At Their Very Best was the fourth concert tour by English

indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *Independent media, media free of influence by government or corporate interests *Indie art, fine arts made by artists independent of commer ...

art pop Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theory, art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, film, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre dra ...

band

the 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...

in support of their fifth studio album '' Being Funny in a Foreign Language'' (2022). It had a total of seven legs with 93 cumulative shows across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Written and directed by frontman

Matty Healy Matthew Timothy Healy (born 8 April 1989) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the pop rock band the 1975. He is recognised for his Lyricist, lyricism, Eclecticism in music, ...

, the show received unanimous critical acclaim, with praise on the concept, production, boundary-pushing staging, and Healy's performance. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' declared it as "a defining blueprint on how to do arena shows" and "the most impressive live show" of 2022. A follow-up tour, with newly expanded production, commenced in arenas in North America in 2023 titled Still... At Their Very Best.

Background

The band was set to embark on the 2021 shows of

Music for Cars ''Music for Cars'' is the third extended play (EP) by English band the 1975, released on 4 March 2013 by Dirty Hit, Polydor Records and Vagrant Records. Development of the record began after the band completed their eponymous debut album. Work ...

tour but ultimately cancelled the entire tour due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. However, they have confirmed that they have been working on their fifth studio album. On 29 June 2022, the band announced the album titled '' Being Funny in a Foreign Language'', releasing it on 14 October the same year. The group announced the tour along with its North American dates on 3 August 2022. It was followed by UK and Ireland tour dates, announced on 1 September 2022. On 13 February 2023, the group announced a headlining concert at the

Finsbury Park Finsbury Park is a public park in Harringay, north London, England. The park lies on the southern-most edge of the London Borough of Haringey. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal ...

, deemed as their "biggest UK headline show ever".

Concert synopsis

The show was written and directed by frontman Healy. The set, modeled after the interior of a suburban home, was designed by the band's frequent collaborator

Tobias Rylander Tobias is the transliteration of the , which is a Graecisation of the Hebrew biblical name . With the biblical Book of Tobit being present in the Deuterocanonical books and Biblical apocrypha, Tobias is a popular male given name for both Christi ...

, and is adorned with antique furniture, bedside lamps, and old televisions embedded with LED screens to display concert visuals. On one end of the stage is a large spiral staircase, while the other end is covered by a roof atop which Healy performs the song "

I Like America and America Likes Me ''I Like America and America Likes Me'', also known as ''Coyote'', was a performance by German conceptual artist Joseph Beuys, that took place in 1974. Description In 1974, the German conceptual artist landed in a New York City airport wher ...

". At the center of the stage is a large door frame that evokes the rectangle symbol present across the cover art for the band's early discography. The set is also surrounded by windowsills through which more stage lights are projected, as well as a large streetlamp that hangs over the roof of the house. Rylander cited

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

as an inspiration for the set, aiming to create a contrast between the "cozy" suburban backdrop and the darker undertones of Healy's performance onstage. The show is split into two parts: the first half (''The 1975 Presents: Being Funny in a Foreign Language'') was characterized by ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' as "part performance art, part

stage play A play is a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than mere reading. The creator of a play is known as a playwright. Plays are staged at various levels, ranging ...

, part

Charlie Kaufman Charles Stuart Kaufman (; born November 19, 1958) is an American screenwriter, film director, and novelist. Having first come to prominence for writing ''Being John Malkovich'' (1999), ''Adaptation (film), Adaptation'' (2002), and ''Eternal Sun ...

movie about a rock star in crisis," and the second half (''At Their Very Best'') as a traditional concert that incorporates more of the band's past discography. The two halves were separated by an interlude titled "Consumption" where Healy depicts

masturbation Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person Sexual stimulation, sexually stimulates their own Sex organ, genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. Stimulation may involve the use of han ...

, eats a raw steak, and delivers 20 press-ups in immediate succession in front of television screens showing news clips, which he then appears to climb into. In the US leg of the tour, Healy got a tattoo on stage that read "iM a MaN". Healy has also invited both male and female members of his audience to kiss him during his performance of the song "

Robbers Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

" and, on one occasion, sucked a fan's thumb. ''The Guardian'' said it sparked conversations regarding consent, fantasy and art in 2022, and noted that Healy asked for fans' permission first.

Set list

This set list is representative of the show on 8 January 2023 in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, England. It does not represent all dates throughout the tour. #"The 1975" (''Being Funny in a Foreign Language'') #"Looking for Somebody (To Love)" #"

Happiness Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...

" #" Part of the Band" #"' Oh Caroline" #"I'm in Love with You" #"All I Need to Hear" #"Roadkill" #"I Couldn't Be More in Love" #"Fallingforyou" #"

I Like America & America Likes Me "I Like America & America Likes Me" is a song by English band the 1975 from their third studio album, ''A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships'' (2018). The song was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross Mac ...

