Matty Healy, leader of the band 1975, stepped into the headlining position at this year’s (2023) Reading and Leeds Festival, succeeding Lewis Capaldi. During his appearance, Healy made sure to give a special mention to Capaldi.
Following a challenging Glastonbury set earlier this year, where Lewis Capaldi grappled with the difficulties posed by his Tourette’s syndrome, he declared his intentions to take a hiatus from the music scene. This decision was driven by a need to prioritize both his physical and mental well-being.
Capaldi’s announcement of his break set the stage for 1975, led by Matty Healy, to fill the headlining role and dazzle the audience with performances of tracks from their inaugural album.
Upon assuming the spotlight, the frontman of 1975 took a moment to honor Lewis Capaldi by expressing, “I’d like to dedicate a moment to send some love to Someone You Loved.” He went on to elaborate, “When Lewis decided to rightfully take some time off, it created an opportunity for us to step in. This granted us the chance to showcase songs from our debut album, brimming with fantastic tracks.”
Kicking off their show with the well-known track “Chocolate” from their self-titled album, the band energetically commanded the stage.
This marked the second occasion that 1975 set the stage alight at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. In the previous year, the pop ensemble delivered a memorable performance at the festival, taking over for Rage Against the Machine as replacements.