The 1975 At Their Very Best – Frontman, Matty Healy leads stunning performance at the Brighton Centre (Live Review)

‘Band of the Decade’ turn The Brighton Centre into Broadway on UK Tour

Words by Dylan Bryant (Music Editor)

Formed in Manchester in 2002, The 1975 have established themselves as one of the defining bands of their generation with their distinctive aesthetic, ardent fanbase and unique sonic approach – Their performance at The Brighton Centre cemented just this.

The 1975 ‘At Their Very Best’ sees everything from a stage-set fit for a Hollywood film or Broadway musical to Matty Healy’s audacious and captivating performance, all matched by the band’s incredible portfolio of dazzling pop hits.

Following the release of their 5^th consecutive number 1 album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language, the band embarked on their Sold-Out UK tour and kicked things off at The Brighton Centre on 8^th January.

Perhaps frontman Matty Healy’s stage antics – crawling around stage half-naked, stroking himself on a leather sofa and eating a raw steak to images of Andrew Tate were enough to make his mum (Denise Welch) who was in attendance look away. However, for the rest of us, this was quite the opposite. Matty Healy is the epitome of a compelling rock star – a talented multi-instrumentalist and lyrically melodic vocalist whose stage presence makes it impossible for you to take your eyes off him.

The backdrop for his and his bands alluring performance is one fit for a Broadway musical. It’s reminiscent of a vintage New York apartment filled to the brim with lavish decor and sees the Pianos disguised as furniture, whilst the other instruments unassumingly blend in.

With this, the band welcome you into their world as they walk on stage one by one to The 1975 (Being Funny In A Foreign Language). They hang up their jackets and switch on lamps as they stroll on stage as if they were arriving home. Matty Healy then appears as he dances over to his piano and starts hammering the keys to the track that is undoubtably reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem’s All My Friends – a song that Healy has previously praised as one of the greatest of all time. The atmosphere is palpable as Healy answers the anticipation with the lyrics “well it’s about time, and this is what it looks like”.

The band then continued to play through every tack of their new album. Perhaps for most artists, it’s often difficult to keep fans engaged with new material. However, The 1975 cleverly pulled fans into their world and attached a theatrical context to the narrative of their songs. This only added to the atmosphere and cemented the bands ability to put on an incredible show, with Matty Healy displaying a beautifully convincing performance.

The band were named NME’s ‘Band of the Decade’ in 2020 after being crowned ‘Best Group’ at the BRIT Awards in both 2017 & 2019. Both accolades a trophy to their incredible stage presence matched by their collection of sing-along anthems.

Although, the songs from Being Funny In A Foreign Language were warmly welcomed, the band then spent the remainder of the show playing through their greatest hits and fan favourites. The vintage apartment vibe then shifted to what felt like a big party with fans dancing and singing euphorically to every song.

A personal highlight was when they played If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) – the iconic synth and build up is perfectly suited for a live setting and the audience erupted as the song climaxed into its pop greatness.

The 1975 ‘At Their Very Best’ isn’t a show to be missed and sees one of the UK’s greatest bands at the top of their game.

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