
5 Seconds of Summer can now say they've sold out an arena all on their own (without the help of One Direction). The four-piece pop rock band played two arena shows in the Los Angeles, Calif. area on Nov. 15 and 16 at The Forum. Around 15,000 fans packed the venue to see band members Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, Michael Clifford and Calum Hood take the stage, marking their first ever sold-out arena shows.
5SOS got their start opening for 1D at arenas and stadiums on tour the last two summers. After two years of opening for 1D, 5SOS is used to playing arenas. However, can they handle headlining an arena and entertaining a crowd for more than 45 minutes, all by themselves?
5SOS proved they could do just that. The crowd at The Forum was never off their feet and the band's playful stage banter kept the some 15,000 screaming girls entertained for the entire hour and half long set.
The whole crowd knew all the words to every song, including the band's cover of Green Day's "American Idiot." And while 1D might have introduced fans to 5SOS, these ladies were there to see Luke, Michael, Calum and Ashton. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and banana costumes were dispersed throughout the crowd, proving that these girls were true members of the #5SOSFAM and in on all the 5SOS inside jokes.
The band also proved they've mastered stage playfulness and banter. Ashton and Michael seemed to have the most personality out of the group, often speaking up and talking to the crowd during the show. However, all of the guys took turns thanking the audience for coming and reiterating what a big deal these two arena shows were for the group. In addition to playful stage antics, 5SOS followed 1D's lead with some pretty crazy pyrotechnics and fireworks.
The show was amazing! 5SOS killed it. Plus, one thing was finally clear: 5SOS's sound is completely different than One Direction's. 1D is a pop boy band, while 5SOS is a pop rock band whose punk-influenced sound is similar to Blink-182 or All Time Low. This begs the question; will pop punk finally make a comeback thanks to 5SOS? We hope more bands like 5SOS start skyrocketing to superstar status.
Want more 5SOS? Check out a hilarious video from their recent appearance on Ellen here.