More than a year into its aptly named “Still… At Their Very Best” tour, The 1975 rocked a sold-out TD Garden show Nov. 12. From the nosebleeds to the floor, fans amassed to indulge in the best of the British pop rock band’s diverse discography.
The band’s fifth album, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language,” reached the No. 7 spot on the Billboard 200 upon its October 2022 release, solidifying its fame beyond the United Kingdom. Coupled with the rumored romance between lead singer Matty Healy and Taylor Swift earlier this year, the band has hit its peak in popularity 10 years after its debut.
Whimsical bedroom pop artist Dora Jar opened the show, whipping her hair and flaunting tricks, like the splits, as she performed songs with playful melodies. She closed her act by teasing the audience about the main act’s imminent appearance.
“Are you ready for The 1975?” she said to a cheering crowd. The ensuing 30 minutes left fans anxious for the show to begin, but the build-up was well worth the wait.
The stage’s blue curtain fell, unveiling the tour’s iconic set — windows, lamps, couches, vintage television sets, a coffee table and a spiral staircase filled the stage with a modern, yet cozy, feel. As Healy emerged from backstage, fans roared as drummer George Daniel, bassist Ross MacDonald and guitarist Adam Hann followed.
Predictably, “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” dominated the beginning of the show. Upbeat songs like “Looking For Somebody (To Love),” “Happiness” and “Oh Caroline” had fans singing their hearts out to the band’s latest hits.
Audience members equally enjoyed older tunes that the band weaved throughout the show. Throwing it back to its 2013 debut self-titled album, longtime fans were overcome with nostalgia from the headbang-worthy hits “Robbers” and “Chocolate,” with Healy’s British accent shining through as he paid homage to The 1975’s origins. During these rock-heavy songs, Daniel, MacDonald and Hann showed off their unparalleled drum and guitar work.
Halting the high energy, the middle of the show took a turn. “About You,” the highest-streamed song on “Being Funny In A Foreign Language,” brought some audience members to tears. Healy’s effortlessly soft voice complemented the beauty of the song’s storyline, singing, “We get married in our heads / Something to do while we try to recall how we met.” The somber mood carried on with an acoustic performance of “Be My Mistake.” Healy empathized with fans and tugged at their heartstrings as he sang about the guilt and confusion of navigating love in young adulthood.
Old and new fans alike bopped to some of the band’s most famous pop songs, like “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME,” “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)” and “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know).” To many fans’ surprise, several unexpected songs made the setlist. Tunes that have rarely been played on the tour, including “Heart Out,” “You” and “A Change Of Heart,” convinced some audience members that they were being rewarded for selling out TD Garden. However, one key song was sacrificed — “Paris,” a fan favorite that has been played consistently throughout the tour.
While Healy’s vocals were commendable, his stage presence was lacking. The extent of his performance was stumbling around the stage, habitually sipping alcohol from a flask, intermittently lighting a new cigarette and repeating to fans, more and more drunkenly each time, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are The 1975.”
Ironically, neither of the show’s two highlights was performed by Healy. For the melancholic love song “All I Need To Hear,” Matty Healy brought out his father, Tim Healy. A retired Hollywood actor, it was his tour debut, and fans welcomed him warmly. Audience members witnessed a precious, generation-bridging moment as the senior Healy sang from the floor and his son sat high above on the roof of the set, gazing down.
Polly Money, the band’s supporting singer for the tour, was also afforded a solo. While she typically only contributes background vocals and a short solo in “About You,” Healy gave her the lead in “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America,” a rare showcase of Money’s rich, feminine voice.
It wouldn’t be a The 1975 show without Healy’s signature touch of quirk and controversy. During “Be My Mistake,” the stadium’s screens displayed video clips of “Subway Surfers,” slime poking, “Dance Dance Revolution” and “The Simpsons.” On stage, he tucked a naked, disturbingly realistic wax replica of himself into a blanket. Never speaking with a filter, he introduced “Somebody Else” by telling the audience, “Don’t be emotionally horny.” And, before “Sex,” he explained the release of the song by saying, “I wrote a song about luring teenage girls into a van for sex, and Twitter loved it.” Fans were unfazed, as Healy has been a regular subject of controversy throughout his career.
After Healy announced at a September Sacramento show that the band “will be going on an indefinite hiatus with shows” when the tour concludes, fans worldwide have been savoring every last bit of The 1975 live. But Boston fans can find comfort in being one of the band’s most beloved cities — as the end of the show neared, Healy said, “I don’t think there’s been a tour where we didn’t go to Boston, which is a testament to how much we enjoy it.”
