Live Review: The 1975 + Cub Sport – Hisense Arena, Melbourne (24.07.16)

The 1975 can’t seem to get away from our beloved country. After a string of January shows, the alt-pop band upped the ante for the second coming of arena sideshows after this year’s Splendour in The Grass for their sophomore album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, released earlier this year.

Although the band may be touring on a new album cycle; one thing remains the same – there was no way of getting lost from Flinders St Station, as Melbourne became the denim and leather jacket capital of Australia for the night. Although I, too, was guilty of fitting the uniform of a The 1975 concert, it’s always amusing to witness a sea of blue and black walk along the Yarra to Melbourne Park.

The band have continually proven to choose relatively unknown and emerging supports, notably in the vein of The 1975 themselves. This time around, Brisbane band Cub Sport provided the warm up, delivering an excellent line up of original songs and a cover of a Talking Heads track. Groovy and upbeat when required, the band has a catchy vibe that should see them conquer this country in no time. If you don’t know them already, keep and eye out for them as they are definitely worth a listen.

The 1975 played a very similar setlist to their Festival Hall concert, almost in a way that debuted their live shows to the majority of their fanbase who hadn’t had a chance to see them yet. Once lead singer Matty Healy is handed his glass of red on stage (which is literally my dream job) and begins his signature dance moves, the night officially begins.

The band play an equal balance of past and present albums. One among many things I enjoy about The 1975’s live concerts is their setlist choice; opening with “Love Me” gets the crowd incredibly excited for the show, but slower songs see phones being put away, lighters out; everyone as one becoming the heart of the concert’s atmosphere. As I said in my last review for The 1975, “The Sound” is probably one of the best live songs I’ve seen. When the crowd jumps in unison during Adam Hann‘s guitar solo, it’s one of those incredibly special moments where the concert experience can literally transport you into another state of mind.

The 1975  know how to put on an exhilarating live show for their fans. They prove to a young fan base you don’t need strict choreography, tight sets or confetti to rein in an audience to have the time of their lives. Sometimes all you need is good old rock and roll to pull you in and get you feeling as though you’re on top of the world. And then, although finishing exhausted and drained, you can’t wait to do it all over again.

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