" #" About You" #"When We Are Together" #" If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) #" TooTimeTooTimeTooTime" #"

Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

" #" It's Not Living (If It's Not with You)" #"Paris" #"

" #" Somebody Else" #" Love It If We Made It" #" The Sound" #"

Sex Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...

" #" Give Yourself a Try"

Special guests

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...

performed The 1975's "Milk" during the concert on 28 November 2022 in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

. *

Jack Antonoff Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Bleachers, and previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop band Fun and the lead vocalist of t ...

and Zem Audu performed a medley of

Bleachers Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports-fields and at other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step enabling access to a ...

' "All My Heroes" and "Rollercoaster" during the concert on 29 November 2022 in San Francisco. *

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

performed The 1975's " The City" and a debut live performance of her single "

Anti-Hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...

" during the concert on 12 January 2023 in London, England. *

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

performed "Vroom Vroom" during the concert on 20 January 2023 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England. * Tim Healy performed a cover of "All I Need to Hear" in

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

, England, then reprising this performance for the band's Finsbury Park concert. *

Lewis Capaldi Lewis Marc Capaldi (born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" (2018) topped the UK Singles Chart where it remained for seven weeks, and in November 2019, it reached number ...

performed covers of "Antichrist" and Taylor Swift's "

Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...

" during the concert on 25 January 2023 in Newcastle, England.

Reception

The show received unanimous critical acclaim with five star reviews from the ''

'', ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'', ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'', ''

Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...

'', and ''

Metro Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...

,'' among others. ''Rolling Stone'' declared it as "a defining blueprint on how to do arena shows" and "the most impressive live show" of 2022, with the ''Evening Standard'' declaring the 1975 as "the most compelling pop band on the planet". Clips from the show went viral on

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

and other social media platforms, prompting wide media coverage of his onstage actions. In ''Rolling Stone'''s review of the performance, the magazine stated that Healy delivered "a

subversive Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to sabotage the established social order and its structures of power, authority, tradition, hierarchy, and socia ...

and surreal take on modern masculinity

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

when viewed in isolation on social media, that all-importance nuance is entirely absent." On 21 July 2023, while performing in Malaysia, the organisers of the Good Vibes Festival forced the band to prematurely end their performance under pressure by the authorities after Healy criticised the country's widespread anti-LGBTQ+ laws and kissed fellow bandmate Ross MacDonald. Healy stated that he "made a mistake. When we were booking shows, I wasn't looking into it. ..So I pulled the show yesterday and we had a conversation, we said 'you know what, we can't let the kids down because they're not the government'". Malaysian authorities forced the organisers to immediately halt and cancelled the rest of the three-day festival citing that Healy's "controversial conduct and remarks" are "against the traditions and values of the local culture". Human rights and LGBT activist

Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is an Australian-born British human rights campaigner, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party's Parliament of the United Kingdo ...

, writing for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' wrote that criticism of Healy and the band "deflect attention from where the criticisms should be most urgently directed: against the

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

of the

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

regime." He also expressed that Healy is no white saviour for showing solidarity to the community as "queer rights are a universal human right, not a western one". On 23 July 2023, the band announced the cancellation of their concerts in Jakarta and Taipei, citing "current circumstances" that made it "impossible to proceed with the scheduled shows". Accordingly, this made Singapore the only stand-alone Asian stop for Leg 6.

Broadcast

The sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on 7 November 2022 was livestreamed globally on

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...

, presented by

Amazon Music Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and digital music store operated by Amazon. As of January 2020, the service had 55 million subscribers. It was the first music store to sell music without digital rights manag ...

. A live recording was released on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

and premiered on 6 January 2023.

Gallery

Photos taken on the tour's 14 December 2022 sold out show in Minnesota depicting a partial view of the stage design modified with Christmas lights. File:The 1975 at the Armory (52710872242).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711804460).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711865763).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711871953).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711805595).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711656194).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711389966).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52710872347).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711392966).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52710869237).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52710867227).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711871108).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711811280).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711808520).jpg, alt= File:The 1975 at the Armory (52711805360).jpg, alt=

Tour dates

Selected box office score data

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control The 1975 concert tours 2022 concert tours 2023 concert tours Concert tours of the United States Concert tours of Mexico Concert tours of Canada Concert tours of the United Kingdom Concert tours of Ireland Concert tours of Argentina Concert tours of Chile Concert tours of Paraguay Concert tours of Colombia Concert tours of Brazil Concert tours of Thailand Concert tours of Australia Concert tours of New Zealand Concert tours of Japan Concert tours of the Philippines Concert tours of Denmark Concert tours of Poland Concert tours of Austria Concert tours of the Netherlands Concert tours of the Czech Republic Concert tours of Norway Concert tours of Germany Concert tours of Luxembourg Concert tours of Romania Concert tours of Belgium Concert tours of Sweden Concert tours of Spain Concert tours of France Concert tours of Portugal Concert tours of Singapore Concert tours of Malaysia Concert tours of Indonesia Concert tours of Taiwan