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Manchester Evening News

Entertainment

Fionnula Hainey

Review: The 1975 at Gorilla - Nostalgic set is the therapeutic tour finale the band needed

Gorilla (Organization) 1975 Matty Kendal Calling (Organization) Mastercard

The 1975 are huge right now.

Matty Healy’s tour antics - from chomping on raw steak to snogging fans on stage and sucking on girls’ thumbs - have made global headlines and seem to be dominating just about everyone’s TikTok For You page since the band debuted their latest show, The 1975: At Their Very Best, in America just shy of three months ago.

So it’s pretty wild that the band of the moment, who just scored their fifth consecutive number one album, decided to end their 45-show run by playing a basement club in Manchester in front of just over 500 people.

Their acclaimed arena show, which came to Manchester on January 20, takes place on their most elaborate stage design yet, replicating the inside of a house complete with sofas, staircases, bookcases, lamps, tellies - you get the idea. It’s a performance in two halves: the first in which Matty plays the troubled rockstar frontman, smoking, swigging from a bottle to a soundtrack consisting mostly of their new album, while the second act is more of a greatest hits medley. In short, it’s exactly the kind of show that’s impossible to imagine inside a small no-frills venue like Gorilla.

The lucky few fans with tickets for the intimate gig, put on as part of BRITs Week presented by Mastercard for War Child, knew they’d be getting something special in its place. ‘I think they’ll play loads of songs they’d never normally do live,’ one fan told a friend as they queued for a pint.

But the most eagle-eyed fans of the Cheshire four-piece spotted a huge clue for what the band were planning before they even stepped out in front of the crowd. As the lights came up, a neon rectangle illuminated the stage from behind - a nod to the band’s self-titled debut album, which turns 10 years old later this year, and early shows.

As Matty, Adam, Ross and George emerged from the wings, the room broke out into screams - not cheering - actual shrieking. Launching into The 1975 album opener The City, the singer gave the crowd a knowing smile as they shouted back every lyric he’d written.

The 1975 played Gorilla as part of BRITs Week presented by Mastercard for War Child (JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

M.O.N.E.Y and Chocolate followed and that was all the confirmation needed - the 1975 were playing the whole of their self-titled album from start to finish.

“Hardcore fans will probably know what we’re up to,” Matty notes a few songs in, knowing full well that at least 99 per cent of the lucky 500 were just that. In his signature philosophical style he tells the crowd “nostalgia is a sickness” adding: “We wouldn’t be doing this if we weren’t only getting good now, we’re just starting to make our best work”. He then concedes that he doesn’t mind doing something a bit nostalgic tonight because “It’s just for us, isn’t it?”

After touring such a technically challenging and high-intensity live show for weeks, tonight’s performance feels like a form of liberation for the band. In fact, it’s almost jarring to see them packed on such a small stage after seeing them weaving between the different rooms of At Their Very Best's slick studio flat.

Matty repeatedly tells the crowd how much fun he’s having, at one point admitting that the band ‘needs this’. “Have you seen what we’ve been doing lately?” he asks. “Crazy sh**”.

His beaten-down rockstar persona is nowhere to be seen - although it almost emerges at one point as he stumbles while taking a swig from his hip flask before chuckling to himself “I don’t need to do that tonight”.

Fans at the 1975 Gorilla gig (JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

This was a chance for the 1975 to rewind time, leave the performance art element behind and ‘wing it’ like they used to, as Matty says. But this time in front of loyal fans who have spent over a decade by their side. One fan calls out that they have travelled all the way from Boston for the show, while Matty admits that he recognises some faces in the crowd.

After ending the self-titled set with a teary-eyed Matty at the piano, the band play a few extras for good measure including hits from their latest release. While there are some notable songs missing from the set, their selection suits the venue. Be My Mistake for example, which Matty's performed by himself on the tour, is a delicate addition. About You closes the show with Matty raising his hip flask in celebration of his fans.

There's no encore but fans walk away looking awestruck.

Singer Matty Healy smokes a cigarette on stage (JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

The band managed to sell out their arena dates effortlessly - but having a ticket to the 1975 at Gorilla was basically like having a golden ticket for Willy Wonka’s factory.

The select few have witnessed an album played in full and managed to get closer to the band that they could probably dream of at an arena show - in a plea against queueing ahead of the show the venue told fans they would “be able to see every curl of hair on Matty Healy’s head from every inch of the music hall”. But the band also make the crowd feel like they’ve been invited into some sort of special club, like they’re playing to a room of their friends.

It's not exactly a fitting ending to such a meticulous, ambitious and eccentric tour, but it feels like a therapeutic one.