All 5SOS photos by: Cindy Rivas Alfaro
If you told 10-year-old me that the first time I would be seeing 5 Seconds of Summer in concert was to photograph them, I wouldn’t believe you. Yet, that exact thing happened last Saturday when 5SOS performed at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
I was standing in the pit, staring straight into Luke Hemmings’ eyes as he sang “Bad Omens” when I realized I was living my childhood dream.
With that in mind, here’s my review of the concert as a 10-year 5SOS’er veteran.
For the first three songs, I was escorted into the pit to take photos of the band where they sang “Bad Omens,” “2011” and “Caramel.” All of which are coincidently in my top five songs list.
It was extremely nostalgic to listen to “2011” knowing the song is about wanting to turn back the clock to the time when things were simpler yet the boys on stage were a muted version of their teenage boy stardom era.
Luke, Calum, Ashton and Michael are breathtakingly beautiful and I am definitely not saying this just because I’m a fan. They were practically shining with the pink, red and blue backdrops mixed in with the smoke.
Throughout the concert, the one thing on my mind was how different, yet the same, the boys were. They were always professional and put on a good show. But this time, I could pinpoint the maturity and growth they’ve accumulated over the years.
To me, it seemed like the band had found their calling and were riding the waves until the tide ran out.
The setlist for the concert also felt like it was representing that sentiment. It consisted of a mix of old and new songs like “Amnesia” from their debut album, “Vapor” from their second album and “Teeth” from their fourth album.
They even left a segment of the setlist to fate by incorporating a dice with six of their older songs on it including “Heartache On The Big Screen,” “English Love Affair,” “If You Don’t Know,” “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” “Heartbreak Girl” and “Voodoo Doll.” The dice would be launched into the crowd and returned back to the stage before the time ran out. Whatever song it would land on is the song 5SOS would play.
For the Houston show, fate decided on “English Love Affair.” I personally was extremely happy with it as I used to scream this song when I was 11. Do not read the lyrics and judge.
If “If You Don’t Know” would have been picked, it would have put the icing on the cake for me. Calum’s verse is the most iconic verse in 5SOS’ discography.
Overall, this little spin on the setlist is what reminded me of their teenage boy antics that made me fall in love with them in the first place.
Throughout the show, their childish aura peeked through their maturity as Calum talked about wanting to reincarnate as a Texan in his next life and have a farm with three cows.
Luke even poked a little fun at the people like me who’ve been a fan for around a decade yet this concert is the first one they’ve ever been to by saying “Where have y’all been?” The response I yelled was “I was 10 years old!”
All in all, although they’ve grown and matured, they’re still the four Australian boys who embarked on a journey across the world to put on a good show with even better music.
I am extremely thankful to have had my first 5SOS concert be the first time I photographed them as well. They were and continue to be a large chunk of my childhood and this night will be a night I’ll never forget.
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