- Music
- 02 Sep 16
Matty Healy and co. bring A+ production values, a keen festival acumen – and, oh yeah, a bucketload of tunes – to wow the Stradbally faithful
From interviewing Matty Healy, I knew the louche frontman of The 1975 is one of the most intriguing characters in music. Following their Main Stage spectacular, no small amount of Picnic pilgrims will feel similarly.
Opening with 'Love Me', itself a tongue-in-cheek parody of celeb culture, the Mancunians produced a set that was tailor-made for a festival audience. Not afraid to slow it down – though aware that the biggest pops were going to arrive for 'Sex', 'Chocolate', 'The Sound' and their other major singles – the band, flanked by a crack squad of musicians, were nothing short of a revelation.
And in the middle of it all, of course, was the bould Mr. Healy. Whether full James Brown, hip-waving and booty-shaking, or more cool and contemplative, the lead singer proved just why the world is falling for a band going from strength to strength.