Here are five artists Platform’s Jessica Goddard will definitely be seeing perform after lockdown is over…
For many of us, concerts are a happy place and a reliable source of escape. Yet, since the outbreak of COVID-19 back in March, many gigs have either been cancelled or postponed until later in the year. Whilst it may be too easy to dwell on the negatives this unprecedented situation has brought, now might just be the perfect time to plan your gig diary for when restrictions are finally lifted.
1. Tom Misch
Since 2016, there has not been one other artist that has dominated my Spotify playlist in the way that Tom Misch has. His beats were the soundtrack to my GCSE and A-level years, and his 2018 album Geography should be a staple for anyone who loves a good boogie. For his latest release, Tom has teamed up with the insanely talented Yussef Dayes and together they have created the masterpiece What Kinda Music. The tour for this album will be something I simply cannot and will not miss, corona or no corona!
2. Harry Styles
I admit it, I was definitely a One Direction fan back in the day (a part of me will always be a directioner!). Yet, I strangely haven’t been too fond of the boys’ solo careers. This was until I saw Mr Styles perform Falling so beautifully at the last Brit awards and I finally understood the hype around his latest album, Fine Line. Over the course of the isolation period, I have managed to imprint the lyrics of every song from the track list on my brain, and you bet I’ll be belting them out at one of his gigs post-quarantine.
3. The 1975
This list just wouldn’t be right without a feature from The 1975. Out of all the artists I’ve seen perform live, I’ve probably seen them the most times; I even made the five hour journey to Plymouth in 2015 to go to their pre-comeback tour. I have grown up with this band, and whilst each album they release seems to be completely different from the one previously, my loyalty will probably never fade. Their latest album Notes On A Conditional Form is due to be released on 22 May and is said to be the bands’ last before the “1975 era” comes to an end (*cries*).
4. Aitch
Moving swiftly on from the pop styles of The 1975 and Harry Styles, Aitch probably couldn’t be more the opposite. However, as a woman of many musical tastes, I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to his music during the lockdown period. Like many others, I have recently taken up running and my running playlist is completely dominated by his songs and tracks he features on. Although I definitely won’t fit in with the crowd, you’ll catch me attempting to rap the words to Rain at his next gig nonetheless.
5. Dua Lipa
My increasingly dangerous Tik Tok addiction has resulted with me making this choice. Dua has been on the UK music scene for some time now and whilst I have always enjoyed her work, I wouldn’t say I’d ever thought about paying money to see her in concert. However, her songs have definitely grown on me in the past few weeks, with her new album Future Nostalgia being one of my favourites.
By Jessica Goddard