One Direction, Wembley Stadium, 07/06/2014

June 7th 2014 turned out to be the sunniest day the UK has seen a while. With a forecast of thunderstorms I began my journey to London in the rain, apprehensive of how this would dampen my day. It rained for a while and I was convinced that having to queue in such weather would ruin my 1D stadium experience, but a miracle happened. By midday the sun was out and the clouds had gone. It became sweltering and my spirits had been lifted. I was once again super excited to see 1D. I didn't get to Wembley until doors had just opened but it worked out well. I barely had to queue and although I was quite far back, I was happy. What didn't make me so happy was having to hear endless Olly Murs and Little Mix videos whilst waiting for 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction to perform. It was a tad monotonous and made me fairly impatient but by the time 5SOS came on, those annoying adverts seemed worthwhile.

5SOS, a previous band of the week of mine, are 4 boys from Sydney, Australia, trying to break the pop scene with a more rock 'n' roll feel. They're all super cute, with special mention going to drummer Ashton who rocked a green bandanna perfectly. They played a 30-40 minute set which included the single 'She Looks So Perfect' and new single 'Don't Stop,' both of which had me smiling and pleased the crowd immensely. Plugging their debut album, which is due for release on June 30th, they also played some new songs, all of which were really good. This taster of new material for the fans was a treat and I'm pretty sure lead to a lot of pre-orders for the band. Not only this but they played a few covers. Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' went down well with most but for me it was The Romantics' 'What I Like About You' (a song for which most of the crowd was an original, not in fact a cover) that was the stand out song from the set. The boys played so well considering that they're a relatively new band to be playing a live circuit of this magnitude, however you can see that there is still room for improvement. Stadium's are not yet for them. Like One Direction, starting small and working their way up will serve them well. Having said that, their physical set (seen in the photo) was pretty cool and their chemistry was adorable. I will definitely be seeing this band again.

After another painful 45 minutes of adverts and Olly Murs singles, One Direction finally came on stage. I have never heard screams like it. The sheer noise which young girls can produce when put together is unreal; it didn't even sound like screaming, I thought I had gone deaf. They managed to drown out the majority of opening song 'Midnight Memories.' It was ridiculous. Although the unrelenting screams of Directioners was a problem, as the set went on the boys came into their own and they could finally be heard above their fans. I was in Green standing which meant I was at the disadvantage of being further back than others. As a result I have a sore neck from tip-toeing and stretching to see Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn as they performed at the end of the runway. After a while, this didn't matter. Fangirl mode kicked in and I was 7 meters from Harry Styles. 7 meters. Harry Styles. I was a mess and this was something I didn't expect. Having said that, he is utterly beautiful in the flesh as he is on camera, what was I expecting!? Whilst we're on the topic, all of them looked lush... I can't help it, it feels obligatory for me to comment on how gorgeous they all are! It's odd to think about how 5 boys have such a hold over fans but they are truly captivating, not just in looks but in presences also. Looking around there were lots of signs and banners, some crude, some funny and some meaningful. The girl next to me broke down in tears during 'Moments' and I saw another girl holding a sign which simply said "Thank You" and whilst I do not feel the extreme affinity to this band that some fans do, I could understand why this band mean so much to fans like these. Their music and their connection with their fanbase is what has propelled One Direction to stadium level after just four years and it is this which keeps the hopes and dreams of their fans alive.

Their set was packed with favourites. They played a large array of songs from latest album 'Midnight Memories' as well as favourites from second album 'Take Me Home' and also a couple from their debut album 'Up All Night.' It was a perfect stadium setlist despite the fact one of my favourites, 'Still The One' wasn't on it. It had the sing-a-long's, the slow ones and the ones to jump around to, it was great. Stand out songs were 'Happily,' 'Diana' and closer 'Best Song Ever.' The band were amazing and played faultlessly and the boys voices sounded like they were straight off the record. I couldn't quite believe how sterling they sounded live, and how much they had improved since I saw them on their last tour. It was quite something. Their voices echoed around the stadium and the fans voices echoed back; it was breathtaking. I can only imagine what it must have been like for the five of them, who were formed across the road in Wembley Arena, to perform to such an amazing crowd in such a famous place. They were very vocal about how they felt about having such an opportunity. Continuously they thanked the fans, over and over, individually and together; they kept reiterating how much the moment meant to them and how thankful they were. It was nice to see that success has not made them egotistical maniacs but that they are still grounded despite recent debacles with the press and other rumours throughout their career. They are still the same five boys they were when they were put together only they are now adults, and it is this that makes them the spectacle they are. They are performers and musicians. They are idols and they are heroes. They are amazing and I am so glad I got to experience the Where We Are Tour the way I did. It was glorious.

You can pre-order the 'Where We Are Tour' DVD now which is due for release on December 1st.

Setlist

Midnight Memories
Little Black Dress
Kiss You
Why Don't We Go There?
Rock Me
Don't Forget Where you Belong
Live While We're Young
C'mon C'mon
Right Now
Through The Dark
Happily
Little Things
Moments
Strong
Better Than Words
Alive
One Thing
Diana
What Makes You Beautiful

You & I
Story Of My Life
Little White Lies
Best Song Ever