Surely you didn’t think The 1975 singer Matty Healy wouldn’t address the band’s recent controversial set in Malaysia during their first gig back since that international incident? After all, it was Healy’s broadside against the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws — not to mention an onstage same-sex kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald — that got the group’s set cut short and led to the cancellation of the Good Vibes festival and Healy’s claim that his group is now banned from Kuala Lumpur.
Well, Healy took the matter head-on, kind of, during a typically raucous, unpredictable headlining slot at Lollapalooza in Chicago on Friday night (Aug. 4). Playing on the Bud Light Stage at the same time as Kendrick Lamar top-lined at the other end of the park, the 1975 lit into the intro to “It’s Not Living If It’s Not With You,” during which Healy said, “You want my travel tip? Don’t go to…”
But he never got to finish his thought, because as the band often does during this wind-up, they cut Healy off before he could say something else that would get them into hot water.
At another point in the set that included runs through “Chocolate,” “Oh Caroline,” “Somebody Else” and “Love It If We Made It,” Healy again seemed to allude to his headline-making talents, joking, “What would we do without a little bit of drama, right?” before swigging from his ever-present flask.
The set had some other predictably unpredictable moments as well, as when during “Robbers,” Healy stole a moment to hop down off the stage to go hug one of his musical heroes after spotting him in the photo pit. Appearing gobsmacked by the sight, Healy scrambled down to give a surprised-looking Blink-182 singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge a giant hug. Even as he continued to sing the song — cradling both his mic and a cigarette in his right hand — Healy paused for a moment to tell Tom, “I love you so much, I love you so so much.”
DeLonge had also been in the same area a few hours earlier during 30 Seconds to Mars’ high-energy, death-defying set, during which singer and rock climber Jared Leto did a tethered free-fall from the top of the stage to gasps from the crowd.
After the song was over, Healy shared with the huge crowd how excited he was to meet one of his rock icons. “The person who inspired me to talk about my d–k as much as I do and I thank him for that forever,” he joked about DeLonge in a nod to Blink’s proud history of juvenile lyricism.
Lollapalooza soldiers on Saturday night (Aug. 5) with sets from Morgan Wade, Alex G, Pusha T, Odesza and Tomorrow X Together. The massive four-day fest winds down on Sunday night (Aug. 6) with music from Joey Bada$$, Alvvays, Lil Yachty, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey.
