The 1975's Glastonbury Headlining Set: Was it Genius or Just Weird?

2025-06-28 18:00:24.819

The 1975's Glastonbury headlining set was shrouded in pre-show rumors of extravagant staging costs exceeding their performance fee. While the lead singer, Matty Healy, didn't shave his head as rumored, the production was undeniably lavish, featuring massive video screens, a reappearing treadmill, and even a car on stage. The screens displayed everything from news montages and song lyrics to self-deprecating critiques of Healy's lyrics and the band's music, creating a meta-commentary on their own performance. Healy himself oscillated between enthusiastic crowd engagement and self-aware, tormented pop star roles. The show's visual spectacle occasionally threatened to overshadow the music, particularly during a lengthy interlude where Healy changed his trousers, resulting in a minor audience exodus. However, the band's strong musicality shone through in hits like "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)", "She's American", "It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)", "Sex", "Love It If We Made It", and "The Sound", culminating in an emotional performance of "About You". Overall, the 1975's set was a bold, experimental, and ultimately impressive performance, despite its occasional strangeness and self-deprecation.