Sofar Sounds: Keep Listening

Missing intimate, unplugged gigs? Sofar Sounds have something to tide you over until they’re back on.

‘Shut up, put your phone away and enjoy the music’, the founders of Sofar Sounds caught themselves grumbling at one too many gigs in 2009, before resolving to do something about it. Their once-tiny events start-up, which now operates in over 400 cities around the world, puts on secret unplugged gigs in unique spaces, where audiences are asked to – and generally do – give the artists the respect of their full attention.

When restrictions surrounding live music are lifted, you’ll find Sofar Sounds gigs popping up in spaces like Manchester Museum, Manchester Art Gallery and Chetham’s School of Music. Until then, the company is delivering quality livestreamed content in the form of Keep Listening, a YouTube-based gig series that offers financial support to smaller acts, while connecting them with music lovers across the globe.

Accessible via YouTube, these live shows are broadcast on a daily basis, from artists’ living room to yours. From pop to jazz, rock to rap, the shows span a range of genres, with the common thread being that artists perform super stripped-back sets – many totally acoustic. Being on YouTube, all gigs all free, but you can show your support for artists by donating directly to the livestream performer or to the Sofar Sounds Global Artist Fund, which benefits acts that rely most on Sofar shows for live performance income.

The gig schedule is posted a week in advance, and you can find the latest information on Sofar’s website, where you can also watch all of the past livestreams.