The 1975 Tour: They really were ‘At Their Very Best’

On the 23^rd of January 2023, I had the pleasure of seeing ‘The 1975’ at their live show in Leeds. This was the sixth time I had seen them live, and I knew that they would put on a great show. Each tour I had been on previously was filled with love, emotion, and an artist-audience connection that no other artist I had seen, was able to convey.

Bonnie Kemplay, (alternative/indie Scottish artist) opened for the band and she was wonderful. I had not previously listened to her, and since the show, I have had her music on repeat. The acoustically backed singer engaged the audience, preparing the crowd for ‘The 1975s’ show. The energy was calm, and everyone was happy. The main act did not come on until around 20:30, so the crowd had time to buy merchandise, food and drinks and relax before the next couple of hours.

The band provided a broad selection of merchandise, including Bonnie Kemplay sweaters and T-Shirts. The 1975 water bottles, as I came to find, were the most difficult item to buy. At only £15, which I felt was incredibly reasonable for concert merch, they were selling out almost as quickly as the boxes were opened. I managed to grab one at the end of the show when they had just restocked post-show. Merch is central to most gigs, and it often reflects the artist, to see a band with such a large fanbase, who could very easily charge extortionate prices for their products, charge very standard amounts, was incredibly heart-warming.

At 20:30, the lights dimmed, the curtain fell, and the band began. I was overwhelmed with emotion. It had not set in, until that moment, that I was seeing this band again. This felt like a far more intimate setting, despite the capacity of the venue, as my most recent experience seeing them was at festivals. The show was far more than just a concert, it felt theatrical at points, as though a script was being played out for us, designed to make us feel every emotion possible. Their most recent album was performed, as expected, and each song was responded to with a chorus of people screaming lyrics back to the stage. There was a nice mix of popular songs from their previous albums as well, going back to their debut. The set design was intricate, and each element had its purpose. As mentioned, there were times it felt like a play. This was particularly apparent when they had an interlude when Matty Healy (lead singer) ate a slab of raw meat and crawled into a television display.

Anyone who has followed their tour on social media will have seen that they were bringing out different guests throughout the tour. Unfortunately, Leeds did not have this same surprise, and I still cannot decide whether this was a disappointment. Honestly, I was there for the band, so being able to see more of their discography, due to the lack of a guest, was enough for me. However, seeing other shows get huge names such as Taylor Swift, Charli XCX and Phoebe Bridgers, part of me was anticipating someone big. Especially because their first show was in Leeds, which Healy made a point of during the second half of the show, met with a response of ‘Yorkshire’ chants, which was amusing. I think the fact that we did not get a guest was a little upsetting as it felt like even though it is where they began, they did not put the same level of detail into the show as other dates on tour. In saying this, I do not intend to discredit the incredible show that they put on, and as previously mentioned, I was there for the band, not a potential surprise artist.

One moment which I really enjoyed, which I have not experienced with other artists before, was when they gave the audience a choice of four songs, (Paris, Menswear, Change of Heart and Medicine) they measured the volume of noise in response to each song, and whichever received the loudest response, they played. This was nice as it kept a moment of surprise to the show and made me feel as though I was part of something larger. The song chosen, in Leeds’s case, Paris, was one that the room evidently needed to hear, and a song which I did not realise perhaps I needed too. It took me back to being a kid again, hearing their second album for the first time and falling in love with them all over again, it was more nostalgic than I thought it would be.

Our seats were incredible – the first row of tiered seating, directly in the middle with a fantastic view of the stage, First Direct treated us amazingly. Everything, from the set design, sound quality and lighting was faultless. I have seen many of their shows, in different settings and cities, and I can safely say that this tour truly lived up to its name; they really were At Their Very Best.