Concert Films: Here are 5 of the best musical sets committed to celluloid from LCD Soundsystem to Aretha Franklin

With Glastonbury just around the corner, we’re looking at the films that manage to capture the magic of the live music experience.

There may be no substitute for being at a concert in person, but there have been plenty of attempts to create the next best thing for cinema audiences.

Good concert films can offer a unique perspective on some of the world’s greatest artists – freezing legendary performances from broken-up bands and much-missed singers like flies in amber. Here are 5 that do just that.

Stop Making Sense (Amazon Prime Video)

This Talking Heads concert was shot by director Jonathan Demme over three consecutive nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in 1983 and is widely considered the gold standard for the genre. More than 35 years later, frontman David Byrne would repeat the trick, teaming up with Spike Lee to film his revolutionary ‘American Utopia’ set.

Amazing Grace (Stream from £3.49)

Originally filmed by Oscar-winner Sydney Pollack at a Los Angeles church over several nights in 1972, this set of songs by Aretha Franklin was shelved due to out of sync audio. Fast forward to 2019 and modern technology meant that the gremlins could be banished, giving audiences the chance to revel in the goosebump-inducing performance.

Shut Up and Play the Hits (DVD)

Taking its title from a heckle by Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler during the gig, this film documents LCD Soundsystem’s supposed (they later reformed) final gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Bookended by footage of singer James Murphy before and after the concert, it’s the live footage that really shines.

The Last Waltz (Stream from £5.99)

If you had to choose anybody to film you on stage, Martin Scorsese would come pretty high on the wishlist. That's who caught The Band’s Thanksgiving Day farewell concert in 1976. A remarkable cast joined them for the gig – including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, and Neil Young.

Prince: Sign O’ the Times (BFI Player)

Much of the original filmed footage of Prince’s iconic 1987 tour to promote the album of the same name was grainy and unusable, resulting in reshoots at the star's Paisley Park Studio. The resulting combination of music video, live footage and between-song segues bombed at the box office but is now considered a classic.