The 1975 are one the most overrated bands of the decade in general and their lacklustre performances across this decade have proven just that. Before I saw them live, I thought they were an amazing band with Matty Healy’s vocals transporting me to heaven. However, after seeing them live, this all changed. Their performance at Alexandra Palace in 2014 was a shockingly bad show with absolutely no crowd interaction with the crowd seeming to get less and less interested. There is almost this ‘we are too cool for this’ attitude that exudes off them while performing which can ruin any band who haven’t made it to the top yet.
Their performance at O2 Academy Brixton 2016 was one of the worst performances I have ever seen in my life. It was the tour promoting their album I Like it When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, and featured a set consisting of Matty Healy knocking back a bottle of champagne while continuously getting drunker and not putting on a show. All band members seemed bored and ready to leave which never makes for a good show and this half-assed performance is expected for The 1975. Though, maybe I was just jealous I couldn’t knock back a bottle myself.
The same could be said at Coachella 2017 where all band members seemed to have somewhere else to be. They put no energy in their shows and tend to rely on fans on providing a good atmosphere. They have some groovy songs so just standing in one position for the whole set seems a bit of a waste. The energy of the saxophonist (who isn’t even part of the band) was more impressive than anything The 1975 have ever done on stage. At their recent shows the visuals have been quite impressive making their show seem more like an art expedition than a concert. Which they certainly have achieved. Sadly, pretty visuals cannot save the turmoil of a The 1975 gig.
5 Comments
agree on what this article says. After seeing them live I had to look for explanations that would make us understand how such a mediocre band can reach a certain level of popularity … and at the same time know why the musical taste of the new generations has gone to hell. This band is an ode to musical mediocrity. And the inflated personality of its members causes me total repudiation … almost fatigue.
Wow! Shocked to read someone have the same experience as me! Saw them at a festival in Norway (Hove Festival) in 2014, and if not drunk, they for sure were drugged out of their minds. And it seemed like autoplay basically? Like they sang all the songs perfectly (as lyrics-wise, no mess-ups etc?), but it WAS SO BORING. And i liked their music, knew the lyrics… they didn’t introduce themselves, didn’t even say hi when entering the stage… Of Mice and Men were supposed to play a different stage just as The 1975 finished, and I liked them both, so had decided to just get a bit shittier place at OM&M to be able to see both… well no worries, I left halfway through, as no point wasting a good spot for that crap… like their songs are… good? But like mentioned, they are nowhere near big enough to get away with no connection to the audience, and NO enthusiasm, no joy… felt so depressing… and like they were bored… actually saw an interview a couple of weeks later, where a journalist asked how it was playing at a big festival in Norway, and Matty answered they hadn’t played in Norway? Then one of the other bandmembers broke in like “yeah it was good!”…. so yeah, we got the same vibe Matty, you didn’t play… you might as well have been robots with music playing ????????♀️. Like I’ve been to seeeeveral big festivals in Europe and the US, and numerous concerts, with some of the biggest bands of our current time. And seeing the musicians in their 50’s to 70’s still truly rocking out on stage, enjoying it so much, truly just having a blast – that is how you go down in history as one of the big ones. Why people pay so much to see you. Few shows have been as disappointing as The 1975…. I remember Kings of Leon also playing the same festival, that was also insanely boring… like they had some massive hits that kept being played on radio, but damn… no enthusiasm, no joy… rather just listen to the music with a headset, than pay to watch any of them live ever again. But at least I got an amaze spot at OM&M! Stood against the fence right in front of the stage lmao
I’m not going to rabbit on here I’ll just say The 1975 are without doubt one the best live bands out there. Rock on Dudes
Just watching the O2 show on you tube again and I am still enjoying it. I don’t particularly like all the political crap in the middle and the music has got very soft. I much preferred the rockier stuff
I’m sure they’re devastated by your critique. To be fair, I have not seen the live and would be disappointed if they were stilted and robotic… but have you ever seen The Cure live? Spoiler alert – they do not ‘rock’. For me, the music is all that matters. I don’t need a dancing chimp but, admittedly, it is fun to groove with a band having fun on stage. For example – The Darkness is insanely fun. However, I will listen to the 1975’s entire catalog on repeat endlessly but I burn out on the Darkness after one song.