One Direction, Suncorp Stadium 11.02.2015
Two weeks ago this writer spotted a One Direction annual in the aisles of a discount bookstore and assumed the bubble has burst. They’d been usurped by FSOS. Wrong. Forty thousand fans decended on Suncorp Stadium to pay homage to the fab five and they weren’t disappointed. The hallmark of a great is established by the vibe in the room. Tonight it was electric.
Kudos to the pre-show DJ who cued up an awesome mix tape. Who’d had thunk to include the Macarena? Well, it certainly got the stadium on its collective feet. Next came tunes from Bruno Mars, Beyoncé and… even the theme from Friends. One can only assume those Tweens have been brought up on their parents TV faves: ‘I’ll be there for you’ has possibly never been sung by so many and with such vigor.
The stage itself is gargantuan. It almost spans one side of the stadium right across to the other. Giant screens are interlocked and there’s a runway that seems to run a hundred metres into the audience. Later, we’re treated to a raised b-stage, which brings the action a little closer for those in the cheaper seats.
Images of the band are flashed on screen before they hit the stage. The crowd goes nuts. There an ad for FSOS and further screaming ensues. We’re in 2015 – but there’s an 80’s throw back going on with the visuals. The graphics are part Pop art, part MTV logos, hints of a mutant Keith Haring … It’s the kind of thing that Bono would lay awake dreaming about during U2’s late 90’s PopMart tour.
When the band hit the stage there are fireworks. Yes, literally there are fireworks. One Direction don’t close a show with pyrotechnics: they open with them. And more follow: the band pack more firepower into the first six songs than Sydney Harbour does on New Year’s Eve. The boys prowl the stage with backing musicians behind them. Harry seems to get the biggest response, but the others aren’t far behind. Of course, they play the hits and the patter shows they’ve learnt a little about the locale and where they’re actually playing.
As the songs roll off the set list: the crowd are hooked from the outset on the likes of Clouds, Steal My Girl and Ready To Run. For the Dads in the audience, there’s a bit of a Bon Jovi feel in the air. There’s a rock underbelly and the songs have choruses that go on for days. Desmond Child would be proud.
Alive, Diana and What Makes You Beautiful are late set standouts. If anything, it’s more than a concert, it’s a cultural event where kids of a certain age will talk about the show for years … the same way their Mums did about Culture Club and Duran Duran.
All good things come to an end and more fireworks ensue. It’s been a helluva journey for the band and their fans. A few short years ago, One Direction played the Convention Centre where the sole prop on stage was a couch. Now, they occupy that rarified air reserved for very few. A great gig!
Words: Sean Sennett
