One Direction & 5 Seconds Of Summer Concert Experience

I’ve always had a thing for boy bands. It started when I was 7 with the Backstreet Boys, reignited in high school with the Jonas Brothers and three years ago I came to love these four Brits and one Irish lad. I’ve had some pretty awesome concert experiences with these boys at the Molson Amphitheatre and Air Canada Centre thanks to VIP tickets, but this year with just a regular ol’ ticket (VIP offered nothing special anyways unless you’re into One Direction watches) I had just as good a time.

On their first stadium tour performing to over 50, 000 fans, it’s pretty awesome that Toronto is the first city in North America to see the Where We Are Tour. If only fans knew Where They Were hiding out. Seriously, every time they come to Toronto it’s an intense game of hide and seek and the fans never win. Anyways, instead of sitting here wondering what to do with my life, which is one of symptoms of post-concert depression, I figured I might as well write about my concert experience while it’s fresh in my mind and give you guys some pictures.

I plan on putting together a video of the experience and hosting a One Direction related giveaway, so stay tuned for that! Also for those wondering what it’s like to have VIP this year, my sister experienced that last night and will be sharing her story and pics soon as well!

The Seats: A7, Row 15
In my opinion, these seats were almost perfect. You’re probably thinking that the only spot to place your butt that could be perfect is first row. But when they’ve got a humungous stage and a catwalk leading to a secondary stage at the back, this first row is not the greatest. From where I was sitting, I had a perfect centre view of the entire stage, I was located right next to the catwalk and at the exact spot where they all seemingly decided to stop and pause to sing during their walk from big ass stage 1 to mini stage at the back. And here’s the thing, I got these seats THE DAY BEFORE THE CONCERT. You think you have to stick with your nosebleeds that you bought a year ago, but you don’t! When they set up the seating, most venues find that they have room for more seats and they usually put them up for sale that day. So I highly recommend checking ticketmaster a day or two before and the day of for more seats. You can call to exchange your old ones for just a $7 (and totally worth it) fee!

The Camera: 
Also, not to brag or anything but you’ll notice these pictures are pretty damn awesome. I wish I could take the credit and say it’s all me but all the glory goes to the best digital point and shoot camera to ever exist: the Canon Powershot SX240 HS. Sure being 10 seats away from the catwalk helped, but you do not understand the power of this zoom. It’s my go-t0 for concerts… and life. Whoever says the end of digital cameras is coming thanks to smart phone have not tried this beaut. And Canon isn’t even paying me or bribing me to say this, I truly honestly from the heart recommend it.

The Opener: 5 Seconds of Summer (who are totally ready to headline their own show by now) 
They looked so perfect standing there (sorry, just had to use that line)!

Picture taken WITH NO ZOOM. Not bad, am I right?

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Luke doing his thang, because that’s what lead singers do. Their thang.

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A perfect “Caption This” photo.  Clearly so many things were going on in Michael’s head, he’s overwhelmed, or he’s trying to use his telepathy powers or something.

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DAT ASS(ES).

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Look at those pink cheeks!

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The Main Event: One Direction
While the band’s professional photographer Cal was on stage, I could arguably take his job. Here are a few of the masterpieces I captured on camera.
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My 26 seconds of fame thanks to One Direction

At times I may pretend to hide it, but in reality I’m a loud and proud directioner.
So of course I broke out jumping and screaming when I saw this on One Direction’s official fan page this morning:

Why yes, that is my sister and I in that screenshot because that is my sister and I’s greeting video. Which was only supposed to be seen by the five (gorgeous) boys of One Direction and lucky winners of the Bring Me to 1D Golden ticket. But One Direction’s management chose our video (out of hundreds from countries all over the world) to be used as an example…so now 11 million people on facebook and my 500 facebook friends who I exposed this to have seen it.

19, 000 views later we’ve received so many comments on the video saying, “wow this is awesome” and “you girls are so lucky!” and man, does it feel admittedly good.

This wasn’t a contest and we receive no prize (other than extreme happiness), and we never thought our greetings video was special to begin with.

So yeah, is it pathetic that I claim this one of the “awesome” moments in my life? …Nah!

Well have a look at our greetings video yourself, and if you’re a directioner, you should make one too!


The One Direction VIP Concert Experience

So I just got home from the One Direction concert and it was honestly the most amazing concert of my life. That may not be saying much when you realize I’ve only been to three others before this, but I can’t imagine anything going more perfect than it did today. I am truly blessed.

My sister (left) and I (right) waiting for sound check to begin, not knowing what was in store for us that day!

My sister (left) and I (right) waiting for sound check to begin, not knowing what was in store for us that day!

