At Signature Brew we're committed to keeping live music alive with our socially-distanced shows. However, with tickets being super-limited and some people not fortunate enough to be able to get out and about, we've put together this handy list of the very best live streamed gigs of 2020. 

A plethora of musicians have been paving the way for high-quality live streams throughout the year, so sit back, order some Backstage IPAs in and enjoy some of the best live streamed music from the comfort of your own sofa…

Five4FiveFest - Enter Shikari, Don Broco, Fatherson & More  

In the middle of lockdown, we proudly teamed up with our friends at Five4FiveFest, who succeeded in raising £50,000 for NHS Charities Together. With headline sets from our long-time pals Enter Shikari, as well as Bedford four-piece Don Broco, Five4FiveFest has so far been unmatched in terms of a large-scale online festival and does pretty well to scratch that itch we’ve all been missing this year. 

Additional performances from Wargasm, Roam, As It Is, Yonaka, Hot Milk, Deaf Havana, Rob Lynch, and many more will keep you busy all weekend. 

IDLES - Live On KEXP

Not only did our friends and collaborators in IDLES recently perform on Steve Lamaq's BBC Radio 6 Music show, they also hosted an exclusive live stream to celebrate the release of their third record, Ultra Mono,  performing at the legendary Abbey Road studios. Luckily for us, this one's also available to watch on KEXP's YouTube channel in full.

As always, IDLES give it their all during this set, and brought back some fond memories of our beer collaboration with them.

Quartet On Tap - Live At Signature Brew

We love music of all types, from hip hop to heavy metal, drum n bass to jazz, so when The Quartet on Tap asked if they could play some classical string pieces in our Walthamstow brewery, we jumped at the chance. Grab a cold beer and enjoy two string quartets by Joseph Haydn for his Op.33 set (No.5 & No.3), below. 

Code Orange - Last Ones Left: In Fear Of The End

Remember the early days of 2020 when the UK slowly descended into a national lockdown? It might feel like a distant memory now, but at the time Code Orange were set to drop one of the most cataclysmic records of the year Under The Skin, followed by an accompanying tour, which was naturally postponed. And yet, before weekly zoom quizzes were even a thing, Code Orange essentially paved the way for wave of live streamed performances, and threw absolutely everything at an empty room in Pittsburgh. It’s still absolutely insane, completely free and essential live stream viewing. 

FEVER 333 - LONG LIVE THE INNOCENT - LIVE DEMONSTRATION

2020 also put a spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement and Jason Aalon Butler’s Fever 333 quickly responded with a live stream performance that doubled as 'a concentrated effort to encourage people to go beyond awareness and take action,’ raising funds for different BLM charities. Catch it below.

Nick Cave - Alone At Alexandra Palace 

Elsewhere, Nick Cave was also one of the first to lead the way on ticketed live streams, performing solo with his piano in the iconic Alexandra Palace. Sadly, this one isn’t available to watch in full anywhere, but Cave’s performance of Galleon Ship is up on his YouTube. Don't miss it.

Beabadoobee - Fake It Flowers

Dirty Hit’s newest prodigy Beabadoobee also released her debut album Fake It Flowers this year. But, for obvious reasons, Bea and her band haven’t been able to tour the record, opting instead for a highly-produced live stream partnered with YouTube Music and directed by Thomas Davis. Sonic Youth and Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged vibes are in abundance here, so definitely check it out and enjoy Fake It Flowers performed in full. 

Honourable Mentions: Hot Chip, Glass Animals, Everything Everything & Laura Marling

Although these streams were ticketed and a bit more exclusive to their immediate fan bases, we also wanted to give a special shout out to our friends in Hot Chip who performed Streamland back in September, as well as Laura Marling who performed in Union Chapel in June - check her performance for The Glastonbury Experience 2020 below.

Likewise, we also wanted to dedicate a special mention to Glass Animals and Everything Everything, who both really pushed the boundaries of live streamed performances. To celebrate the release of their new album Dreamland, Glass Animals projected a live feed of their audience directly onto the stage, had special guests such as Denzel Curry video call in, and did other interactive elements with their fan base. 

Everything Everything, on the other hand, did something entirely different, creating a 3D virtual space you could access & participate in using VR equipment. The future is now, apparently. 

All in all, we know nothing beats the experience of seeing music live and in the flesh, with a delicious beer in your hand. But until then, order in some Backstage IPAs and enjoy any of the above for a little concert of your own.