The 1975 proved they truly are ‘At Their Very Best’ as they rocked the Mall of Asia Arena last May 3 and 4 and reconnected with their loyal Filipino fanbase after three years! The Monster got to witness Day 1 of the grand reunion thanks to our friends at Pulp Live World, and we’re here to give you the rundown of the night’s highlights.
It all started with Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Wallice treating the audience to some of her original songs like ‘23,’ ‘Punching Bag’ and ‘90’s American Superstar.’ While she’s still a fresh face in the music industry, she proved herself as someone to look out for, setting the mood and getting the crowd hyped for the main event!
Everybody then collectively lost their minds when the light dimmed and the word “ATPOAIM” (A Theatrical Performance of an Intimate Moment) popped up on the screen, signaling the long-awaited entrance of The 1975 – who arrived by riding motorized plush toy animals that kids usually use! So unexpectedly cute!
In on-brand contrast, frontman Matty Healy then welcomed the audience with a flask and a cigarette in one hand while the crowd roared even louder.
The setlist for the night was jam-packed, with the audience singing along to almost every song. And while everybody rocked out to their newer tracks such as ‘About You,’ ‘I’m In Love With You’ and ‘Oh Caroline,’ the energy was definitely amped up ten times more during the performances of certified The 1975 classics; ‘Somebody Else,’ ‘fallingforyou,’ ‘Robbers,’ ‘Love It If We Made It,’ and ‘Sex’ had the whole crowd on their feet with their hands up in the air!
Day 2 concertgoers were going crazy on Twitter at the time, begging for a set list as good as that of Day 1’s, and they were not disappointed! The English pop-rock band even granted their requests of ‘Nana,’ ‘The City,’ and ‘She’s American.’ What a lucky group of fans!
“Manila has dibs on The 1975 because we were big here even before we were big in the UK,” Matty declared, clearly grateful for the overwhelming and loud love the Filipinos have for the band. “We are very happy to be here. It’s always a great experience coming to Manila, because we are kind of about 10 times bigger than we should be.”
The 1975 first visited the Philippines in 2014 for a series of free mall shows, just a few months after their debut. In 2016, they joined Panic! At The Disco, James Bay, Third Eye Blind, Elle King and Twin Pines for the In The Mix festival. The group returned again in 2019 to hold its ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’ tour with No Rome.
‘Til the next one, The 1975! We can’t wait!
