Indie-rock band, The 1975 , played the final instalment of their UK autumn tour this month, ending with a mighty bang in Alexandra Palace – a venue withholding a total capacity of 10,000 people. Tickets for the show and for this venue particularly, were high in demand, selling out within just a few days, and it was obvious to see why.
Alexandra Palace itself, entirely a single tiered standing venue, really suited The 1975’s performance. In feeling the beat of the music through the floor soak through your feet and go through your entire body, in the way Matt Healy’s vocals, bouncing off the high ceiling, sounded bigger than ever and in being immersed in the middle of a vibrant (albeit sweaty) crowd just added that little something extra special to the set.
The building excitement for this gig was easy to see as the venue was already packed and buzzing even before the first support act Y.O.U [6/10] played a short 4 song set. However, the highlight of the support acts by far were Liverpool based indie-rock band, Circa Waves [7.5/10], who really suited the vibe of The 1975 and got the crowd going by their final track and new single ‘So Long’.
After the support bands, the 30 minute wait for the main event was filled with anticipation as the crowd became increasingly impatient – but it was most definitely worth the wait. The stripped back staging, mimicking their simple black and white album cover, and the haziness of the smoke machines created a very atmospheric start to the show. The room fell into darkness and five illuminated rectangles, alluding to the cover of their self titled debut album, lit up the room as The 1975 [9/10] walked onto the stage to deafening cheers.
They kicked it off with the first track on their album, ‘The City’, which immediately caused every single body in the venue to move in time with the music and sing along to the lyrics. They made their way through almost the entirety of their debut album including ‘Settle Down’ and ‘Girls’ which were both highlights of the night and they also dispersed a few songs from their early EP’s including ‘Milk’ and ‘fallingforyou’ throughout their set.
The band’s front man, Matt Healey, the star of the show as always, was soon to get the party started properly and began swigging from a bottle of wine on stage during the early part of the set. I was surprised, however, that this didn’t seem to affect his vocals in the slightest but perhaps even added to his enormous stage presence.
The show finished with a bang with the band playing their two biggest tracks, ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Sex’, sending the crowd into a euphoric state before leaving them wanting more as they finished the set.
Matt Healy, eager to please the crowd, was sure to show his gratitude and appreciation for the support of the fans and boosted morale with the promise of another album soon to come.
