Now is not the time for a standard say-what-you-saw review, because I did not just witness a standard headline performance from The 1975 at Bellahouston Park, for the final instalment of the Summer Sessions. 

Glasgow Times: The 1975The 1975

I could write about the other acts, who were fantastic in themselves – Josh Franceschi, frontman of You Me At Six telling a Glasgow crowd that they were in the ‘best country’ and that he almost moved to Glasgow a few months back; or homegrown Twin Atlantic, with frontman Sam McTrusty’s newborn baby watching from the side of the stage.

Glasgow Times: You Me At Six frontman Josh FranceschiYou Me At Six frontman Josh Franceschi

I could write about the diva-ish attitudele of The 1975 towards press, as their press team duly told me that one of the biggest bands around right now ‘don’t do chats’.

 

I could write about the smell emanating from the hay laid down to soak up the mud left from the existing sessions. But to write about those things would be to focus on the miniscule of what was a show that will have massive proportions and repercussions on the future of those who witnessed it. 

Glasgow Times: Matty Healy of The 1975Matty Healy of The 1975

 

The 1975 not only put on an electrifying, professional, entertaining and visually beautiful set tonight, but they used their platform to display to around 5000+ audience members their and Greta Thunberg’s message – or warning, rather, a call to arms – about climate change.

 

Glasgow Times: Matty Healy and Greta Thunberg. Image: POLYDORMatty Healy and Greta Thunberg. Image: POLYDOR

Projected onto huge screens were visuals to accompany Thunberg’s essay written for the upcoming album, ‘Notes on a Conditional Form’.  The essay talks to young people; that there are no black and white areas; that we have a choice to cut down on greenhouse grass emissions or die. That the older generations have failed us – a sentiment echoed in the following ‘Love It If We Made It’ where Matty sang that ‘modernity has failed us / I’d love it if we made it’.

Even if it doesn’t turn us into climate change warriors tomorrow, it is a message that will knock around in our noggins for a while as it was administered beautifully. That we can change the future.

Glasgow Times:

 

The set was, too, bittersweet. We got to know Matty more – it is, after all, about him; echoed by ‘Matty’ projected onto the visuals behind him. Fame has been difficult; their music reflects how with success, their lives have become more complicated, almost heavier.

Increasingly self-aware even at his most obtuse, Matty defended his actions of late where he kissed a man in the crowd at his Abu Dhabi performance, potentially jeopardizing his safety in a country where homosexual acts can warrant the death penalty. He told the crowd, "IF YOU KISS BOYS AND YOU'RE A BOY, YOU SHOULDN'T GET IN TROUBLE!" and he is right, of course. You shouldn't. 

Read more: The 1975 in Glasgow: details about Summer Sessions show

Reflecting on a career that has recently won them a Brit award but which started in venues such as King Tuts, Matty told the crowd, ‘we used to sing about smoking weed and having sex, before we started trying to change the world. Let’s go back to a simpler time’ before launching into classics such as ‘Sex’, ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Girls’.

He almost came into the crowd, before stopping himself because it was unsafe – not before teasing us, saying ‘I’m not going into that crowd, It’s Glasgow – I’m not f*****g mental!’, but he did it anyway. Because, after it all, he is a showman. 

Glasgow Times: Twin AtlanticTwin Atlantic

What a fantastic round-up of the summer circuit and close to the Sessions – some music, some art, some politics. The 1975 make you feel that even the youngest among the world can help to change the world, even while singing about girls and boys who don’t love us back, parties attended long before these men won awards and chased demons with vices, about chocolate and sex.

A show like that gives you hope. And that can only ever be 5 stars. 

Read more: The 1975 bringing t-shirt recycling scheme to Glasgow Summer Sessions