The 1975

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR LIVE PHOTOS FROM the 1975'S AUCKLAND SHOW BY GRACE WATSON & DAVID WATSON

By David Watson

Artist: The 1975

Date / Venue: Friday January 15th, 2016 - Town Hall, Auckland

It's only been a year since Manchester band The 1975 visited our shores. It seems they've been busy in that time working on an album to be released in February this year. This sold out show at the iconic Auckland Town Hall promised to be a more intimate gig than their last outing at the Logan Campbell Centre.

As expected their fan base is predominately girls aged from 15-20, although not restricted to that age and gender. Rock, Pop, Electro, Boy band. The 1975 are all of the above and there show reflects moments from all of these genres. Lead by the front man Matthew Healy, the band took to the stage promptly at 9 o'clock to screams, which the like of haven't been heard in the Auckland Town Hall in quiet some time. These were not just the screams of delirious teenage girls, but the screams of true fans that the hard touring 1975 have amassed over the years, with their relevant catchy rock/pop songs.

It was a concert of 3 parts, with the first 4 or 5 songs being rock and upbeat, just what the crowd wanted, with very little communication from the enigmatic front man. This is were things changed and lead singer Matthew Healy declared its good to be back and established a casual and relaxed banter with the crowd. These news songs featured more instrumental keyboard and saxophone, which seemed to calm the hyped up crowd. The huge led panel set behind the band set a very atmosphere feeling.

The 1975 are a tight and well honed group, but the show really centers around lead singer/guitarist Matthew Healy, with his edgy dance moves, signature makeup and leather trousers. By this stage of the show he was fully engaged with his audience to the point were he asked them to turn off there phones for just 10 minutes and engage in the moment, to which the crowd dually obliged. This was the most intimate moment of the show to the point were the singer had a glass of red wine and a cigarette while getting into the mood.

Things quickly changed when singer Matthew Healy said the word 'Girl', which is the title of one of there most popular songs. He encouraged the crowd to sing, which he really didn't need to do as the Town hall erupted to the lyrics. This was followed by the very popular 'Chocolate' keeping the pace of the concert alive.

The 1975 left the stage briefly, returning for a well received 3 song encore starting with a slower song and building up to frenzy with the song "Sex" featuring some wild strobe lights. The crowd was hyped and rocking at the end of the show; the band bowed and thanked the audience for a great evening.