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From Pandemic to Glory: How did The 1975 revive touring and innovate?
The British independent art pop band The 1975 will release their fifth album "Being Funny in a Foreign Language" in 2022, and then launch their fourth tour "At Their Very Best". A total of seven legs and 93 performances covering North and South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. The tour was written and directed by frontman Marty Healy and received critical acclaim.
Rolling Stone described the show as "a defining blueprint for how to stage a stadium show" and called it the most impressive live show of 2022.
Tour background
The 1975 was supposed to launch the "Music for Cars" tour in 2021, but the entire tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, the band confirmed that they were working on their fifth album. On June 29, 2022, the band officially announced the title of the album "Being Funny in a Foreign Language" and it will be released on October 14. On August 3 of the same year, the band announced the tour and North American dates, while the UK and Ireland tour dates were announced on September 1.
On February 13, 2023, the band announced that it would hold a concert in Finsbury Park, which is regarded as their "largest British-themed performance".
Concert Overview
The show was choreographed and directed by lead singer Marty Healy, and its stage design simulated the interior of an American suburban home. Designer Tobias Ryland, who often collaborates with the band, added antique furniture, bedside lamps and an old TV embedded with an LED screen for visual flair. There was a large spiral staircase at one end of the stage and a covered roof at the other, where Healy sang "I Like America and America Likes Me." At the center of the stage is a large door frame, echoing the rectangular symbol of the band's early record covers.
"The first half of this show is about my personal experience. It's about a lonely man who wants to go crazy after spending a year online."
The performance is divided into two parts: the first part, "The 1975 Presents: Being Funny in a Foreign Language," was evaluated by the Observer as "part performance art, part stage play, and part Charlie Kaufman movie." The second part, "At Their Very Best", is more traditional and covers more of the band's past music. The interlude between the two parts, "Consumption," shows Healy in various behaviors, including masturbating, eating raw steak, and performing 20 push-ups.
Special guests
During the tour, many special guests received enthusiastic responses, including Phoebe Bridgers performing "Milk" in Inglewood, California, Jack Antonoff and Zem Audu performing a medley of "Bleachers" and more. In particular, Taylor Swift performed "The City" at her London show and sang her new single "Anti-Hero" live for the first time.
"The show received five stars and has been hailed as a defining blueprint for stadium performance."
Tour response
The tour received critical acclaim, including praise from Rolling Stone, NME and The Guardian. On online social platforms, many of Healy's actions on stage have aroused heated discussions. He sparked discussion when he interrupted a performance in Malaysia for publicly criticizing local anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Healy later responded,
"I made a mistake. I didn't consider this aspect in detail when we made the plan."
This made people start to think about the relationship between music and social issues. At another show in Singapore, the suspension made this the 1975's only stand-alone show in Asia.
Future Outlook and Conclusion
In 2023, The 1975 plans to launch an expanded version of the "Still... At Their Very Best" tour, which marks their departure again. As the music industry changes, how The 1975 integrates their style into universal issues and maintains a deep connection with the audience will become an important issue for their future development. As music styles evolve and social issues intersect, will audiences expect more dynamic performances of this kind?
