The rising pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer gave their feverish female fans the surprise of a lifetime by personally selling tickets Saturday morning for a forthcoming concert in Inglewood, California.
Many fans, including 13-year-old Trina Umana, camped out overnight at The Forum to get seats for the Australian group’s first United States headlining concert on November 15.
“I can’t speak right now. I’m too overwhelmed,” Umana sobbed after purchasing her tickets from the guitarist Michael Clifford, 18.
Before heading into the box office, drummer Ashton Irwin, 20, said his only concern was the group’s maths skills.
“We might lose track of a lot of coins and stuff like that. But we’ll work it out. We’ll get through it,” Irwin joked.
Maria Gomez certainly wasn’t paying attention to the numbers. “All I could think was: ‘Oh my God. I don’t know what to do. Don’t embarrass yourself!’’ said the 15-year-old fan from Anaheim, California. “None of us thought any of this would happen.” The quartet, which also includes lead vocalist and guitarist Luke Hemmings, 18, and the bassist Calum Hood, 18, can relate to the fandom.
“We’re more awkward than anything,” said Irwin of meeting artists he admires like Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. “But inside, when they leave, we sort of squeal.”
Green Day, Blink-182 and Imagine Dragons also top their list of musical influences.
Saturday's crowd was treated to a live, outdoor performance of their hits She Looks So Perfect and Amnesia.
5 Seconds of Summer are mirroring the seemingly instant success One Direction achieved when they hit the US music scene in 2012. 5 Seconds of Summer are currently opening for One Direction on the Where We Are tour.
The band will play to roughly 17,500 fans when they headline at The Forum, a large arena in southern California, a very impressive feat for an emerging act. The group’s first album came out last week. Billboard predicts it will debut at No 1.
* AP
