“We’re experiencing life through the postmodern lens, making an aesthetic out of not doing well,” said Matthew Healy, The 1975’s lead singer, at the band’s Nov. 12 Atlanta concert. The opening song “The 1975” set the tone for the show: a confused inquiry into the mental state of young people, anxious about unfairness that we might be unable to change.
Coinciding with the release of their new album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language,” The 1975 announced their 2022 “At Their Very Best” Tour. The British pop-rock band held their Atlanta performance in the State Farm Arena. Standing on a stage set that mimicked a ’60s living room, dressed in retro suits, the band created a humorous and intimate atmosphere for their fans.
The show was divided into two parts. The first half focused on their latest album, which is about the awkwardness and loss of connection in this constantly changing world. “I can’t get the language right,” sang Healy, from his song “Part of the Band.” “Just tell me what’s unladylike.”
The first part was more like a play or a musical rather than a concert. Healy solely used lyrics to explore the theme of the album, rather than introducing each song. Instead, he simply said “thank you” softly between songs. It’s as if he had been in a world different from the audience’s, ignoring the thundering cheers from the crowd, just as a sitcom actor pretends not to hear the laughter from the audience. While singing, he began interacting with the furniture on stage: lying on the couch while smoking cigarettes, watching himself projected on all the televisions and chatting with his bandmates.
Healy also danced, swaying the wired microphone from side to side. At times, he looked like Elvis Presly, reenacting some of the famous rockstar’s classic dance moves and dramatic expressions. All the stage and performance designs seemed familiar but peculiar. In a stark contrast to the intimate and chill stage set, Healy expressed anxiety, confusion and failed romance in his lyrics.
Courtesy of Samuel Bradley.
The first act came to a close with the intimate love song “When We Are Together.” During the song, Healy greeted the Atlanta crowd and introduced the band members as they exited the stage. In the end, Healy played his guitar and sang alone, sharing this private moment only with the fans.
“You know, when the friends are gone, you are left with only yourself,” Healey said
The second part of the concert was more intimate, consisting of old songs that summoned memories for fans. Healy confided his mental health issues to the audience while singing the fragile, confessional song “Be My Mistake,” which included lyrics like “I get lonesome sometimes.” He also shared his lonely moments at home as he took off his shirt, consumed raw meat and did push-ups alone in the living room set with sad classical music playing in the background.
In the second part of the performance, the band played its old songs, including tracks like “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know),” “Sex,” “A Change Of Heart,” “Paris” and“Somebody Else”, which made the audience jump energetically. Healy danced throughout every one of these songs along with the crowd. On the center floor, two fans ran around the floor and jumped with both hands in the air during the song “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You).” Moved by the band’s music, they did not care about any potential judgment that would come at their sloppy dance moves.
One of the songs that drew the loudest cheers was “Love It If We Made It” from their 2018 album “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.” As he introduced the song, Healy sighed and said he “can’t believe we still need to sing this song in 2022.” The song was inspired by the political and social changes during 2016-2018. “We have all the information to connect and discover,” Healy said in the interview. “But the truth is nowhere to be found.” However, he said that if people could try to love, things could get better. Four years have passed, and Healy is still advocating for love. The song lit everyone up, and the audience sang so loud that Healy almost threw his microphone to the crowd during the verse, inviting everyone to sing into it. The verse notes were so high and the duration so long that people screamed when they sang and hardly had a second to catch their breath. The stage lights flashed with the tempo, and the music was so loud that it could tear people’s hearts, representing the loud political pretenses that fill modern life. “Modernity has failed us/And I’d love it if we made it,” the crowd sang along.
To conclude this inquiry into the funny, changing world, The 1975 sang their last song of the night, “Give Yourself A Try.” At the very end, Healy swiftly climbed up the street lamp to turn off the living room lights and said good night to the audience. To some extent, it’s true that it was just another day: the loneliness, awkwardness and anxiety that we suffer from modernity still exist. But, with the faith that The 1975 brought to the concert, we remember that we could at least try to embrace love, to love both being with people and being alone.
Deconstructing and sharing anxiety, loneliness and anger through the symbolic performance and the intimate interaction with fans, The 1975 gave the Atlanta crowd an unbelievable night. Amid political division and postmodern stress that seem to fill every corner of modern life, the band reminds the audience that hope, love and rock music shall live through time.
Amiee Zhao is from Shanghai, China. At the Wheel, she is Emory Life editor and a writer for multiple sections. Outside of the Wheel, she enjoys traveling and reading non-fiction. She is also involved in OxBroadway and Autism Advocacy Organization.
