The 1975 finished up the UK leg of their ‘Still… At Their Very Best’ Tour last night at Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena. This show was highly anticipated and even saw fans camping for two nights outside the venue in hopes to be at the front for the band’s last UK show for a while.

The Japanese House (Amber Bain) opened the night, successfully creating an atmosphere of excitement within the arena. Bain put on a sonically confident performance which the crowd noticeably enjoyed and she will have undoubtedly picked up a new flock of fans from this tour. Shortly after The Japanese House left the stage, a dark blue curtain dropped which displayed the band’s logo in a spotlight as ambient music filled the arena before it fell to reveal the stage. 

The stage hosts the same 70s-style house which we saw on their previous tour, this time more colourful and immersive. The band’s performance also follows the same two-act structure of last year’s tour, beginning with songs off their latest album Being Funny In A Foreign Language. The band opened the set in their customary fashion with the self-titled track ‘The 1975’. As the song comes to an end, the lamps in the house flicker before frontman Matty Healy rises from the piano with boundless energy for the electric track ‘Looking for Somebody (To Love)’. 

The band [demonstrate] how effectively they can use visuals to transport the audience into the worlds of their songs

After a whirlwind run of their newer songs, the band take us back to 2016 and into their ‘I Like It When You Sleep..’ era. The stage is lit up with bright pink and blue, Healy staggering around the stage with a hip flask as they play ‘A Change of Heart’. This moment was one of the most beautiful of the night, the band demonstrating how effectively they can use visuals to transport the audience into the worlds of their songs. Taking us even further back, the band’s cult-classic single ‘Robbers’ follows and never fails to bring a cinematic atmosphere to their shows. 

The arena is plunged into darkness before a spotlight mimicking the moon rises behind the house and Healy is seen on top of the roof. We hear the introduction to one of their deep cuts, ‘So Far (It’s Alright)’. The track brings Resorts World Arena alive as we hear the glistening glockenspiel part played flawlessly by Gabi King on percussion. As the song closes the frontman leaves the roof and his father, Tim Healy, enters the stage. He takes a seat in an armchair eliciting an immense reaction from the crowd before performing a rendition of the band’s bluesy, down-tempo track ‘All I Need To Hear’. 

The 1975 push the boundaries of what you can do in a live show, crafting an experience which makes its viewer think as well as feel

It’s around the half-way point of the set when the show becomes a meta-theatrical display of Healy’s mind. We see the frontman sitting in front of a television as a compilation of news headlines and videos about Healy play on the screens. The videos begin to overlap and sounds of static become unbearable before Healy climbs into the television, appearing to be consumed by it. The next time we see the frontman, he is on a small grass-covered stage on the other side of the arena performing ‘I Like America and America Likes Me’ around a model of his naked body laying in the grass. It’s safe to say The 1975 push the boundaries of what you can do in a live show, crafting an experience which makes its viewer think as well as feel. 

The crowd gave all their energy to the band as they worked through the string of undeniable anthems and displayed their rich musicality

The second part of the show is an unrelenting rush of the band’s biggest hits. From ‘If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)’ to ‘Give Yourself a Try’, this part of the set is larger than life and the energy in the arena is tangible. The crowd gave all their energy to the band as they worked through the string of undeniable anthems and displayed their rich musicality. Finally, they finished up with the rage-infused track ‘People’ back on the grassy stage and the atmosphere was palpable. The track made a great, punchy close to the set, leaving the crowd with a lasting impact.

The 1975 have proved once again they’re ahead of the game when it comes to arena shows. The band always incorporates interesting elements into their shows and gives their fans something to take with them. The 1975 may be taking a break from touring for now but the prospects of a tour with new music in the future is something I am already looking forward to.

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