Hello, Qello: The Music Service I Didn’t Know I Needed
This concert video streaming service has been hiding in plain sight
In a world of streaming movies, TV Shows, and music, here’s something different: Streaming live (previously recorded) concerts. That’s what Qello is all about. While the service does have some music documentaries, it’s mostly concerts, from classic performances from the 70s through today.
I discovered Qello as an Amazon Prime channel last week and immediately signed up for a free 7-day trial. After that, it’s $7.99 a month. It might not be the kind of streaming service you want to pay for month after month, but if you’re looking to watch something different from time to time, it’s definitely worth it.
So far I’m on day five of my week-long trial, and I’m probably going to pay for it for at least an additional month to have time to watch all the concerts I want to see.
Here’s what I’ve watched so far:
Queen Live at the Rainbow — This concert from 1974 took place at a time when Queen were promoting their third album, and their biggest hits didn’t exist yet. Fans who think Freddie Mercury was born with a mustache might be shocked to discover this younger, longer-haired, and much more art rock-styled Queen.
Culture Club Live at Wembley — In 2017 all four original members of Culture Club performed to an enthusiastic crowd at London’s legendary stadium. Boy George’s voice changed sometime over the years, but the band still sounds great doing all their big hits.
Queen Rock Montreal — Some ten years after the Rainbow performance, Queen was firmly established as a rock band powerhouse. This is the Queen that most people are familiar with, just a few years before Live Aid.
Duran Duran Live at Coachella — Coachella may have a not-so-great reputation, but it didn’t matter when Duran Duran was on stage in 2011. This is a lively but oh-too-short concert video that left me wanting more.
I still want to watch concerts by Heart, Blondie, David Bowie, U2, Fleetwood Mac and more. Two more days is not going to do it.
If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, you can get the Qello free trial and $7.99 monthly price through Qello’s YouTube Channel. But if you go directly to the service’s website, the monthly price after the 7-day is $11.99 per month.
