Music

The 1975

Review

How The 1975 are ready for festival stardom

Selling out two nights at London's The O2, The 1975 are more ready than ever for the summer.

Find tickets here

Thousands of fans at London’s The O2 stop mid-conversation as the music blaring out of the venue’s speakers begins to slur. Alongside it the lights, previously glaring into the crowd, start to flicker. A rumble fills the vast room, meeting an intoxicating blend of stunned and excitable fans – many of whom are screaming at the very top of their lungs. With that, The 1975 take to the stage for the night of their lives.

The 1975 - TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME (Official Video)

 

The two sold out nights at London’s The O2 form part of their headline UK tour and celebrate the release of last year’s acclaimed A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. They also see The 1975 gear up for some seriously high-profile slots at festivals this summer, not least the ever-popular Reading and Leeds Festival and as part of Glasgow’s Summer Sessions series. Although not new to a top billing – having previously wowed audiences at Latitude Festival among others – 2019 sees the four-piece very much at the top of their game.

It’s nothing short of remarkable

Back in London, The 1975 are flanked by a hugely impressive lighting rig. Whether bathing enigmatic frontman Matty Healy in blue light, or projecting a rainbow haze towards the back of the stage, it’s nothing short of remarkable. The lighting itself underpins an impressively advanced production. At times Healy dances without a care on across the moving floor, or is elevated above his bandmates to seemingly pushes the massive backdrop back with superhuman strength. It’s part of a fully-rounded show, effortlessly designed for a jaw-dropping experience.

The 1975 - Give Yourself A Try

 

It all builds on a set that proves The 1975 as one of the best in the business. Bursting in with a one-two from last year’s full-length, Give Yourself A Try and TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME sound brilliant. Their set goes on to celebrate the old and the new, covering their three albums and even allotting time for show opener No Rome to deliver his Healy featuring Narcissist. It’s evidence of their unbounded confidence.

A celebration of pop prowess

But perhaps The 1975 have never sounded as festival-ready as the rousing I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes), perfectly placed to round off their main set. It’s chorus is simply huge, sitting somewhere between Britpop brilliance and anthemic power ballad grandeur. And the hits don’t stop from there. The encore, a true celebration of their pop prowess, packs a punch with recent single Love It If We Made It, as well as favourites Chocolate, The Sound and Sex – proving that they are more than willing to look back for the sake of true euphoria.

The 1975 - Sex [EP Version]

 

Based on their headline shows, nobody can be surprised that The 1975 have established themselves as deserving festival headliners. Be it on their own stage or topping the bill on a vast outside stage, the four-piece carry the showmanship, charisma and the all-important songs to deliver a truly memorable experience. Bring on the summer.

Following their January 2019 headline run, remaining tickets for which are still available, The 1975 will take to Reading and Leeds Festival for a headline slot, and perform a Glasgow Summer Session. Tickets for The 1975’s shows and festival appearances are available through Ticketmaster.co.uk.