The 1975, Alexandra Palace

Indie rock group The 1975 blast their way onto the Alexandra Palace stage on the last UK stop in their album tour. 

The 1975 are the most encouraging success story to have emerged from the British music scene in the past year. Amidst talk of ever-decreasing budgets for artist development and a severe lack of decent guitar music, the Manchester band proved all the naysayers wrong.

Climbing the charts...

Reaching No.1 on the UK Chart with their self-titled debut album in September, their distinct mash-up of catchy but clever R&B infused indie rang out on radio stations for months. They’ve since sold over 100,000 copies of the record, played with The Rolling Stones and have now announced their largest headlining tour to date, including a night at Alexandra Palace in London on September 30.

The sound...

The band blend stadium rock with clipped pop and wobbling atmospherics, kept up-tempo with a pinch of 90s R&B. Youthful mischief pours from Matt Healy’s carefee lyrics, “You say, we'll go where nobody knows, with guns hidden under our petticoats” their inescapable single Chocolate declares with a wink. 

Origin...

After forming as teenagers at school, the four-piece spent over seven years honing their sound while trying to land a record deal. However, stuffy executives at ‘every major label in the UK’ passed on the band twice, before their manager decided to do it himself and signed them to his small independent company. It was a risky move that paid off (the price of making the record was pretty steep) and the band are now making waves in the US. Produced by Arctic Monkeys’ producer Mike Crossey, the LP is all jangly rhythms and vivid lyrics about life in your early twenties.

What will you see?

The live show is described by frontman Matthew Healy as a “big sonic experience” – muffled mumbles drowned out by a guitar turned up too loud this won’t be. Catch a slice of some of the freshest talent around before they break the States and burn out – we promise you won’t be disappointed.