How to ‘forget everything’ and escape from lockdown – Steve Cardownie

The internet has provided hours of entertainment for Steve Cardownie with YouTube and a host of musical peformances a particular highlight.

Steve hears violins when Smokey Robinson sings (Picture: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect)

The current health crisis (I swore that I would not mention Covid-19 in this column) has forced me to develop aspects of my life which have been somewhat neglected of late.

Netflix and Amazon Prime have filled the gap when I have been confined to my modest abode but YouTube has really risen to the challenge and provided me with hours of entertainment. Whether it is dashcam footage from the perilous roads of Russia to failed X Factor auditions, the opportunity to witness events that I would normally avoid has been nothing short of fascinating.

My interest in live music has been fuelled by the countless recordings of buskers throughout the world and concerts by internationally renowned artists, the likes of which I never would never have tuned into had it not been for lockdown.

Blues, soul, Tamla, ska and rock music have entertained me for hours on end and rekindled my appreciation of music in its many forms and which I am about to experience again when I finish writing this column.

A few crackers with cheese, washed down with a glass or two of Buffalo Trace and Boab’s yer uncle.

In the words of ABC: “When Smokey sings, I hear violins. When Smokey sings, I forget everything.”

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