5 Seconds of Summer – Concert Experience
The Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer are back on tour! With a TV show concept resembled through their stage design, funny video clips in between breaks and interactive elements they entertained the fans to the fullest. The Mitsubishi Electric Hall in Düsseldorf was hot and buzzing from excitement on the 28th of September when Luke, Ashton, Calum and Michael made the audience dance and jump and go through all the feelings.
AR/CO opened for 5 Seconds of Summer and played a set of their spacey electronic music. The Australian duo of Mali-Koa and Leo Stannard invited the audience into the world of their music and put on a good show, yet struggled to get the crowd going. The electronic genre might have been a bit too different from the vibe of 5 SoS and not totally familiar to the fanbase. Nevertheless, feel free to check out their music if you feel like discovering something new.
While waiting for the 4 boys to get on stage fans brough colourful balloons into the venue and they made their way from the front to the back. The atmosphere was happy and excited, even more so after the screens lit up and showed a commercial made by the band. They explained “concert etiquette” and wished everyone a pleasant experience. A few minutes later the lights went out and four silhouettes appeared behind the lit up curtain. Everyone was screaming as the first notes of Bad Omens started playing and the curtain fell to reveal 5 Seconds of Summer on stage.
Atmosphere and Setlist Surprises
The concert started off with many songs of the newest release 5Sos5, the fifth studio album of the band. The second song of the set “2011” set the mood for the whole show, pure nostalgia. We are in for a ride of the boys taking us through all their albums. “Back to the days when the days were better. Can we just go back to 2011”. The instruments echoed through the venue and the voices of 7000 people in the audience echoed right back.
Guitarist Micheal Clifford recommended fans to let themselves be surprised by the setlist of this tour and not look it up beforehand. I successfully avoided most spoilers and therefor each song rattled me with pure excitement. After a whirlwind of guitar riffs, dancing and singing your heart out it was time to get a rest and get into your feelings. “Amnesia” is unmistakably one of the most sad songs on the setlist and you get chills from the harmony of voices of the four boys. Just as touching is the atmosphere in the audience, when friends hold onto each and turn the venue into a colourful see of lights with their flashlights.
Interactive Elements
In the middle of the concert 5SoS integrated some interactive elements which connected them to their fans. A confetti shower, a noise-battle with drummer Ashton Irwin and a best-friend-cam spotting faces in the crowd were only the beginning. My personal highlight was when they announced to let an inflatable dice decide over the next song. While the dice rolled over the crowds hands everyone was rooting for their favourite song and Düsseldorf had a blast with the song choice “Heartbreak Girl” from the bands first album.
The good vibes continued until the very last minute and I do not remember many concert where everyone was dancing and jumping so freely and seemed fully invested in the happenings. When Micheal held his speech right before playing “Jet Black Heart” he did not expect the quick mention of a sign saying “Pizza” causing such a turbulence. The crowd was screaming and chanting relentless of his attempt to switch to a different topic. In the end 5SoS caved and played the “Pizza Song” which fans from the very beginning of the bands history still know and got extremely euphoric about.
An Encore to Remember
In the break before the encore a video clip played that showed 5 Seconds of Summer back at the hotel dressed in their bathrobes ready to relax after their show. Through a magical portal they were transported back onto stage and I definitely didn’t expect to get so emotional right after seeing the boys on stage again in exactly those white robes from the video. They returned to play their song “Outerspace” which was such a goosebump-moment because the whole venue was shimmering blue and I most definitely did not expect to hear my favourite song of theirs live that evening. With “Youngblood” they closed the show in an electric way that had everyone jump for one last time.
Bathing in Confetti
No one really wanted to leave the venue after the concert ended. All around are people laying in confetti, taking pictures with their friends in new bought tour merch and trading the last friendship bracelets with strangers. I am so happy to be a part of this fanbase and must say that this tour was the most fun 5SoS show I have been at. It was a trip back in time and brought memories that I will keep close to my heart forever.