5 Seconds Of Summer Performing their Sounds Live Feels Live Tour at The Motorpoint Arena on Tuesday 12th April 2016
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
The Motorpoint Arena is no stranger to screaming teenage girls, but nothing could have prepared them last night for the hordes of hysterical fans out to see Australia’s answer to One Direction, 5 Seconds Of Summer.
The band is made up of four trendy twenty somethings, Michael, Luke, Calum and Ashton, who brought their sell out Sounds Alive Feels Alive Tour to Nottingham, and whilst having all of the hall marks of just another boy band, 5SOS are different in that if you listen carefully you could be watching a proper group playing proper songs.
As the Arena was swathed in darkness, the screams literally became unbearable, and did not let up until the band were on stage playing their intro. Their adoring fans knew every word to the songs from their latest album, Sounds Good Feels Good as though they had been relentless practising for the occasion.
Opener Hey Everybody! had the crowd on their feet, and although it rips off Hungry Like A Wolf so shamelessly that Duran Duran have writing credits, it was a good start to the evening. Next up, Money and Disconnected had the fans energetically lighting up their phones, glow sticks and whatever else they could find to show their appreciation for the boys, who earned every penny of the ticket price.
The pace was electric. The crowd was breathless but they loved every second. Whilst it may have all been a little too loud for the dads in the crowd who were accompanying their teenagers, it didn’t stop them from waving their arms and tapping their feet, because 5SOS were simply infectious.
Waste The Night had Luke pouring his soul into the song whilst drummer Ashton finished it off with a solo moment. Jet Black Heart opened with the spotlight on Michael before his band members joined him, displaying both their vocal and instrumental talents.
Amnesia, slowed things right down as the crowd took the lead in the singing department, whilst other numbers, Vapour, Catch Fire and Permanent Vacation were performed perfectly, whipping the teens in the audience into peak fan behaviour with screaming, crying and plenty of jumping around.
Finishing with their first single She Looks So Perfect, it is hard to see why they were voted worst band at The NME Awards 2016 for the second year running. Obviously this packed Motorpoint Arena were not on the voting panel.