Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Tuesday October 4, 2016 :
As the boys from 5 Seconds of Summer returned home to Sydney, everyone knew that the Sounds Live Feels Live tour was going to be a banger. As the tour was coming to a close, the boys pulled out everything they had to rock the stage for the 100th show of the tour, right in their home town at Horden Pavilion.
With doors opening at 7, the first opening act, With Confidence, came on 15 minutes before the start time listed which got the crowd very excited. I’ve always been a fan of With Confidence and seeing them perform live again, especially on the SLFL tour was absolutely incredible. These boys have always known how to rock but with this being one of the last shows on the tour, they took it to the next level. Jayden (Seeley, lead singer), Josh Brozzesi, {drummer), Luke (Rockets, guitarist) and Inigo (Del Carmen, guitarist), took the stage with ease, performing songs from their new album, Better Weather.
Opening act Hey Violet came on soon after. The band consists of Rena Lovelis, lead singer, Nia Lovelis, drummer, Miranda Miller, keyboardist, Casey Moreta, lead guitarist and Iain Shipp, bassist and newest member to the group. The band knew exactly how to get the crowd going, performing a cover of ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ by The Chainsmokers half-way through their set. Not only did it get the crowd jumping out of their seats, but it was probably the best cover of the song I’ve ever seen. The group also performed some of their crowd favourites such as ‘Break My Heart’ and ‘I Can Feel It’.
The 20-minute wait after both opening acts was most certainly worth it. The 5SOS boys opened with ‘Carry On’, an emotional song from their newest album, Sounds Good Feels Good. Speeding it up a bit, the boys rocked out to ‘Hey Everybody!’ and ‘Money’ to get the crowd jumping and in the mood. Slowing it down a bit, the boys had a bit of a chat with the audience, stating how this show was the 100th show on the tour and how emotional they were to be able to share this achievement with people from their home town. They thanked the crowd for coming out and continued with ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘Disconnected’.
5SOS then surprised the crowd by announcing they were about to play ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’, a song from their 2014 Don’t Stop EP. The boys haven’t played this song live since their Rock Out With Your Socks Out tour of 2015, so the crowd went crazy as it’s always been a crowd favourite.
Towards the end of the show, Michael Clifford slowed everything down to talk to the crowd about love and “how it’s the strongest feeling in the world”. While the other boys went off stage, Clifford stood at the microphone with blue lights shining down on him as he began to sing ‘Jet Black Heart’. It’s always been an emotional song for both 5SOS and the crowd, so most people had tears running down their face as they played, including Clifford. At the end of the song, the band had everyone singing and crying as they heard Michael whisper “I made it.”
They then sped everything up once again after playing the slower songs with ‘End Up Here’ and ‘Good Girls’. The band also played ‘Girls Talk Boys’, from the Ghostbusters movie, which had everyone having a good dance. As Luke took to the piano for this one, it had the crowd going wild. It showed just how talented these boys really are and how they’ve gained experience over the years. I first saw 5SOS perform in 2012 and four years later, it’s obvious how much these boys have improved. They put everything into their shows and just want to make their fans happy. Personally, I think they’re an amazing band with excellent songs and messages for their fans. They put real life experiences into their songs, especially within the Sounds Good Feels Good album, with the songs ‘Vapor’ and ‘Broken Home’ really drawing on emotional family situations that could occur to anyone.
The boys covered ‘What I Like About You’ by the Romantics as their last song before the encore, which consisted of incredible guitar riffs and vocals. As the boys exited the stage, the crowd began a “5SOS” chant, wanting the boys to come back on the stage as soon as possible. Once the boys walked out from back stage once again with their guitars in hand, they sung the hit songs ‘She’s Kinda Hot’ and ‘She Looks So Perfect’ to end the most incredible night. As I looked around, everyone was singing every word and dancing to every beat which proved how much this band is enjoyed by fans.
5SOS have always had a way of making each show more incredible than the last, with each show feeling personal and engaging. As the boys gave their final bow, everyone’s phones were out to capture the moment. I highly recommend attending a 5 Seconds of Summer concert to anyone, they’ll leave you with the best feeling in the world.
Reviewer: Madeline Trevethan