THE POPULAR Aussie band enthusiastically played to deafening shrieks. photos by MMILIVE.com
IN 5 SECONDS of Summer’s recent concert in Manila, the maelstrom of shrieks reverberated not only within the cavernous confines of SM Mall of Asia Arena. It spilled outside the venue, where a few hundred ticket-less fans camped out, to hear their idols’ music and voices, after it had seeped through the building’s every nook and cranny.
The dogged bunch called themselves “Team Labas,” and it didn’t matter that they wouldn’t get to see their beloved boy band in the flesh—they were going to scream their heads off and profess undying love, regardless.
“We may be broke, but we still came here,” read one banner hoisted by an eager teenage girl slumped over the row of metal barricades placed before the steps leading to the arena’s main entrance.
Around her was a restless, excitable pack that readily caused a hubbub at the slightest hint that the concert was about to start. Some, meanwhile, sat down in huddles, teasing passersby to spare them precious tickets.
When at last 5SOS took the stage and sent ripples of the opening song, “Hey Everybody,” “Team Labas” promptly cheered and sang in unison with the thousands of other luckier teens and tweens who packed the venue to the rafters.
Sobbing girls
The atmosphere inside was far more hysterical, with not a few girls sobbing and playfully hitting each other’s arms at the sight of the boys from Down Under: frontman Luke Hemmings, guitarist Michael Clifford, drummer Ashton Irwin and bassist Calum Hood.
The four-man group, which was formed in Sydney in 2011, began to gain considerable traction in the scene, when it was selected as one of the opening acts for the “Take Me Home” world tour of the boy band of this generation, One Direction. Now, 5SOS is headlining its very own—its second, in fact—which was launched in support of “Sounds Good Feel Good,” the band’s chart-topping sophomore studio album.
But unlike its disbanded predecessor, 5SOS is configured like a conventional rock band, with each member brandishing a musical instrument that he enthusiastically played to produce a spunky, if a little edgeless, pop-punk sound that had the young crowd jumping.
The 18 or so songs the boys churned out were nonetheless consistently bouncy, highlighted by arena-rock anthems such as “Permanent Vacation,” “Castaway,” “Good Girls” and “She Looks So Perfect.”
From time to time, 5SOS slowed the tempo down, like in the acoustic rendition of the angsty “Amnesia,” which had Hood taking over the vocal duties: “I wish that I could wake up with amnesia /And forget about the stupid little things…”
The boys proved to be energetic showmen, but, really, it didn’t take a lot for them to get the audience swooning: Clifford raising a guitar pick; Irwin giving the fans a cheeky glance as he whacked the skins; a close-up shot of Hood crooning eyes closed; or when Hemming’s shirt rode up and inadvertently exposed his tummy. That was all it took for the fans to lose their minds.
“We’ve been waiting for five years to come here. Let me hear you yell if you’re glad that we’re finally here!” Hood told the fans. “We’ve heard from you since Day One… You’re one of the best crowds we’ve played for—this is one of the best shows we’ve played in our lives.”
As we filed out among throngs of elated fan girls, we saw that “Team Labas” had indeed stayed until the end, still holding their banners, and perhaps still hoping that they would catch a glimpse of the boys—even for a few seconds.
E-mail apolicarpio@inquirer.com.ph