As lead singer Matty Healy burst onto the stage in Sydney on Saturday night screaming WAKE UP! WAKE UP! The crowd were immediately hanging onto his every word. Dressed in a blue button up and floral print skirt Healy’s energetic and charismatic stage presence was infectious and admirable, considering the endless amount of flights and shows the band have completed over the last few months.
But before the band jumped on stage the crowd were treated to a performance from No Rome. Rome has been apart of most of The 1975’s latest touring schedule and it’s obvious why they have him tagging along. Besides the fact Matty Healy named No Rome as one of his muses, his fresh take on pop music was the perfect way to get the crowd ready for the night ahead.
The 1975 haven’t been to Australia since 2016 and because of this the room was filled with anticipation, which quickly melted into exhilaration as the band hit the stage. Joined by two dancers the band swayed and jumped through hits like ‘Sincerity Is Scary,’ ‘A Change of Heart’,’ ‘Somebody Else,’ ‘TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME’ etc. The crowd easily matching Healy’s high level of energy as he leapt around the stage, occasionally joining in with the dancers choreography.
The most special and important moment of the night was when the band transitioned into ‘The 1975 (NOACF)’. Throughout Greta’s speech the 9000 cap venue was dead silent, the only sounds being made were supportive cheers at different intervals. Just off the back of a global climate strike, which the band themselves attended in Melbourne, this cut of the evening felt like we were right back in those streets protesting. At the height of the track the room was filled with empowered and inspired cheers as Greta stated, “So, everyone out there, it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel.” This moment seamlessly transitioned into one of the bands biggest tracks ‘Love It If We Made It’, kicking the crowd’s energy back into gear.
Finishing off the night with ‘Chocolate’, ‘Sex’ and ‘The Sound’ this was possibly the loudest and most enthusiastic part of the night, as the band left the stage the crowd was slow to leave, hoping the night wasn’t really over. There’s no doubt plenty of attendees will have rushed home to buy tickets to Laneway in February next year, where the band will be headlining, just to experience this again.
