The 1975 Still …. At Their Very Best

★★★★★ (5/5)

A year on from their last headline performance at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, The 1975 returned to the stage with a hero’s welcome. Once again showcasing both their 2022 album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language”, and their impressive catalogue of previous hits, The 1975 put on a show to remember.

The house setup from the previous tour returns with a few notable upgrades, including a massive screen behind the set, bringing the production value of this tour to the very top. The songs from “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” are intertwined with a stage performance by frontman Matty Healy that deals with themes of over consumption and toxic masculinity, themes that the band deals with in their lyrics very often.

The songs from the album sound as good as, if not better, than their previous trip to The Hydro. Opening with the BFIAFL version of their self titled song “The 1975” Healy takes the crowd through his stream of consciousness, manifested in the lyrics of the song, before “Looking For Somebody (To Love)” kicks the show into full gear.

Every song from the album sounded great, however, there were a few older songs mixed into this section in place of a few songs from BFIAFL. “The Birthday Party” and “Roadkill” make rare appearances on the setlist, alongside classics from the bands' self-titled debut “Robbers” and “fallingforyou” which were received as well as anything else in the set.

This portion of the night was closed with “About You” accompanied by an outstanding performance from backing musician Polly Money on Vocals, before “When We Are Together” was played whilst the decorations in the house were packed away ready for the next date on the tour.

Most of the band had already left the stage before Matty Healy launched into a ramble about warped realities and, as he put it, “the meta”. A short montage of current events was then played on one of the houses' many TVs, including sections from the news on everything from the XL Bully ban to the conflict in Gaza, before Healy climbed through the tv and disappeared into the unknown.

Another addition to the setup was that of a smaller stage at the back of the standing area, covered in grass. When the lights had come back on, the lifeless naked body of Healy was lying on this grass. It was quickly revealed to be a lifelike dummy of the frontman, when the real Matty Healy emerged onto the stage and serenaded his body double with the “Real World” version of “I Like America and America Likes Me”. No doubt one of the most bizarre moments of the night.

Polly Money was given the spotlight again as she was tasked with taking on lead vocals for the entirety of “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America”. This was appreciated by the crowd a lot and has further cemented her as an integral part of The 1975s live shows.

Once the band returned, the focus shifted to their hits from years gone by. “Somebody Else” and “The Sound” are as popular as ever with the crowd, whilst the lyrics of “Love It If We Made It” feel as hard-hitting as ever, as they are screamed along with by the crowd in unison.

The biggest surprise came in the form of one of the bands' biggest hits, “Girls”. A song that does not get brought off the shelf very often was literally picked from a selection of books stored on a shelf on the stage to a thunderous reaction.

“I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)” brings out the best vocal performance from Healy, before taking the crowd all the way back to the start with the fan favourite “Sex”. The night is brought to an end by the band (minus George for obvious reasons), taking to the smaller stage to play “People”. The song felt like it was as much of a cathartic release by the band, as it was for the people in attendance at The Hydro.

The 1975 can entertain a crowd, through either the strength of their music, or their ability to keep massive rooms of people engaged with their stage presence, as good as any band in the world. The connection between the band and their loyal supporters is as strong as it has ever been. With rumours that the band will go on an indefinite hiatus after this tour, it is a necessity that if they are playing in a city near you, to make the effort to get a ticket. When all is said and done, there can be no doubt that The 1975 are still at their very best.