The 1975, 02 Academy, Brixton [09.03.16]

On the finale of their five night residency at Brixton Academy, taking to the stage with a glass of wine in one hand and the entire crowd in the palm of his other, Matt Healy and his band mates are welcomed by the deafening screams of teenage girls, teenage boys, grown men and grown women alike. This frenzied euphoria somewhat worlds apart from the 200 capacity venues they started out with back in 2011 after several name changes. The set, going from a single lit up rectangle on their last tour to an imposing line up of huge neon pink pillars, is assuredly not the only step up in grandeur for the 1975 over the past 12 months.

Kicking off with the first single from their incredibly well received new album, ‘Love Me’ stirs the crowd as a leather-clad Healy struts across the stage, still brandishing his token glass of red, in his fabulously effeminate manner. This bombastic introduction is the first inkling of a reinvention in their live performance as it is the first time in four years (excluding their short run of shows late last year) they’ve opened a set with something other than ‘The City-‘ a track that bewilderingly doesn’t make it onto the setlist at all. A disappointing but understandable decision given their rapidly growing back catalogue and whopping 17 track new album. Saying that, quite a few surprise appearances crept their way into the mammoth two hour long set. The whimsically atmospheric ’Anobrain’ being one of them; making its live debut with ambient synth and obscure vocals providing an ethereal quality to the otherwise bold and brash set of 80’s throwbacks.

It becomes clear just how welcomed and accepted ‘I Like It When You Sleep…’ has been amongst fans during tracks like ‘UGH!;’ proving a particularly energetic moment within  the crowd as every member shrieks each addiction orientated lyric with the conviction of a 2010 Lindsay Lohan. ‘A Change of Heart,’ again a hit, sees Healy solemnly take a seat on the edge of the stage as he croons over a failed relationship, running his fingers through his avant-garde mop as he utters each bitter line. Healy continues to turn his performance into a soap opera as he leans against an amp, either in despair or a drunken stupor, as he mumbles the bleak, immersive lyrics of ‘Me.’ ‘The Ballad of Me and My Brain’ takes a similar turn as he has a mini meltdown while attempting to locate his mind. Healy’s cocky, self-obsessed, Michael Hutchence-esque stage presence might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it certainly adds to his allure as every female (and a fair few males) swoon over his ostentatiously charismatic presence.

Aside from the new additions to the vibrant set list, the tracks that laid the foundation for their soaring success come off particularly strong. ‘Chocolate’ being the most obvious hit with the crowd whereas ‘Robbers’ and ‘You’ saw friends sing to each other amorously as if they’d been the soundtrack to their adolescence. The effortless transition between the smooth and celestial balladry of ‘If I Believe You’ and the rough cut scuzzy likes of ‘Sex’ is astonishingly impressive, showcasing just how cultivated and mature the 1975’s sound has become. Not only their sound but their entire approach and demeanour seems to have undergone a certain level of sophistication. Love them or hate them, you're going to be seeing a lot more of them.

Written for PostMusicDepression.