They Smelled Like Chocolate (The 1975 Concert Experience)

     As a few of you know, based off of my non-stop tweeting, I went to The 1975's concert in Providence, RI last night. For all of you who are not familiar with The 1975, they are a band that crate a mixture of pop-alternative-indie rock music, and are from Manchester, in the UK. The group is composed of four members, Matthew (Matty) Healy, the vocals of the band as well as a guitarist, George Daniel, the drummer, Adam Hann, another guitarist, and Ross MacDonald who plays the bass. They are all very interesting blokes who quite often dress in black, from head to toe.  
     Before I even begin to swamp you with the details of the evening, lets get one thing straight: I've been to plenty of concerts in my lifetime, but this one was extraordinary beyond compare. The crowd, the music, the atmosphere, it was all very surreal and I felt as though I was in a punk dream.
     To begin, the venue was amazing. The concert was originally supposed to take place at the Met, but it had been moved to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel. Inside, there was a general admission floor paired with a balcony of assigned seats above. My friend and I had general admission tickets, and it got hot really, really, really fast. Bodies were pushed together to the point where everyone was essentially immobile. Even then, every human in general admission continued to surge forward, hoping for a shot to be even an inch closer to the band. To be quite honest, I produced more sweat last night than I thought was ever possible.
     Due to the heat, sweat, lack of fresh air, and impatience, the crowd was pretty nasty at first. People were violently pushing others, calling each other out on said pushes, swearing, crying, and someone even got into a fist fight. Somehow, my friend and I were pushed up to the fourth row of people, and it was possibly the most frightening experience of my life. I physically could not move. I couldn't lift my arms, I couldn't move my legs even a centimeter, and other people's body parts were all over me. I was covered in my own sweat (and the sweat of others), and I couldn't see a thing because everyone was so tall. Although my description of this moment seems pretty horrifying, it wasn't actually that bad. It was a true experience being part of such a passionate crowd, I felt totally invigorated.
     From 8:00 to 10:00 we listened to the two opening acts, and tried to make movements in the crowd that somewhat resembled dancing (we had very limited space, so it didn't really work out). Both bands were from California, and they both had music that was catchy and soulful at the same time. Everyone was exceptionally content with the music, and before we knew it, at 10:30, the lights dimmed and The 1975 emerged from backstage.
     It is something inexplicable, something so close to magic, how the atmosphere of such a vicious crowd can change completely when their band of choice comes on stage. The once brutal pushers and yellers lost all sour feelings, and everyone danced wide-eyed to the opening song, "The City". The people that made up the crowd were no longer individuals fighting for a spot in the front row, but just a group of astounded young adults dancing as a single crowd, dripping pleasure along with sweat, as their need for the music was satisfied. And man, was that music good. Lead singer Matty Healy really knows how to put on a show. He pranced around the stage, draining a bottle of wine and smoking a few cigarettes, and all along singing passionately and vocally. The lights pulsed, the fog was engulfing everything it touched, and the crowed roared at the sight of each band member.
     The set list was flawless, each song leaking into the crowd and connecting with each individual. It was the three encore songs that I loved the most, which were "Robbers", "Chocolate", and my personal favorite, "Sex". All songs that make smiles wider, feelings deeper, and heartbeats faster. Before we knew it, the concert had come to an end, concluding with endless thank-yous from each member of the band. And at 12:00 am, as the people started to leave, I finally had my first breath of fresh air in over 4 hours.
     Being a curious girl and always looking for opportunities, my friend and I decided to stick around and wait by the boy's tour bus, hoping we would get a little lucky and they would come say hello before they departed for a long night of driving to another venue.
     Luck was evidently on our side, because at 1:20 am Matty and George came out for a few photos and to have a little chat and smoke. They were so kind, soft-spoken, and very photogenic. By 1:45 I was on my way home, and I will never forget the show that those boys put on, and how it made me feel. The feelings produced by listening to the nothing but the intense lyrics of each song and the performance that was paired along with them was what distinguished this concert from the others that I've been to. The connection between the band members, the music, and the crowd was so intimate, despite the large number of people present. I've never felt so close to songs before, and if I could relive that feeling, I would do it in a heartbeat. The boys are so talented and really know how to please a crowd. For all of you who haven't herd of The 1975, I suggest listening to their music, and entering their world of pop, smoking, sex, and girls.
     Follow the 1975 on twitter and buy their album here! Also, take a look at their brand-new music video for their song "Robbers" below, it's extremely good.

The 1975 Website 
The 1975 YouTube channel 
To anyone who has been to a 1975 concert, comment your experience below!