music events culminated in the One World: Together At Home Concert on the 19 April, organised by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization (WHO). Dubbed the ‘lockdown Live Aid’ it saw 100 musicians, including Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Paul McCartney, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, Celine Dion, Taylor Swift and many others play for the marathon eight-hour show. There were also messages of thanks and support for frontline health workers from the likes of Michelle Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, The Beckhams and Beyoncé. The event raised almost £102m in the first 24 hours, with proceeds going towards vaccine development and local and regional charities.
By Lydia Mansi
April 2020
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