Matt Healy and Phoebe Bridgers made for quite the pairing during one of her concerts, playing a track by The 1975 together. 

Healy, the charismatic frontman of that band, was the surprise opening act for the second of Bridgers’ sellout two-night run at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. And the 1975 man returned the favour, bringing out Bridgers as his own special guest for an opening act cameo.

“I just want to say thank you so much for having me,” Healy gushed on stage. “You’re the most wonderful, beautiful person. And you’re also my favorite artist. I’m sure that goes on behalf of everybody here. Phoebe was kind enough to sing on a song on my band’s last album, so we’re gonna play that.”

They then burst into last year’s track ‘Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America’, a duet that first appeared on the 1965’s excellent album Notes on a Conditional Form. It was the first time they had performed the song live together.

The song has been described as being from the points of view of two young LGBTQ people struggling with their same-sex attractions contrasting with their religious backgrounds.

Healy played a total of five songs in his short opening set for the packed crowd, including two brand-new unrecorded pieces. He also made sure to include two well-known 1975 hits before getting to his Bridgers duet.

One of the new songs was introduced as ‘New York’, with lyrics such as, “When the lights go down on Broadway, a taxi’s hard to find / I’m crying on the Brooklyn Bridge but no one seems to mind / I’m sure that you’ve moved on by now and I shouldn’t have called, I know / But no one here in New York seems to care that I’m alone.”

Love Indie?

Get the latest Indie news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

For more on this topic, follow the Indie Observer.

Check out Matt Healy’s opening set below:

YouTube VideoPlay

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine