5 Seconds of Summer cover Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' 0:51
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5 Seconds of Summer cover Katy Perry's hit 'Teenage Dream' live in concert in LA.
- Daily Telegraph
- 11 Sep 2014
- Entertainment
POP punk sensations 5 Seconds of Summer have played stadiums around the world and held court at No. 1 on all the charts that matter in the past year.
But what impresses their families the most as the four musicians lob home for a whirlwind visit?
Scoring four ARIA awards nominations and playing two songs on X Factor last night.
5SOS have confirmed they will head back home again to open the 2014 ARIA Awards on November 26 where they will contest the Best Group, Breakthrough Artist, Best Pop Album and Song Of The Year gongs.
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Awards coup ... 5 Seconds of Summer were given their No. 1 trophy for their self-titled debut album yesterday and head home to open the 2014 ARIA Awards in November. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: News Corp Australia
“We left home three years ago and our parents don’t always see that we are playing stadium shows in Mexico and all this other stuff that’s going on so to be able to come home and play at the ARIAs and have nominations, finally they get to see it,” bassist Calum Hood said.
Guitarist Michael Clifford added: “We played Wembley Stadium when we supported 1D and they will think that’s cool but they were blown away that we were playing X Factor.
“Things that happen at home are so much a bigger deal to them and we love to make our parents proud.”
The band have captured millions of hearts and sold millions of downloads of their self-titled debut album and singles She Looks So Perfect, Amnesia, Don’t Stop and latest hit Good Girls.
Guitar hero ... 5SOS are now drawing a following among aspiring young male musos. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images
While their fanbase is dominated by teen girls, 5SOS are now also finding favour with aspiring young male musicians in the wake of their success.
“A couple of years ago the biggest thing was to be in a boy band and now it’s to play your own instruments,” Clifford said.
Frontman Luke Hemmings said they often received tweets from young teen bands asking to support them on tour.
Global popularity ... 5 Seconds of Summer band members Aston Irwin, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood and Luke Hemmings. The band have arrived home from the US. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: News Corp Australia
“We were the band guys who liked All Time Low and they had lots of girl fans and now we are seeing those band dudes coming to our shows,” he said.
Clifford said there was a far more obvious reason for young men to check out a 5SOS concert on their Rock Out With Your Socks Out world tour next year.
“I think it’s a great way to hook up with girls, seriously,” the guitarist said.
“If you come to our show you could ask 100 girls for their number and you’re definitely going to get at least one.”
Fandemonium ... 5SOS were greeted by a mob of wellwishers when they arrived in Sydney this week. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: News Corp Australia
One of the cornerstones of the success of these four young men from western Sydney has been the direct connection they maintain with their fans via social media and then at gigs or airports.
They have taken that relationship to an innovative new level by staging their own convention called Derp Con where 5SOS fans can enter competitions throughout the world to be flown to Los Angeles to see their first headlining arena show at The Forum.
It was a bold idea inspired by the pop culture geekfest Comic Con.
“We were sitting around talking about Comic Con and saying what if we did our own 5SOS version and our manager took the idea and a month later, had a fully blown concept,” drummer Ashton Irwin.
“Although I wished we had called it Ultimate Mega Con.”
For all their goals of world domination, coming home is always top of their wishlist.
“Coming home is what helps keep us sane,” Hemmings said.
You can vote in the 2014 ARIA Awards here.
