Since their rise to prominence in 2013, The 1975 have established themselves as one of the UK’s biggest bands. Renowned for their eclectic music and diligent outlook, they have secured an ever-increasing fan-base, a number one album and sold out venues all over the world. I found myself crammed into a packed Brighton Centre on Thursday evening to catch a glimpse of the magic.
The evening commenced with support act Ratboy (real name Jordan Cardy). The name is certainly fitting – his image, lyrics and music (an amalgamation of rock and hip-hop) possess a gritty and shabby feel to them. Along with his band, he delivered an energetic but rather immoderate set.
Over the long half-an-hour wait between Ratboy and The 1975, the house lights dimmed gradually, a brilliant touch which only intensified the anticipation in the venue. Finally, at 9pm, scatty lasers swept the room, static occupied the screens and eerie sounds eventually evolved into a pink glow and the distinctive Bowie-esque guitar riffs of latest single ‘Love Me’. It was the perfect opener, generating a buzz of excitement which did not falter throughout the remainder of the show. The band continued to power energetically through hits such as ‘Heart Out’ and ‘Settle Down’ in addition to the material from their early EP’s such as the slushy ‘Falling for You’ and effortlessly catchy ‘So Far (It’s Alright).’
The audience were also teased with four new tracks from the band’s upcoming second album. Whilst this was a daring move, the new material was exceptionally well-received by the crowd. Similarly to the band’s début album, the new songs verified that the ‘80’s are still very much alive. ‘She’s American’ is an amalgamation of previous singles ‘Heart Out’ and ‘Settle Down’, ‘Change of Heart’ is the band’s take on Madonna’s ‘Crazy For You’ whilst the brilliant ‘Somebody Else’ utilises scatty synthesiser clips and funky bass lines. It was ‘The Sound’, however which prompted the most rapturous response from the audience, triggering exuberant jumping to the funky 80’s-esque indie-pop track.
The new songs weren’t the only modification since the band’s previous tour. The band has undergone a significant transformation, seemingly embracing pop music as their primary focus. Their famed monochrome façade has been subsequently replaced by a vivid pink glow. Indeed, the stage was permanently ignited in a sea of effervescent technicolour, primarily supplied by screens and laser lights. For such an intimate venue, the display was spectacular and accompanied their cinematic array of songs perfectly.
The band as a whole also exhibited more confidence and proficiency whilst frontman Matt Healy’s vocals were cleaner and more self-assured than ever before. Healy jauntily covered all areas of the stage, interacting with all parts of the arena. His carefree charisma made him an endearing frontman to watch, particularly when he took a sip from his glass of wine or lit a roll-up during the fidgety instrumental-dominated ‘Menswear’. Every movement was effortlessly cool, well-timed and sent the crowd into meltdown. It’s too easy to neglect the contribution of the rest of the band, however – particularly bass player Ross MacDonald and guitarist Adam Hann. George Daniel’s drumming plays a significant role in the band’s tight, funky sound whilst MacDonald and Hann swapped guitars for synthesisers and vice versa an exhausting amount during the show.
Throughout the show, it was clear that Healy and the crowd fed off each other and it worked beautifully. “We’ve invested in screens so you don’t have to. We don’t want you to spend the show watching us through screens as that would just be ironic, wouldn’t it? Just for this song, I want you to put your phones away” he stated before an emotional performance of ‘Me’. Needless to say, not one phone was visible during the track. It was a moment which reinforced the loss of interaction; much of the crowd unknowingly watched the show through the screens of their phones, valuing capturing the moment on Instagram and Snapchat over memory. It also reinforced Healy’s impeccable ability to engross an audience.
The atmosphere was as animated as my previous experience of seeing The 1975, perhaps slightly intensified. At least ten females were removed from the crowd by security, either the consequence of fainting or drinking too much. One quick glance around at the audience during the emotional ‘Robbers‘ revealed tears sliding down many’s cheeks. It was clear that the band’s music plays a huge role in the lives of many.
The evening culminated with a perfect crowd-rousing trio of songs for the show’s encore. The audience were captivated during the tender ‘Medicine’ before launching into a wild frenzy during the arguably best-known hits ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Sex’.
It was a privilege to be present at one of the most spectacular shows ever held in an intimate venue and I for one believe this is still only the beginning for The 1975.
Rating: 5/5.
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