No festival season in 2020. This just breaks our heart. No really, every time we think of all the cool headliners we’re not going to see, we tear up. So, we decided to create a list with the bands that would have been the crème de la crème this summer. Check out the full Festival Headliners 2020 Channel for all the artists. We’re highlighting just a few below to give you a little taste.

Gorillaz

These guys are old school and still going strong. If you’ve ever been to a Gorillaz concert, you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, then keep them in mind when the next festival season opens up. They’re totally worth it, as is jamming along with their songs. The chords for “Clint Eastwood” may seem hard and weird, but this all changes when you transpose the song up a half step, or tune your guitar down a half step to Eb — this is what we call the Jimi Hendrix tuning.

Hollywood Vampires

If you love rock ’n’ roll and power chords, you’re looking for “Who’s Laughing Now” by The Hollywood Vampires. These creatures of the night were going to crawl all over the festival stages if it wasn’t for COVID-19. Now we can try to spawn the vibe by playing this track after dusk. Remember to close the windows after dark and don’t invite any pale-skinned strangers into your home.

Liam Gallagher

The former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is a poet by design. That’s why we were really looking forward to checking out his Brit-pop jams this summer. When you watch his 2019 Glastonbury show, you’ll know why. It will take you like a “Shockwave.” The chords of this song are pretty straightforward, which makes the track perfect for beginners. Put on your best British accent and go for it!

The Strokes

The New York-based band The Strokes released their sixth studio album earlier this year, and a new record means … yup, a festival tour. We hate the idea that we have to wait at least another year to hear the post-punkers blast their tracks live. Luckily we have this “Eternal Summer” to play along with their songs.

Post Malone

This guy always knows how to surprise us with his live shows. Therefore, we kind of hoped to see him rock the stage this summer together with the Prince of Darkness. Rumor has it that Ozzy Osbourne was planning on joining the young superstar, but if that were true, we’ll never know. Oh man, this really makes us crave a good power ballad with some smooth chords. When in doubt Post Malone and Ozzy’s “Take What You Want From Me” is a good one to jam to.

Masego

The American rising star Masego is known for his saxophone tunes in his tracks. His collaboration with Fkj in 2017 resulted in the amazing track “Tadow”. We would have seen him this summer at a few festivals, but hey, that’s life. Best to focus on the bright side: jamming along with the “Tadow” chords. Check ‘m out. There are a lot of seventh chords in here so take a brief look at our explanation on how to play the Am7 chord. It will definitely help you out.

Jorja Smith

She was nominated for Best New Artist of 2019 at the Grammys, so 2020 would have been the right time to enjoy some of that smooth soul that Jorja Smith brings to the stage. Nothing beats a nice cool drink on a summer afternoon when sitting on a hill, looking at the stage, and enjoying the grooves. You’ll have to do without Jorja, but you can definitely build a hill of cushions, pour yourself a drink, and play along with the Jorja Smith chords to “Blue Lights”.  

The National

The American indie rockers guarantee a party whenever they play at a festival. We know this for a fact. Their last record, I Am Easy to Find, did well last festival season, so we were hoping to see them again. When and where…? No one knows. But, thankfully, we can bring back the memories by opening that piano and playing along with the title track. “I Am Easy to Find” isn’t that hard after all, but it definitely brings up that summer atmosphere. Try it out. Happy jamming!

Photo header by Niels Knelis Meijer

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Teo creates content, which means he writes, a lot, about music, and all things interesting. When it comes to jamming, his weapon of choice is the bass guitar.