The 1975 gave a standout performance at Glastonbury Festival on Friday night, celebrating their past while also looking ahead to the future.
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Headlining the festival for the first time, the British band introduced a new stage setup — instead of the home-like set from their creative “At Their Very Best” tour, they performed in front of several LED blocks arranged around the stage. When the band came onstage, the four main blocks showed their names: Matty, George, Ross, and Adam.
In the first part of the set, lead singer Matty Healy wore a leather jacket, white T-shirt, and jeans as they opened with three songs: “Happiness,” “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know),” and “Love Me.” Partway through the show, the stage went dark and a message appeared saying: “Matty is changing his trousers.”
The band returned in full suits and performed “I Couldn’t Be More in Love,” after which Healy gave his most heartfelt speech of the night, saying that the band — which often stirs controversy — would be “taking a break from politics.”
People who are watching this may — I don’t know… They may be disappointed in the lack of politics in this show and our forthcoming shows and probably our future shows. I want you to know that it’s a conscious decision. We honestly don’t want our legacy to be one of politics. We want it to be that of love and friendship. I’m not trying to be too earnest, but you can go out into the world and there’s loads of politics everywhere. We don’t need more politics. We need more love and friendship. I know that’s really basic, but if you are a young kid and you are inspired by, like, this band or something like that — don’t aspire to play a stage or be a certain size. Aspire for this level of friendship and love in what you do and you’ll never fail. And I love you.
Healy began
The band then played “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)” followed by “Love It if We Made It,” which is likely their most political song. After performing fan favorites “Sex,” “Give Yourself a Try,” and “The Sound,” Healy told the audience that the band “isn’t going anywhere.” When they finished the last song, “About You,” the word “DOGS” appeared — it was also written on drummer George Daniel’s drumhead, possibly hinting at a new chapter.
The band’s most recent album, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language,” came out in 2022 and was praised by critics. Since releasing their first EP in 2012, they’ve built a loyal fanbase, with thousands getting tattoos of their iconic box logo.
The band is also known for being controversial, mostly because of Healy’s behavior on and off stage. During the “At Their Very Best” tour, Healy often kissed bandmates and audience members during shows.
Source: Variety