The 1975 take on Birmingham Arena.
Globally renowned, The 1975 recently stepped back into the spotlight with the release of A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. Evolving from their typical art-pop style, The 1975's latest album established an ambitiously creative sound with a very millennial feel. As the album has been receiving flat-out praise, Slanted Press thought it was time to see how the band fared in a live context.
Before The 1975 hit the stage, the crowd was warmed up by two class opening acts—No Rome and Pale Waves. Both are also signed to Dirty Hit, so we were pretty spoiled. Each act carried their own signature pop style, and it was a brilliant lineup to get the crowd ready. A few hit songs later, it was time for the band we had all been waiting for.
If it was any other show, kicking things off with a couple of videos would come across as a little pretentious, but The 1975 brought their own flair. The opening notes of the iconic self-titled 'The 1975' blared through the stadium. Lyrics were plastered from screen to stage and Matty's pre-recorded vocals had us all watching in anticipation to see the band make their way to the stage. A swift and terrifyingly brilliant transition into 'Give Yourself a Try' threw the stadium into hysteria.
I'll be honest: in terms of vocal quality, I wasn't expecting much from Matty Healy, but I was gladly proven wrong. With beautiful stage production to match, the show wasn't just brilliant to be a part of, but a visual spectacle. In a sold-out arena, any show can feel electrifying, but The 1975's stage production is what truly set them apart—from bright background lighting to an on-stage treadmill! If that wasn't enough, the transitions between songs and album eras were wonderfully smooth, switching between newer songs and fan-favourites. It was also refreshing to hear the band jump from 'It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)' to more mellow tracks like 'How to Draw/Petrichor'.
All in all, the show was a remarkable feat. The songs were familiar, but the stage production was fantastic. Closing up a setlist of 22 energetic tracks, The 1975 delivered a quality show.
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