Last week, I went to The Barclays Center in Brooklyn to see The 1975. I had heard a few of their songs and was quite impressed. I wasn’t sure what to expect from their live show but the place was totally packed – mainly with late teens and early 20’s girls.
The moment they came out on stage, the crowd went wild. They had giant monitor screens and elaborate LED lights. The set and lighting was pretty spectacular.
It’s an exciting era for the band and the fans. Although The 1975 packed an arena that has also hosted shows from the Rolling Stones to Jay Z to Justin Bieber, The 1975 still feels like the fans’ secret. But that won’t last for long, judging by their performance. The audience’s enthusiasm for the band was incrediable. Front man Matt Healy was clearly blown away by this and after his first song said “Well, well, well. This is pretty fucking good, isn’t it?”
The audience was so obsessed, they almost beat him to the lyrics as the 1975 launched into an irresistibly slick “Love Me,” and followed it with hits like “UGH!,” “Heart Out,” and “Loving Someone.” Healy was the epitome of a magnetic frontman. Supercharged by guitarist Adam Hann and bassist Ross MacDonald, their sound cut through the fuzz of the spacious venue and brought the funk right to each empty seat – not that any tickets were unsold, it’s just that no one was sitting; they had the entire crowd on their feet. In their softer moments, often adorned by a sultry sax solo or a 6-piece choir, Healy was almost gone from the spotlight. Leaning back on a ledge to light up a cigarette, he smoked with the casual certainty of someone who knew he was in the process of seducing a new generation. “We’re not massively all over magazines, we’re not massively over radio, so we’re very much a fan-generated band,” he pointed out, explaining that the band were grateful to be playing show of this size. The 1975 also urged the Barclays crowd to abandon their phones and “just be people,” rewarding their restraint with sexy songs like “Fallingforyou,” “Somebody Else,” and “Paris.” And the audience were “just people,” they were passionate and present. A strong encore of “If I Believe You,” “Chocolate,” “The Sound,” and “Sex,” completed their set.
During the show I could hear the influences of so many artists including David Bowie, Prince and even Art Garfunkel. This band have enormous talent and should be incredibly successful. My question is this… Why do they not get more airplay? Their songs would fit on so many different stations, it is truly amazing that we are not hearing them regularly on the radio!