Despite seeing a variation of the same show three times already, nights one and two of their latest shows at the London O2 Arena proved that The 1975 are indeed Still At Their Very Best.
A band I refuse to miss on each tour, regardless of how often they come around, their uncharacteristic avoidance of Wales meant I had to make the trek to the British capital for my music fix. Having done so back in July for their monumental gig at Finsbury Park, another trip with one of my best mates (who is equally as nuts as I am) was an absolute no brainer. And it was another no brainer, when we were sat in Wetherspoons prior to an unrelated show last month, to book more tickets for night 2 when they popped up on resale.
Despite leaving the hotel later than expected, and Uber driver who went the wrong way, got shouted at by the police, and refused to let us out of the vehicle, we arrived at the O2 Arena for the first night with high expectations and hopes. I had never been to the Arena before, with my biggest concert previously being in the Principality in Cardiff, so when I walked into this borderline village that was the O2 I was slightly overwhelmed. Even more so, when we saw the queue for standing, which wrapped right the way around the entire building. After a kerfuffle with O2 Priority, in which we were told conflicting information from email exchanges previously, we joined said general admission queue and suffered the 45-minute wait to get into the actual arena. It was here that I realised just how much the band had grown throughout the period I had been a fan – the days of showing up an hour late to their show at Cardiff International Arena in 2019 and still getting a spot at the barrier were long gone – media reporters and social media were going crazy at the fact that people had camped out for the show an entire four days before the date of the actual gig. However, after what felt like a mile walk, countless zigzags through crowd control barriers and feet already aching, we made it into the actual arena, in which the actual crowd was not so bad!
Having seen them both standing and seated over the two nights, I felt I had the best all-round experience when it came to the show. Whilst the seats on the second night took a lot of the stress off of us, it is undeniable that there is no electricity quite like being in the pit. We still loved every second up in the nose bleeds, but the more reserved type surrounded us, and we got weird looks when we sang or stood. Being down on the floor brings new levels of immersion, and we would find ourselves staring at the thousands of heads below us in envy of what we had the night before. The ability to jump around, dance, scream lyrics that mean the world to you is like no other, which is what made the first night better overall. However, both acts were outstanding on both nights, and it was entirely our fault for buying last-minute tickets for night two.
Amber Bain, under her pseudonym The Japanese House, oozes talent and consistency in every performance she does. I have seen her three times now, first being at Finsbury Park and now twice more, and would recommend her to anybody who loves indie, borderline-pop ballads and music such as Boygenius, Ethel Cain and Clairo. Her UK tour later this year unfortunately does not come to Wales, but she is worth the effort to travel!
And as for the main event, all I can say is wow. For both nights. The 1975 have never once disappointed me performance wise, even when the basic premise of the show has been so similar for the past five gigs, I’ve seen of theirs. It was bittersweet to hear the opening song The 1975 off of their latest album Being Funny in a Foreign Language, knowing it could potentially be the last time I hear that song live again. Their self-titled songs at the beginning of each album is a checkpoint for the beginning of the era and that record cycle, and as their hiatus is coming up fast following the EU tour, I am both gutted and excited about the music that is yet to come.
I have never really understood the take that the band’s music always sounds the same, as to me it is anything but. The 1975 have a little bit for everyone at their shows – we have the jazz added through John Waugh’s saxophone solos that exuberates through their latest releases, including bangers such as Happiness and Oh Caroline, the country-esque side of their discography from the likes of Roadkill, harder pieces such as the perfect closing song that is People, and their alternative, electric signature sound underneath, in an impressive setlist that has no fault besides not being longer than it already is. I was pleased to hear a range of their songs from all albums – of course, a lot of the latest release, but billings from their four previous records too that united old and new fans. There truly was something for everyone. Even during those shows, I heard songs live that they hadn’t played in my presence before, such as Roadkill, and songs I had heard once and never thought I’d be lucky enough to hear again what with their growing collection (Me, You, Menswear). Unfortunately, the album with the least amount of recognition seemed to be their sophomore release, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful and yet so unaware of it. This is my favourite album of theirs, and it holds some of their most famous tracks, The Sound, Change of Heart, and Somebody Else, but it would have been nice to hear some deeper cuts, too. No sign of Chocolate, their most celebrated song, however, which was surprisingly refreshing as it made space for more surprises and those idiosyncratic tracks that otherwise wouldn’t have seen the light of day.
During the shows, my feet were barely on the ground, and I walked out of both gigs unable to talk with a throat so sore from screaming along to every word. I laughed, I cried (thanks for that, Me) and I had the absolute time of my life yet again. The 1975, you are never boring. Thank you. Please don’t be away for too long.