It may have been cold outside on April 19 but the crowd outside Toronto’s Sound Academy didn’t feel it. If anything, it felt like summer because Australian export 5 Seconds of Summer was in town! The pop-punk band is on their #STARSSTRIPESANDMAPLESYRUP tour with special guest Jackson Guthy in support of their new EP and after seeing them live, it’s easy to understand why they are the latest teenage obsession. They aim to please and succeed at that. Just ask any one of their thousands of fans who queued for over 24 hours to get a good spot or brought a sign of support for their favourite band member – 5 Seconds Of Summer is here to stay.
Before the show even began, the band and their crew enjoyed some down time in our beloved city, opting for some fun at the Go-Karts at Polson Pier next door.
Pop singer Jackson Guthy kicked off the night with a high intensity performance showing off his vocal skills and awesome dance moves. He even teased the already-screaming girls by lifting his muscle shirt ever so slightly and letting all the girls know that he was single and ready to mingle. He slowed it down to perform his song “Legacy” on the piano, but picked it right back up to sing about giving that special girl the night of a lifetime in “See You Tonight”. He ended his set with his latest single, “Young and Single”.
5 Seconds Of Summer, or 5SOS for short, blew up after opening for One Direction on their Take Me Home Tour last summer. In fact, they were such a hit with One Direction’s fans that the guys are bringing 5SOS back on the road with them this summer for the worldwide Where We Are Tour. The 5SOS boys have it all – talent, good looks and charm. To top it all off, they love their fans and don’t hesitate to show it. So, it was no surprise that this tour was a hot ticket. Tickets to the Toronto show sold out within seconds on Ticketmaster. For the lucky fans who managed to get a hold of tickets, 5 Seconds Of Summer did not disappoint.
Band members Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood and Ashton Irwin got the party started with their song “Eighteen”. Throughout the rest of their set, they performed a mix of fan favourites, new songs off their upcoming album, including new single “Don’t Stop”, and a few awesome covers.
The band clearly enjoyed every minute of the show as much as the fans did. Midway through the show, Michael exclaimed, “Look at all you sexy people!” Each time they checked in with the crowd and asked, “Are you having a good time Toronto?”, they were met with screams and even squeals – a clear YES!
The guys had the girls swooning as they got personal with the crowd. The fans’ excitement was rewarded with the guys doing a special exclusive Canadian cover of Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi”. The guys also brought a lucky fan on stage to help them sing “Heartbreak Girl” and Michael jumped out into the front row during their rendition of “What I Like About You”.
The Toronto show was very special for the guys because their new EP, ‘She Looks So Perfect’, hit #1 in Canada within days of its release. Michael thanked the crowd but Ashton interrupted him and said, “Guys, I don’t think you understand. You made us #1 in Canada!!”
Fans couldn’t get enough of their favourite guys, and demanded more after they performed their hit single, “She Looks So Perfect”. The boys delivered and ended the show on a high note with their song “Try Hard”.
If you missed them this time around, catch 5 Seconds Of Summer on their summer tour with One Direction, which stops in Toronto August 1 and 2!