Concert Recap: 5 Seconds Of Summer
Words and Photos by Zuzu Khalil
Do you know what makes a summer concert season complete? A 5 Seconds of Summer Tour…and that exactly what we got!
Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer has had a busy couple of years, as they celebrated their 10-year anniversary, completed the Take My Hand World Tour 2022, performed a one night only show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and released their 5th studio album 5SOS5. And just when we thought our 5SOS hearts couldn’t get any fuller, the band announced The 5 Seconds of Summer Show World Tour earlier this year. Although 5SOS fans know to expect nothing less than an exceptional show, they definitely were not expecting this one to be bigger, better, and brighter than anything they’ve seen from them before.
5SOS kicked off The 5 Seconds of Summer Show mid-July in South America and eventually made their way to smokin’ hot Phoenix, Arizona where they absolutely obliterated the stage at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on September 13th.
Pop punk band Meet Me @ the Altar kicked off the show with a high energy set that instantly transported us back to the Sounds Good Feels Good era and proved that “punk pop will never die” ~ 5SOS, 2022. Their charisma and energy lit the spark that transformed the crowd into the Phoenix that was ready to welcome 5 Seconds of Summer to the stage with open wings.
When the clock struck 9 o’ clock, the lights dimmed, and we were transported to a late-night TV show set as an announcer began to introduce us to our hosts - Luke, Calum, Ashton, and Michael. The crowd’s electrifying roar flooded the venue, and the cheers only grew louder and louder. The lights hit the bright red curtain projecting the band’s shadows as they walked on the stage. When the curtain finally dropped, the crowd went wild as their four favorite Aussies stood in front of them.
The boys kicked off their set with Bad Omens, which is arguably one of their best songs to date…well at least in my opinion. The crowd shouting “that’s what you do when you love somebody” with the band and 7,000 other 5SOS fans just hit differently than screaming it alone in your car. Despite releasing 5SOS5 last year, 5SOS dug deep into their discography and pulled out numerous fan favorites from each era, taking us back in time with the return of songs like She’s Kinda Hot, Don’t Stop, and Vapor to the setlist. They also played tracks from Youngblood, Calm, and 5SOS5 including Amnesia, Teeth, Babylon, Want You Back, Why Won’t You Love Me, and my personal favorite, Ghost of You. In the middle of their set, 5SOS rolled an enormous inflatable dice that put the setlist into the fans’ hands for one song. The dice consisted of six fan favorites that the boys are not too fond of, making it that much more fun for the crowd. Although the wind granted the dice a chance to escape its captors, it was safety returned to the stage where it landed on Wrapped Around Your Finger making the Michael girlies ecstatic.
An element unique to a 5SOS show is the band’s ability to construct epic transitions between each song, beautifully meshing them together and showcasing the way four musical masterminds come together to create an electrifying performance. A moment that lives rent free in my head is the transition from Carousel into Who Do You Love – it was so unexpected and absolutely mind blowing! Luke’s vocals are out of this world and his falsetto never fails to impress. Each member’s voice adds some spice to each performance and when they all come together, real magic happens. With that said, 5SOS also does an astounding job at molding their older tracks to fit into their current sound, reincarnating them into something that much more special and keeping the energy high.
Towards the end of the set, we witnessed a powerful performance of Jet Black Heart by the one and only Michael Clifford, displaying his extraordinarily raging vocals. After making the crowd emotional, Michael played the infamous opening note of She Looks So Perfect. The thundering “HEY! HEY!” that came from the crowd literally shook the place, proving the track will never get old. After being summoned back to stage by the crowd chanting “5SOS! 5SOS! 5SOS,” they returned for their encore. This had to be my favorite moment of the show as I was pleasantly surprised to hear the intro of Outer Space begin. They ended the show with a bang as every single one of the 7,000 people in that venue was jumping to the last chorus of Youngblood.
With every tour that they put on, 5 Seconds of Summer proves that they are masters at curating an outstanding show. Over the years, we’ve seen them improve immensely, not only in the studio, but also as live performing artists. It’s evident that they take the time to personalize every little detail - from the order of the setlist and the transitions between each song, to the stage design, graphics, and lighting – in a way that brings their vision to life. It’s surreal to see your favorite artists perform live, but it’s rare to see a friendship and brotherhood as strong and special as the one 5SOS has. And witnessing this bond on the stage was truly something special. 5SOS is genuinely a force to be reckoned with and we cannot wait to see what they bring to the stage next time!
Make sure to catch 5 Seconds of Summer live during the European leg of The 5 Seconds of Summer Show and go stream 5SOS5 here!