The 1975 rocked up Glastonbury on Friday night, headlining the iconic festival, but their set has sparked a mix of reactions from fans across social media. Maintaining a low profile in recent times, the group’s appearance at the Pyramid Stage is billed as their sole gig this year.
To make it count, Matty Healy along with his bandmates have really “pulled out all the stops” for this evening’s unforgettable show. Entering the stage armed with a pint of Guinness – which he seemed to be merely holding rather than drinking – and puffing away on a cigarette, Healy made an unusual entrance.
And not long into their performance, Healy appeared to joke about ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift, who is believed to have included hm in the lyrics of her recent album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ after their split. Garnering international attention in 2023, Healy’s brief dalliance with Taylor Swift ended quickly yet lasted long enough to possibly motivate the ‘Shake It Off’ artist to include references to him in several tracks.
While addressing the audience, Healy proclaimed: “What this moment is making me realise is that – yeah. This moment is making me realise. I probably am the best so I’m probably the best songwriter of my generation. A poet, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am. I wanted to remind you – this poetry, I believed in it for you.”, reports Somerset Live.
The 1975 launched into their chart-topper, ‘Chocolate’ — arguably one of their less poetic works — followed by Healy quipping that he was only jesting about his claims of being a poet.
The headline act sparked a flurry of reactions on social media. One user expressed their annoyance, stating: “Matty Healy swaggering about with a pint he’s no intention of drinking is the most annoying thing I’ve ever seen,”.
Another chimed in: “Matty Healy carrying a pint of Guinness around to appear relatable and has not drunk a single sip in 10 minutes.”
A third commented: “Matty Healy trolls on stage at Glastonbury: “I’m probably the best songwriter of my generation – the best, what do we say? A poet.”
One critic remarked: “The thing which makes Matty Healy so insufferable is it’s very easy to imagine that all the b*llendery he does on stage isn’t just for the performance but that he would genuinely sashay into Gregg’s reciting 14th century French poetry.”
Another added: “Matty Healy trying to play the archetypal rock and roller with the leather jacket, pint of Guinness and a cigarette while simultaneously performing some of the blandest music imaginable is quite the contradiction. About as rock and roll as Aled Jones.”
However, there were those who enjoyed the performance, despite their issues with the frontman. One fan declared: “Say what you want about Matty Healy but he is a SHOW MAN.”
Another admitted: “The 1975’s music is really good, but Matty Healy really is an insufferable b*llend of a frontman!”.
Yet another added: “I do understand why Matty Healy is a polarising character but I think The 1975 are a brilliant band with sharp songwriting, brilliant diversity in sound and excellent musicianship. Still my favourites!”.
A fourth fan expressed disappointment: “Should have been all about the #1975 but Healy has decided to hijack it and turn in a car crash performance. You can see it in the band’s faces. All he had to do was hold it together for one day and he’s failed miserably.”
Another critic remarked: “The 1975 are actually pretty good! It’s just a shame that Matty Healy is an absolute weapon.”
Meanwhile, The Mirror heard from a source suggesting there were noticeably fewer attendees for The 1975’s set compared to audiences that gathered for Lewis Capaldi and CMAT at the Pyramid Stage.
Whispers amongst some attendees indicated the gig didn’t quite match their tastes, prompting them to drift away from the performance space.
Further into the event, Matty Healy made his views clear: “”Use your platform, that’s what they say. People who watch this might be disappointed at the lack of politics in this show… We honestly don’t want our legacy to be one of politics, we want it to be of love and friendship. I don’t think we need more politics, we need more love. I know that’s really basic.”
