There are some who dislike The 1975 with an intense passion. Highbrow critics, especially, love to deem them as thoughtless, shallow pop—The 1975 even made a tongue-in-cheek music video about it. However, these claims are coming from many who have never seen the band live. If critics had seen The 1975 at Red Rocks on May 2, they most likely would’ve walked away feeling much differently about the British band.
After stunning opening sets from Dirty Hit label mates The Japanese House and Wolf Alice, The 1975 arrived on stage after a short, instrumental introduction and a blacked-out stage. To say that there was crackling electricity in the air sounds cliché, but that’s truly the best way to describe it—passionate fans screamed, friends yelled excitedly to each other and the crowd had already began jumping up and down in uncontrollable anticipation.
When the opening riffs of “Love Me” began, it set a baseline energy level—the crowd only became more and more excited from there. “Love Me” was an excellent song choice to start the set. The song, off of the band’s most recent album “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful, yet so unaware of it,” sends extreme Bowie and INXS vibes, perfect for getting people dancing right at the start.
The 1975 excel because Matty Healy, frontman and singer, knows exactly how he wants to present the band; there’s an ‘80s twist, an air of self-importance that comes across as amusing rather than pretentious. At one point, Healy requested even more applause for himself as he strutted across the stage—this situation seemed like a joke, and Healy himself was in on it.
Highlights of the show included songs such as “UGH,” “Girls” and “The Sound,” but the encore song “If I Believe You” was a major standout. The song, which conveys Healy’s opinions about God, was accompanied by heavenly lights and an emotionally vulnerable performance from the band. Healy wasn’t just a performer in the moment—he was a preacher speaking about his own gospel. “If I Believe You” was just as beautiful live as it is on record.
“If I Believe You” was an incredible performance, but “She Lays Down” was clearly the most special moment at Red Rocks that night. Healy announced that the song was not factored into the set, and notably, was the first time he had ever played the song live. “She Lays Down,” about Healy’s mother’s depression, was undoubtedly one of the most emotional moments of Healy’s career—he choked up once, and had to take a moment before beginning the song again. There was a clear sadness in the air, but also a sense of significance; Red Rocks may fit up to 10,000 people, but there was a level of connectedness during “She Lays Down” that is rarely felt at large shows.
The 1975 produced one of the most potent pop performances of our time period. Sure, Consequence of Sound or Pitchfork may not be the biggest fans of the band, but does it really matter when you sell out Red Rocks to young adults who genuinely love your music? Probably not.
Listen to The 1975 on Spotify.
