17/03/2016 | The 1975 – O2 Academy, Glasgow

The 1975 rolled into Glasgow on Thursday night for their first of a 4 night stint at the infamous O2 Academy just south of the river. As far as first nights go, there was no holding back and no saving any tricks for later as the band gave it 100%, which coincidentally may have been the blood alcohol level of front man Matty Healy who was never without a fresh glass of wine the whole evening.

However the drunken stumbles and stutters didn’t show until later in the evening, and the night most definitely started with a bang. Opening with the clearly INXS inspired Love Me. It could have come from the mouth of Michael Hutchence but was delivered by his millenial protégé wearing a Mexican style embroidered shirt and fringed leather jacket.

The stage was lit in pink for what would be the start of a spectacular light show all evening. This continued into recent single UGH which showed a night skyline backdrop, before boxes were lit in white, psychedelic colours appeared for a slow, smooth rendition of Change of Heart and much more besides. This gig was as much a pleasure on the eyes as it was on the ears.

There was a strange synth interlude after Change of Heart which seemed to switch the whole vibe of the concert up as Healy returned to the stage in body but his mind was completely on another planet. In fairness, the lighting had gone a bit strobey but the wine seemed to catch up with him as he belted out the most part Loving Someone to nobody in particular as he seemed to have forgotten he had a microphone to sing into.

From there the set clattered along to an end with first album favourite Girls, and before everyone knew it, it was encore time. It’s surprising just how many songs The 1975 rattled through before this point in the evening, as though you forget what tracks they have in their arsenal until you hear them live. As predicted, the band saved the biggest hits until last, with Chocolate and Sex getting everyone on their feet for another spectacular light display and a wall of sound before disappearing into the night in preparation for the next three shows.

the1975.com