Gemma Nettle
Pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer have taken their final bow on their last tour for a while, and what a tour it was. Treating fans to an array of songs, cherry picked from their decade-long career, the four-piece knew exactly what would send the crowd into a frenzy. But with a break already in motion, did the group make the best of their show?
The O2 Arena buzzed with anticipation. Fans filtered in, occasionally bobbing to the music that filled the arena as they waited for the performance. And so the curtain fell and revealed the four 5SOS members waving and launching into song. Arguably the strongest of their latest songs, they opened with ‘Bad Omens’, all the while knowing they have much more famous material coming up in the set.
10 years in the business
“capping off another chapter of 5SOS could only be done by reminiscing their time together.”
‘2011’ at first seemed a rogue choice, seeing as the band seemed to forget about the track entirely after releasing it as a celebration of their 10-year anniversary as a group. However, it didn’t take long to realise why — capping off another chapter of 5SOS could only be done by reminiscing their time together.
“This time fans knew every word.”
They kept the pace going in another 5SOS5 check-in with ‘Caramel’. This was first played, alongside others that appeared in this set, at 5SOS’s One Night Only concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, accompanied by an orchestra. This time fans knew every word.
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Blending sounds
Blue light cascaded onto the stage as ‘BLENDER’ transitioned into ‘Easier’. Hemmings hit the high notes with ease, letting the words roll off his tongue while jumping about the stage, strumming his electric guitar that barely held on to his torso. As the stage flooded with red and pink lighting, Hood’s moment to shine arrived in the shape of ‘Babylon’, from 5SOS’s 2018 Youngblood album.
“Bringing together such distinctly different sounds seemed a momentous task, but not for this band.”
Moving from this onto ‘She’s Kinda Hot’, which released as a single in 2015 as part of the band’s sophomore album Sounds Good Feels Good, was an interesting choice – but one that paid off. Bringing together such distinctly different sounds seemed a momentous task, but not for this band. They dipped and weaved between tracks, opting for half a song here, a chorus there, and then the full songs they knew fans would respond to. Transitions between them remained seamless too — a well known skill of theirs.
Highlights included ‘Ghost Of You’, which saw the entire arena light up with flashlights as they waved back and forth in the air, Clifford getting to show off his wide range in ‘Jet Black Heart’, and finally performing a new fan-favourite with ‘You Don’t Go To Parties’.
A collaborative and immersive experience
“Those who went with little to no information may have been surprised at the emergence of a six-foot dice on stage.”
5SOS knew how to involve their crowd more than the usual chanting and clapping. Those who went into the concert with little to no information may have been in surprise at the emergence of a six-foot dice on stage. Hemmings threw the dice into the crowd who would then bounce it around, and whichever side it landed on would determine their next performance. At the O2, it landed on enduring favourite ‘English Love Affair’, to which the crowd roared in delight. It’s one of the only songs drummer Ashton Irwin gets to showcase his vocal chords and he doesn’t waste this opportunity.
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Irwin’s involvement with the audience didn’t end there, with a segment challenging everyone to a volume contest, and later drumming his heart out in a special version of ‘Meet You There’. It can be difficult to spotlight drummers when they spend all evening at the back of the stage, but Irwin got his well-deserved moment in the limelight.
For those who watched the 10-year anniversary celebration released following the pandemic, there were specially curated videos shown during this tour, calling back to past skits and jokes in that celebratory special. It was a treat for fans and casual listeners alike. The humour continued when 5SOS honoured the tradition of an encore. As the concert hall chanted for the band to come back on stage, a video showed them back at their hotel. This led to 5SOS all emerging in dressing gowns, which was an amusing addition to the show.
Deeper meaning
The band has always been exemplary in showing their gratitude for the fanbase they have and for the places they’ve been, but there was something different in the air that night at the O2. This may well have been because, as 5SOS recalled themselves, the first time they played that specific arena was in 2013 when they were opening for One Direction. They also last headlined there with their Sounds Live Feels Live tour in 2016, marking seven years since they had last performed at the venue.
“The quiet idea of a break bubbling away in the foreground may have had something to do with the group’s perpetual need to soak up every moment”
However, the quiet idea of a break bubbling away in the foreground may have also had something to do with the group’s perpetual need to soak up every moment. Clifford fell so deeply into reminiscence that he made an 11-minute speech. Though, this tour was particularly special for the guitarist with his daughter’s due date drawing ever closer.
A truly joyful bow out… for now
“A perfect way of saying goodbye for now, but not forever”
5SOS have had a decade to learn how to please their fanbase and found a way to take it even further. And there is something truly magical about the way the audience responds to their material, often singing far louder than the band themselves. In a show that’s all about the fans, 5SOS showed their gratitude for more than 10 years of support in this sparkling and joyous tour. A perfect way of saying goodbye for now, but not forever.
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Featured image courtesy of Aditya Chinchure on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
Gemma Nettle
Gemma is one of our entertainment editors. She also works full-time as a reporter. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @gemmanettle.