Review: The 1975 At The Brighton Centre, 16th of January 2019
As the blinding lights dim and the stage turns to darkness, you can feel the silence before the crowd begin to go wild. One of the most united crowds have come together to witness the visual showcase of The 1975 live at the Brighton Centre.
It was a genre-mixing show aimed at Millennials. The 1975 are not shy in focusing on their conflicting relationship with technology as the crowd are greeted with a giant Iphone, that welcomes them with a ‘Hello.’ Sometimes, when trying to fill big venues with visuals, it can become too cluttered, although The 1975 achieve this eloquently in a way, that despite the visuals, focuses very much on the band.
With carefully selected visuals reflecting the tone of each song, the production shows no restrictions. In some ways, it feels almost as if you are watching a music video, partially for ‘Sincerity is Scary’, when lead singer Matty Healy walks along a treadmill which just so happens to be hidden on stage. The visuals also allow the return of the ‘box,’ something that has become a symbol for The 197 and you can tell that fans are appreciative of this, many who sport rectangle tattoos of this in honour of the band.
Bursting onto stage to to new hit ‘Give Yourself a Try,’ off of latest album ‘A Brief Enquiry into Online Relationships’, there is no denying the band have an increased confidence since their last tour. Healy is forever the showman, prancing around the stage while the eager fans lap it up.
The Brighton Centre is the smallest venue the band are playing on this tour and it almost feels like a too small venue, as when the bands more energetic songs are played the melody rips through the centre. However, this works as an advantage during toned down songs such as ‘Be My Mistake’ as it suddenly begins to feel very intimate between yourself and the band.
The perfect blend between twinkling melodies and electronic tones can not be something that was easy to achieve, but the transition between songs from the bands three albums feels effortless, with minimal gaps between tunes. The band have always had a power in encapsulating the audience by melody alone, but the romantic lyrics hold a place in many fans hearts, making it no surprise people are desperate to scream them from the tops of their friend’s shoulders for emotional classics such as ‘Somebody Else’ and ‘Robbers.’
Healy addresses the crowd before ‘Loving Someone’ stating that they “gave the meaning to this song.” This meaning is reflected with the rainbow visuals that appear behind the band. A song that has been adopted as an emotionally driven LGBT anthem, all about inclusivity, this track feels more special in Brighton.
The band undoubtedly cover political issues in a number of songs on the new album, but the whole night focuses more on leaving the stresses of the world outside the building and coming inside to have a dance. As the crowd leaves the Brighton Centre, you can still feel the buzz carried by The 1975’s show stopping performance.
By Emma Sherar