Birmingham LG Arena – 22nd – 23rd March (2 shows including matinee) & 17th April
This March and April, the pop juggernaut that is One Direction rolls into Birmingham’s LG arena. There’s no question, these five boys have taken over the world with their army of fans, but can they justify the hype over an hour and a half set?
After an introductory video of the boys inviting the audience to a party, the show kicks off with party song Up All Night at which point the mainly young crowd explodes at seeing their idols in the flesh. It suitably kicks off the energetic mood and party theme, which continues throughout the concert.
With only two albums to their name, One Direction are lacking a collection of hits, and it shows over the hour and a half. The band continue with bouncy, but middle-of-the-road album tracks, such as Heart Attack and the Mcfly-penned I Would, and it’s not until six songs in until we hear their first recognisable hit, One Thing. Not that the crowd care. They could have come out and read the phonebook for an hour and a half and they would have gone just as wild, and this opening section does give the boys chance to make full use of the stage and allow the audience to get to see each member. For such a young band, they have a remarkable stage presence.
Around the half-way point comes the obligatory “fly above the crowd and arrive at a podium towards the back” moment. It’s here they perform current single One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks). After the huge pinball machine extravaganza at the Brit Awards in February, it may be a bit of a disappointment to some to see such a big song confined to a small platform. The band also engage in a question and answer session with the fans, who have been asked to send in questions via Twitter. They also make the effort to find the fan in the crowd, which will surely send any ‘Directioner’ into a crazed frenzy.
The boys engage in banter between each other and the crowd throughout the concert – Niall’s attempts at accents are particularly humorous. It’s obvious the chemistry between the band, and the chats are warm and funny. Though it’s clear during these points the age of their fan base; at one point, Harry Styles asked the crowd to “boo” school and homework, which no doubt makes everyone over the age of 15 feel out of place. The video segments work well, and are generally entertaining to watch, unlike the majority of concert interludes. One particular clip, in the style of a hidden camera TV show, features Louis dressed as an old man and shocks a young fan by unveiling himself. It’s a genuinely touching moment that shows the affection the boys have for their fans, whilst confirming the belief that they don’t take themselves too seriously.
The energy dips just after the half-way point, as we’re treated to a string of slower numbers. It’s here that the lads showcase their talents, and prove to their critics that they can do more than jump around on stage. Niall whips out his acoustic guitar and plays along to several songs, against a night-time city lights background. As expected, the highlight of this is Little Things; a song that feels like it was made for just an acoustic guitar and a sea of lighters (well, phone lights. One Direction fans are far too young to carry lighters.) It’s a magical moment. One or two of the up-tempo numbers over-used earlier wouldn’t have gone amiss here though, to keep the pace flowing.
After a quick costume change, the band are back and rocking out to the first ‘surprise’ of the night, their version of Teenage Dirtbag. Whilst a fairly obvious choice of cover, it’s refreshing for slightly older members of the audience to have something they can sing along to, and will hopefully introduce their young fans to music from a different generation.
Predictably, their biggest songs are left until last. The main set finishes with a visually eye-popping rendition of recent single Kiss You, followed by an encore of mega-hits Live While We’re Young and their global-breakthrough What Makes You Beautiful. If you haven’t feared for the roof of the arena before, you will now. If you aren’t too busy joining in the fun.
Eloise, 13, said of the concert “I can’t find the words… it was simply amazing.” Georgia, 12, added, “I loved seeing them in the flesh,” feelings that seemed to be echoed by the hysterical crowd.
It was an enjoyable and energetic concert, and the band’s enthusiasm and chemistry with each other is genuine and heart-warming. It’s also clear that they’re having just as much fun as the audience are. It will please die-hard fans, yet the more casual concert-goer may want to wait until they have a more extensive back catalogue. That said, it’s still a fun night out, and the only opportunity to see the biggest band in the world live in this country this year before they take the show around the world, if your eardrums can stand the screaming of pre-pubescent girls.
Rating – 4/5
By David Bates. Follow David on Twitter @DavidPBates
Midlands Guide Magazine 
One Response to “One Direction “Take Me Home” Tour Review”