Friday night, indie pop rock band The 1975 performed their first set since their controversial performance in Malaysia, where lead singer Matty Healy went on a rant mid-set about the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws and then kissed the band’s male bass player, Ross McDonald.
The band took the Bud Light stage at 8:45 p.m. at Lollapalooza day two. The crowd, relatively small because of the large draw to Kendrick Lamar’s set, seemed to enjoy The 1975’s performance.
The set began with ambient synth, then the rest of the band entered and Healy began singing “Looking for Somebody (to Love).” The song was poppy and upbeat — a good starter that got the crowd moving.
Healy was very animated on stage, making strange faces and moving around. He also pointed the neck of his guitar at the audience in the fashion of a gun.
Next, the band played “Happiness,” a song with a strong bass riff. Healy’s superior singing abilities shone through in this song, hitting the notes clearly and cleanly.
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During this song, Healy held a flask and a cigarette in one hand, holding the microphone in the other. There was also a saxophone solo.
As the band played the beginning of their third song “Chocolate,” the crowd cheered and came to life.
Healy addressed the crowd between most songs, saying “Ladies and gentlemen, what can I say,” before the next song “Oh Caroline.”
The band then played “I’m in Love With You,” and Healy talked to the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you are watching The 1975,” Healy said.
Noticeably, Healy grabbed a bottle of wine after this song and drank from it before and during the next song, “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know).”
After the song, Healy commented that the band planned on sticking around, a possible allusion to the fact that their last set got cut short.
When the band played “Robbers,” the song that Healy kissed McDonald during when they were in Malaysia, Healy left the stage mid-song to hug someone in front of the barricade. He returned to the stage, then went back off-stage to sit on the barricade for part of the song.
After “Robbers,” the band played “The Sound,” one of their hits that much of the audience knew. During the bridge of the song, Healy asked the audience to jump on his count. Much of the audience followed his instructions.
Once the song ended, Healy called out the attendees who needed to be taken out of the crowd on stretchers.
“Give it up for all the people being carried out on stretchers during a 1975 concert, that’s very embarrassing,” Healy said.
The crowd got loud once again as the band began their next song “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You).”
The band then launched into “Somebody Else,” another hit.
For their next song “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes), Healy began with an acoustic guitar. After a minute, electric guitar entered and the song became one of the heaviest of the set, slamming the crowd with loud guitars and strong percussion.
The following song, “Love It If We Made It,” was also well-received from the crowd, with many dancing and singing along to every word.
Healy commented about The 1975 being the best band in the world currently, then introduced the next song, “Sex.”
The band finished the set with a strong performance of “Give Yourself a Try.” When the song ended, Healy bowed several times before leaving the stage.
