Dozens of videos have been posted in the last few days from The 1975’s tour. And while Matty Healy has a reputation for his quirky on-stage antics - I found myself squinting in disbelief at the stage as the enigmatic frontman ate a chunk of raw meat, Nottinghamshire Live's Olimpia Zagnat writes...
Thousands of fans are murmuring in anticipation of the sold-out show - which is promisingly called "At Their Very Best". It is very quiet, then Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena is inundated by a wave of cries. That can only mean one thing.
Seven members of the 1975’s touring band enter the front door of a split-level living room one by one, hang up their jackets and switch on lamps. The massive crowd squealed with delight as members make their triumphant entrance - especially when the light falls on Matty Healy - the singer, songwriter, and frontman of the English pop rock band.
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He drinks directly from a bottle of Vinalba wine, lights up a cigarette from a Marlboro Red pack, sits down at an upright piano and begins to sing: "This will get bigger, if you know what I mean/ And I'm sorry if you're livin' and you're seventeen." And so begins a strangely charming performance you just cannot stop watching.
The show is sold out and you can feel the thousands of people singing along in an exhilarating atmosphere. Matty Healy, who is playing the role of an arrogant rockstar, continues to play like no one is watching - and so myself, and probably the other thousands of fans at the arena, feel transported into his living room where he is smoking, drinking (what is probably red wine) and playing piano.
Some of us, who had seats, simply forget about them and just stood up to move to the music. Healy's performance is bold, addictive, weird - and just simply wonderful. Fresh from a number 1 album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, a successful string of US dates and a total of three Brit Award nominations, The 1975 performed at their very best at the sold out show in Nottingham.
The show has been clearly divided into two acts. The first part seems to be an experiment by a misunderstood rockstar, who is trying to find himself through an artistic introspection witnessed by thousands. The second part, however, is a tsunami of hits.
It is refreshing to see the contemporary music scene evolving in front of our eyes, and artists experimenting in front of an audience. The 1975 is probably one of the most popular bands with songs like Oh Caroline and Somebody Else becoming real anthems of my generation.
But then, something out of the ordinary happened. During the love ballad When We Are Together, the show rewinds. The musicians turn off the lights and exit, leaving Healy alone again.
He passes out on the sofa, touching himself. Minutes later, he is chewing on a slab of raw steak, before doing push-ups while images of Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Margaret Thatcher flash on the TV screens located at various spots in the living room. And while the thousands of fans who were earlier patiently waiting in the long queues around the Arena were expecting the unexpected, I cannot be the only one who could not help but squint as the chaos unrolled before our eyes.
The band eventually returned to the stage and a tsunami of hits followed, including If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know), TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME, Chocolate and It's Not Living (If It's Not With You). In the spirit of democracy, as Healy put it, fans were asked to pick their next song between Change of Heart, Medicine, Paris and Menswear.
He asked his tech team to measure the noise level as fans cheered at every song name. When told what his next song is going to be, Healy replied: "Interesting" - then began to play Menswear.
The band had a change of heart and played Paris anyway after Menswear. The indie electro pop song Robbers followed, with the immense crowd singing the lyrics in sync with Healy. I checked my phone and I was disappointed - the show was ending when it hit its peak.
Somebody Else is a pulsing tear-jerker. For some, Healy's manners may be misinterpreted as eccentric, and over the top. However, no one can contest his unique voice which is always raw, with emotion. This is topped by the electric melodies accompanied by their saxophonist's seducing solos.
But Healy takes the stage to dedicate one of the band's most popular songs - Love It If We Made It - to 'the North'. "I know that the North is underfunded. This song is for you."
Referring to Nottingham as a city located 'in the North' usually is met by a roll of eyes, a sigh, and a declarative statement like 'it is East Midlands, duh'. Surprisingly, no one blinked at the mishap. We were all eyes and years, as he started singing: "Jesus save us, modernity has failed us"; then the chorus: "And I'd love it if we made it".
Three more songs followed - The Sound, Sex, and Give Yourself a Try. As I made my way out, I could feel the post-concert blues crawling in. It was probably one of the most surreal gigs, a complex show that had theatre as well as a political manifest, songs from The 1975's new album and well-known hits. It was a performance which truly saw The 1975 at their very best.
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