Live Review: The 1975 @ The Tivoli

Almost exactly one year to date since the quirky British rockers melted hearts at the RNA Showgrounds, The 1975 returned to Brisbane for a round of more intimate shows before the release of their much anticipated second album, ‘I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It’.

You’d be forgiven for being a little taken aback upon entering The Tivoli on Sunday night. Young, screaming girls littered the floor all pushing and shoving, vying for the best position from which to catch a glimpse of the 1975. Kicking off the night with their infectious new single Love Me, a big track infused with a funky bassline and some old school inspirations they won the crowd over from the get go.

Having now created a kind of cult status for themselves the level of hysteria that follows them no longer surprises. Four songs in, it was plain and simple to see that all lead singer Matt Healy had to do was ask and he would receive. Always the gentlemen, he paused between songs to move the crowd back and somewhat attempt to control the mayhem drawling “If somebody falls over, you pick them up and give them a kiss… deal?”

Met with screams, he continued on with the set which covered a handful of older material including, Heart Out, Settle Down, The City and You. Fans were eating out the palm of their hand, no doubt thanks to the contagious energy emitted from Healy onstage. Somewhat of a modern day sex symbol, he stumbled around the stage, combining a mild level of drunkenness with quirky dance moves whilst the rest of the band remained tethered to the spot, as if there to fill out the sound.

Washed out in the hot pink lighting of their controversial and much talked about re-branding (in which they terrified fans by disappearing from social media completely before returning 24 hours later a ‘new’ band) they began to play never before heard tracks from their upcoming album. Unapologetic pop filled the venue, and even though these were brand new songs the crowd was lapping it up, unable to resist dancing along.

With tracks such as Change of Heart, She’s American, and Sound getting the crowd excited for the release of the new album, it was nice to see some sentimental throwbacks to lyrics from the old material make an appearance in the new tracks. Almost as if giving a nod to where they came from and creating a sense of continuation from record to record.

Older track Me slowed the tempo, giving punters a chance to catch their breath. Amongst the quiet it was interesting to hear the vocal distortion on Healy’s lyrics, a detail missed when I had seen the band play larger venues or festival slots. This was purposefully done, so that they could have a more personal show in what Healy described as “a tour where we can see everybody in a room, where you can see everybody”. And a family experience it was, with Healy using lighters from the audience to spark his cigarette, exciting hearts all around the room.

It is a useful tool to make hundreds of girls feel individually special to the lead singer of a band. fallingforyou, showcased the classic 80’s late night vibes from the previous album and cemented the dizzying feelings of love floating around the room. As did the removal of Healy’s shirt before undeniable crowd favourites Robbers and Girls.

Walking off the stage and leaving heart rates high, the crowd screamed as though there was no tomorrow until the boys came back onstage. First song of the encore was Medicine, a beautifully haunting track so far not released on any album, which features on the new ‘Drive’ soundtrack curated by legend Zane Lowe in 2015. By this stage, everyone knew what was coming. The two biggest hits by The 1975 were the only way to round out the night. Chocolate and Sex played out and insanity fell over the crowd. As soon as that opening guitar from Sex rang out throughout the room, there was no turning back.

You can judge The 1975 all you want for their slow morph into more pop-y, commercial sounds and their ability to capitalise on winning hearts of young women the world over. The truth is, these guys know how to put on a bloody good show and whatever they’re doing, they’re doing it well.

Check out our The 1975 Live Gallery HERE