The effect COVID-19, and the social distancing needed to combat it, has already had on the music world is seismic. Dozens of tours have been axed or postponed while the summer festival season looks increasingly unlikely to go ahead. The long-term effects of this could be devastating for artists, particularly those who rely on live income to make a living. The short term effects are also upsetting — it's not selfish to miss going to live shows and for musicians to miss feeling that same release from up on stage.
Increasingly in the past few days a compromise has been reached as artists have turned to livestreaming full shows and smaller performances online as a means of release and comfort. These range from the metal band Code Orange going live on Twitch at an empty theater in Pittsburgh to Coldplay's Chris Martin getting his guitar and covering David Bowie from the comfort of his living room.
Below is an evolving round-up of artists who are bringing people together by streaming performances live throughout this uncertain and unsettling period.