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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Ellen Kirwin

The 1975’s Matt Healy jokes Liverpool audiences should ‘chill’ at M&S Bank arena concert

A Liverpool audience were captivated by The 1975 at the M&S Bank Arena on Wednesday night.

Matt Healy commanded thousands and had them following his every word, both while performing and when looking out for their safety.

A couple of songs into the concert , the singer asked fans to "chill" and move back to give audiences at the front more space.

Looking out for his fans, he stopped the gig and asked him people to move back and use all the space in the standing area.

He joked: “Get some breath for a second. Chill.

“I’d be up there mate. Don’t know what you lot are doing. I’d be chilling.”

(JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

He shouldn’t have been surprised by his fans' devotion, after queues of hundreds were spotted lining up outside the concert even hours before the doors opened.

The band recently stated that they will only play "gender-balanced" music festivals, following the outrage that Leeds and Reading festival have a predominantly male lineup.

They pledged that after honouring his bookings he will no longer take to the stage at a festival unless women are represented more.

(JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

Practising what they preach, The 1975 are supported by the female 2020 Brit Award Nominee Beabadoobee.

The Filipino-British singer-songwriter set the tone for a night of newage indie pop, reminiscent of 90’s grunge.

Following this, The 1975 burst to the stage to new song People, the lead single from the upcoming studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form.

Charismatic, energetic frontman Matt wore a T-shirt under an oversized blazer with red high top Converse. His hair was shaved on the sides to create a long curly Mohawk.

Though the T-shirt was ripped off during the first song to reveal his tattooed chest under his blazer.

(JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

The quartet then plunged into some of the biggest hits from their back catalogue including Sex, TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME and Paris.

Later on in the set vocalist Healy, guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer George Daniel treated the Liverpool audience to Guys and If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) from the forthcoming album, which is set to drop on April 24.

Though Healy admitted to Liverpool that it’s likely to be "few weeks late" because he keeps changing songs.

However he promised it will be a "blooming good album".

(JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

In what must have been The 1975’s longest set to date (around two hours' long), the band had audiences hooked, not losing their attention for a second.

To just call Healy a lead vocalist would be not giving him enough justice.

His stage presence combined with his dancing makes up a full performance in itself.

At one point the even took to a conveyor belt at the front of the stage and he regularly joined in with his backing dancers to take part in routines.

(JORDAN CURTIS HUGHES)

In typical 1975 style, they appeared on stage with their signature lighting that illuminated the whole arena in different bright colours and random images.

Towards the end of the show, the arena was asked to be quiet while the band played a snippet of Greta Thunberg speaking about climate change.

Of course the audience obliged.

There is not much the band can ask that their fans won’t do.

Encore songs included Chocolate and The Sound finishing off a captivating night.

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