ATP! Live Review: 5 Seconds Of Summer - The Forum Los Angeles, CA (11/16/2014)

The first time I saw 5 Seconds of Summer, I admittedly hadn’t been 100 percent sold on the band. Then they hit me with a performance that reminded me of the second coming of my favorite band. (All Time Low for those of you that missed that review. It’s the highest compliment I can pay a band, to be honest.)

The second time I saw 5 Seconds of Summer, a mere 24 hours after the first time, I knew what to look forward to. However, the contrast between their House of Blues set and their Rose Bowl set were quite stark, as they reined in the performance I was so suddenly aware they were capable of.

This time I saw 5 Seconds of Summer-- at the second of their two night engagement at Los Angeles’ The Forum-- the four Aussies proved that they shine brightest when they are at the top of the bill.

What we are most certain of is that anyone looking to attend the "Rock Out With Your Socks Out" tour are in for a full concert experience. Starting with an introduction mimicking a breaking news announcement and ending with pyrotechnics with some pretty spectacular lighting and video backdrops in between, it is obvious the pop-rock outfit has put some thought into giving fans a little more than just the four of them playing their music. (Though, we really wouldn’t mind that either, and something tells us that neither would their fans.)

While the setlist is certainly a winner, combining favorites from their debut album, EPs and a few covers, the moment of the night that really seemed to get the crowd going was their take on Green Day’s ‘American Idiot.’ The band unleashes a torrent of energetic guitars and hard hitting drums unlike anything else that is featured on their set and it seriously gets the crowd going. Of course, that isn’t to say that the band’s own songs don’t elicit an ear drum shattering response from their fans, as there wasn’t a moment during the entirety of the show that the audience quieted down.

Now, it would be remiss not to mention what I found to be the coolest part of the evening, and that was when guitarist Michael Clifford actually asked the audience who would like to come up and play guitar. Most bands wouldn’t do that, let alone a band playing an arena, yet there they were, inviting one lucky audience member up on stage to take over on guitar for a little. It was a pretty awesome moment, one that hopefully remains a part of the performance throughout the rest of the tour next year.

Obviously, we at Alter the Press! really like 5 Seconds of Summer. (Dare we say love? Would love be too strong of a word? May we wax poetic about our love for you, 5SOS? Are we at that point in our relationship?) So it is with complete adoration when we say that sure, there are moments when a singer may fall a little flat or things don’t seem to mesh quite right, but that is all something that comes with age and practice. What is a live show without a minor hiccup every once and awhile. But even with moments where the vocals may not have necessarily been at their prime, guitars cut out and microphones failed, they were far outweighed and outshined by the great moments. Not only can we not wait to see them again next year, because yes we are already planning on seeing them next year, but we cannot wait to experience the growth they are likely to do between now and when that happens.

- Victoria Patneaude

5 Seconds Of Summer Set List:

End Up Here
Out of My Limit
Heartbreak Girl
Voodoo Doll
Don't Stop
Disconnected
Long Way Home
Rejects
Heartache On The Big Screen
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Amnesia
Beside You
Everything I Didn't Say
American Idiot (Green Day cover)
Kiss Me Kiss Me
She Looks So Perfect
Good Girls
What I Like About You (The Romantics cover)