Relatives of Manchester Arena bombing victims have criticised The 1975 for exploding a fake suicide vest in their new video.
The band’s frontman Matty Healy can be seen wearing the device in the promo clip for their single People, smiling as he presses a detonator and explodes into Facebook and Instagram likes.
Matty and bandmates Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald and George Daniel are all former pupils of Wilmslow High School in Cheshire – less than 13 miles from the arena, where 22 people were murdered in May 2017 when a suicide bomber set off a device at an Ariana Grande concert.
The band are also now said to be based in Manchester when not on the road.
Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett, was killed in the blast, tweeted: “The 1975. Matt Healey…..what the hell were you thinking of releasing a music video where you carry a suicide vest and blow yourself up?
“You are from Manchester. Be ashamed…..be very ashamed. It is disgusting and an insult to the 22 people murdered.”
Alex Klis, who lost her parents Angelika and Marcin, told The Sun: “I expect better, especially from somebody who is from Manchester.
“Putting yourself in a suicide vest is so insensitive.
“Terrorist attacks are not something you use to make a music video look ‘cool’.”
The video has also been criticised by other users on Twitter.
HuffPost UK has contacted a spokesperson for The 1975 for comment and is awaiting a response.
Matty previously delivered an impassioned speech as he lamented the terror attacks on stage in Detroit.
Speaking in the days after the bombing last year, he said: “We’re from Manchester and where we used to hang out, the actual place where we used to hang out, someone put a bomb in there tonight and then killed a bunch of kids that were going to a f***ing show.”
The singer, who is the son of actors Denise Welch and Tim Healy, continued: “I don’t need to be educated on fucking anything to say that that is bullshit.
“I don’t know what it’s in the name of, so I apologise if it’s not in the name of religion or nationalism, but these are things that keep happening and I’m fucking pissed off about it.”