The 1975 take over the O2 Arena

On Friday evening as the week crawled to an end, fans from all over the country flocked to the O2 Arena in London to catch a glimpse of famed indie band The 1975. This one-of-a-kind alternative act shot to fame in 2013 with their catchy debut single, Chocolate. The Greenwich venue is just one of many stops the four-piece plans to perform at over the next few months on their UK tour to promote  Notes on a Conditional Form, the new album set to be released on the 24th of April. 

In typical 1975 fashion, they appeared on stage accompanied by their signature light show that engulfed the whole arena in different shades of fluorescent colours throughout the whole performance. Cups of beer were tossed around the standing area, which made it seem like it was misting inside. Opening with one of their newer songs – People – really set up the energy for the rest of the night. With each track performed by frontman Matty Healy, the arena seemed to be in perfect sync, never skipping a beat.

Whether it be soft tunes such as Somebody Else from their 2016 album, or the politically influenced ones like Love It If We Made It off of their 2018 album, the same intensity remained across the public with each song. Healy never lost the audience’s attention for even a second during the two-hour performance. The 1975 played their longest setlist to date. 

Throughout the night, the band slipped a few of their more recent songs into the show that had been previously released days before, or will be published in their upcoming album. Crazy and entertaining images accompanied every track, with lighting that enticed the whole crowd into amazement: even if they didn’t know the words, they didn’t pay much attention to it.

At one point towards the end of the show, the O2 was asked to be silent and respectful while the band played a snippet of Greta Thunberg speaking about climate change. It was unexpected and very moving. The 1975 ended the night with some of their most loved songs such as The Sound and I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes).

Kirsten Hubbard
Photo: courtesy of The 1975

For further information and future events visit The 1975 take over the O2 Arena’s website here.

Watch the video for the single here: