Hello, music nerds! Happy December. I apologize for going dark on here since last winter. 2022 was an incredibly difficult year. I lost someone very dear to me, and suddenly, the things I usually loved doing had no appeal. Sometimes life throws curve balls at us, and we do what we can to survive. Music helps. I’m back now – I know that this person who I hold so close to my heart would never want me to stop writing.
Last Thursday, after almost a decade of adoring them from afar, I finally met The 1975. I discovered these guys my junior year of high school – a defining year for my love of music. During this time, my taste developed further and eventually solidified as I found many of the artists that I still love today. I was a very anxious teenager, and music was one of the only things that took me completely out of a panic attack or uneasy mindset. The 1975’s atmospheric, guitar-heavy tracks became one of my escapes. I didn’t fall in love with the band right away, though – their sound was unlike anything I listened to at the time. I wasn’t sure I liked it. But it didn’t take long for Matty’s distinct, unmistakably British voice to grow on me. As I dove further into the band’s discography, The 1975 quickly earned their spot as one of my favorite bands of all time.
A week ago, I received an email asking if I wanted to meet the band before their show in Portland the next night. I work in radio, so every once and a while, I get opportunities like this. But I had no idea this was coming. I was in shock. I read the email a few times over, then quickly replied with shaking hands, “YES! Tell me when and where, and I’m there.” The next night, I arrived at the venue about 2.5 hours before the show with my younger sister Flora and best friend Troi in an attempt to get as close to the stage as possible – we had GA pit tickets and there were already at least 100 people ahead of us in line. (Some fans started lining up at 4 am the previous morning!)
We shivered in the 30 degree weather, stomping our feet and dancing around to keep warm. A chance to see The 1975 up close doesn’t come around very often, so we huddled together and braved the biting wind. Once the doors finally opened, we rushed through ticketing and security and made our way down to the pit. The floor buzzed with excitement. Fans hurried around us, many of them dressed in the style of Matty; a white collared shirt and loose black tie. I was starting to get butterflies in my stomach thinking about what was to come. We claimed our spot, looking up at the stage. We were about 4 rows back…so close. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text. It was time to be escorted backstage.
Flora and I sprinted back up to the main level while Hayden and Troi saved us a spot in the pit. “This is really happening,” I said to Flora as we were escorted by The 1975’s tour manager to an elevator. “I’m gonna puke,” Flora muttered with a laugh. We made our way through throngs of fans heading the opposite way towards their seats, all of them totally unaware of the fact that Flora and I were about to meet the band. “Be cool, be cool,” I mumbled, mostly to myself. The 1975’s tour manager, Ted, grinned at us as we rode the elevator up to the VIP area. Once inside, he gestured for us to sit down. “The lads will be out in just a second,” he said. Flora squeezed my hand. The only people in the room were my sister and I and three others. I couldn’t believe it.
A few moments later, Adam Hann appeared from around the corner, wearing a long black pea coat and a smile. “Hello!” he said. “Hi, Adam!” we exclaimed, shaking his hand and introducing ourselves. My breath caught in my throat as the rest of the band waltzed around the corner, chatting and laughing. George, Ross, and finally, Matty himself, dressed in a green sweater, black slacks and a pair of funky (designer, he mentioned) cowboy boots. “Holy shit,” I whispered.
“Hello, hello!” Matty said, waving both his hands at us and sauntering over. “Hi, Matty!” Flora and I squealed. “Can I give you a hug?” I asked. “Of course you can, love!” He enveloped us both in a big embrace. “We are so thrilled to meet you, Matty. We know you probably hear this a lot, but we love you guys so much,” I exclaimed with a laugh. “We’ve been fans for a long time, and for my sister and I, you guys have always been our band.” “Our forever band,” Flora added. “Oh, that means so much. Thank you, darlings,” he replied, giving us another hug. We chatted about Portland and their plans for the show. “Matty, I have to ask,” I started, “Was the raw meat you ate on stage at Madison Square Garden REAL?” Matty chuckled. “Yes, the meat was real. But everything else I do isn’t, you know what I mean?” “So you’re not actually pretentious…?” Flora ventured, teasing him. “Well, I am, but I’m not as mental as I appear on stage. If I was, I don’t think these boys would ever want to hang out with me,” Matty replied, gesturing towards the guys. “Plus, it just wouldn’t be emotionally sustainable,” he remarked with a grin. He reached into his pocket and fished out a 1975-branded guitar pick. “Hey, here you go,” he whispered, placing it in my palm. (It smelled like weed.) We took photos and hugged the rest of the guys. When it was time to go, we waved goodbye and wished them luck. Then Flora and I turned to each other, our eyes wide. We couldn’t believe what had just happened – it was one of the most surreal moments of our lives.
We made our way back into the pit (with the power of determination and quite a few apologies), and the show was incredible. The band’s set was the interior of a house, complete with a ceiling fan, winding staircase, roof, and door that represented The 1975’s trademark, “the box.” In the first half of the show, Matty wore a gold button-down, black slacks and a leather jacket. He danced (or rather, flopped, if we’re being real here) around on stage, playing the part of a big-headed, effortlessly cool rockstar while smoking a cigarette and sipping from a silver flask. He played it up for the videographer, singing directly into the lens with a wink and motioning for the camera to follow him around the stage. At what seemed to be the transitional point in the show, Matty started watching the news on a series of stacked televisions, a blank expression on his face. He began doing push ups as he watched the screens intently, the crowd roaring. Suddenly, he stops, placing his hand on the television screen. He pushes the screen, and it gives way to a smoke-filled tunnel. Matty climbs in and disappears into the TV set. When he reappears, he’s wearing his iconic suit and tie that is a staple for this At Their Very Best tour, and the character he’s been playing is gone – he’s the Matty we know again. He was so engaging with the crowd, encouraging us to fill in the lyrical gaps during the band’s beloved songs like “Robbers,” “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)” and “Somebody Else“. There were nods to previous “eras” of The 1975, (e.g. the pink era). They sang “Paris” while pastel pink and purple lights flooded the stage and filtered through the house windows onstage.
My favorite songs to hear live were “About You”, and “fallingforyou.” During the guys’ performance of “About You”,” Matty repeats the mannerisms and dance moves that can be found in the song “Robbers” and its correlating music video. “About You” is a continuation of this song’s story. It has a self-referential, classic The 1975 sound and vibe to it, which makes it my favorite track off their latest record, Being Funny In A Foreign Language. “About You” felt like the last chapter of this story and a reward for the fans who’ve been following along since the beginning.“fallingforyou”, the soft, haunting love song from their debut album, is a crowd favorite. It was magical to chant the song’s defining lyric along with hundreds of other fans: “I don’t want to be your friend, I wanna kiss your neck.”
I love the theatrics incorporated into this tour. At the beginning of the show, Adam climbs an electric pole that connects to the giant prop street lamp on the side of the stage. He then turns on the show with the pull of a power switch. At the end of the show, Matty climbs it again to turn off the show, with a big smile on his face and a wave as the lights go out. The stage itself is incredibly detailed, complete with framed photos on the wall (I couldn’t quite make out the pictures), working lamps that the guys click on and off during transitional moments in the show, and a bookshelf stocked with real novels and The 1975 lyric books. These lyric books are a more aesthetically pleasing (and amusing) tool for when Matty decides to sing an older song in their discography but can’t remember all of the lyrics. At one point in the show, John, the saxophone player, sits and reads a book while Matty spins around onstage. There were pieces of furniture on the stage as well, which made me feel like I was inside the band’s living room or private studio. I appreciated their commitment to a set that truly invites the fans inside, both metaphorically and visually. It felt as though we were getting a glimpse into the creative minds behind The 1975. Although the band interacted with the crowd a great deal, they also managed to fabricate a casual environment onstage in a way that at times, didn’t feel like a show at all. Instead, it felt like a relaxed hang with The 1975 and friends. It was so special.
Overall, it was an amazing night that I will never forget. The 1975 is a remarkable band, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Talk to you soon.
-Sophie
A Perfect Playlist 
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