Where to begin? Sound check of course. One of the biggest perks of our $250 VIP package was being able to attend sound check. For us regular VIP folk, unlike Ultimate VIP, we were told that seating for sound check would be based on first come first serve, so we went fairly early and arrived at the venue for 12:30pm as opposed to the meet time of 2:45pm. After waiting in a gated area in the middle of a mob full of other fans, they finally let us through and after receiving our awesome VIP laminate and tickets, were led to the Molson bridge to wait. While waiting, the tour guide raffled off some prizes which was very mediocre compared to watching Eleanor and Louis drive by in a taxi, Louis then walking backstage, and coming out onto the balcony, with Eleanor leaving the venue in the same taxi.

Then it was a race to finish as we all ran to our seats once they finally gave us the go to. We miraculously got the first row! There was nothing more exciting, nothing that got your heart pumping so fast that you wanted to pinch yourself to make sure what you were seeing was real when the five boys appeared on stage. Soooooooooo close. I honestly was in shock at the fact that they were standing right in front of me. Dressed casually with no hair (Zayn’s was flat) and no make up (Harry’s acne was visible) done, the boys were at their most comfortable and natural state.

When you thought it couldn’t get better than being front row during their private sound check…it did. I brought along two t-shirts to throw on stage for the boys. Both were red graphic T’s that said “I’m A Big Deal In Canada Eh!”.

(I actually had four t-shirts, the other two said “The Eh Team” but my sister blindly gave them to security when they searched us because they told her “anything for boys give to us and we will give it to them” but they obviously didn’t want fans throwing items at them. I was smart and said, “No I have nothing for the boys, these shirts are mine.” But she felt up the nicely wrapped t-shirts which were rolled and tied with a ribbon, and felt my cards/letters which I had to take out.)

Anyways, I managed to throw the first “I’m A Big Deal In Canada Eh!” shirt and it hit Zayn’s legs (who was on our side (the right) of the stage most of the time. He picked it up, read it, laughed and showed his fellow band members along with the audience!!! Then he gave it to Paul to give back to us (don’t know why, it was meant for him to keep) so Paul called out saying “Who’s is this?” Me and my sis obviously raised our hands but apparently so did girls behind us and he threw it to them. Zayn apparently saw this and got mad at Paul! Saying “Paul! No it was THEM who gave it to me!” pointing at me and my sister!! But Paul didn’t hear so he just let it be. (Note: my sister later confronted the girl who took the shirt and she surprisingly and kindly gave it back to us! So yes, I have in my possession the t-shirt that Zayn Malik touched, held and placed on his body)

The boys sang two songs and then it was time for questions. Boom! Things just got more surreal as I was chosen to be the first person to ask a question! It came out of nowhere. All I remember is everyone screaming and raising their hands to be picked to ask the boys a question. I kind of just stood there with a unsure look on my face and my hand half raised with not as much enthusiam as most around me. Yet our VIP host “Stix” came out of nowhere, patted me on the shoulder, and handed me the microphone. I kind of just stood there like “What the heck is happening?!” Fans were still talking and the band came to the edge of the stage to sit and answer questions. Then everyone sat down and I was left standing with the mic, so I pulled my (#1 fan) sister up beside me and whispered violently to her: THINK OF A QUESTION! WHAT SHOULD I SAY! She was just as flustered being put on the spot, so I just threw the microphone in her hands, and what she blurted out was “What is your next album going to be called and when is it going to come out?” Nice one right? LOL Google could have answered that. The boys were all like, “Uhhhhh we don’t have a name but it’s coming out at the end of the year.” The crowd then screamed and cheered, but they would have done so if one of the boys simply said, “eggs.”

Great opportunity we had there, didn’t really make the best use of it, but so grateful to have had it! When we asked the question the boys looked right at us, and talked directly to us!

Then while the boys were leaving the stage I threw my second and last red t-shirt in hopes of one of boys not only catching it but keeping it! And my wish was granted when the shirt hit Harry’s knees and he picked it up, looked at it, laughed and threw it over his shoulder taking it with him!

Harry and our red “I’m A Big Deal In Canada Eh!” shirt that he took with him.

Could it really get any better? The answer is yes!

We were left speechless and in awe after sound check. I would have been happy to go home right then and there. But the entire concert itself was still waiting for us! After getting our VIP swag bags (which was a 1D string bag, a poster, buttons and a tee), we grabbed some overpriced food (pizza for the sis, fries for me), paid $4.25 for water in a plastic cup (we wanted a bottle, but the band requested that all drinks be poured into cups, obviously they’re sick of bottles being thrown at them).

This is the exclusive merchandise we got with our VIP package.

We made some awesome friends along the way which helped to pass the hour or so we had to kill while stuck in the VIP waiting area. We weren’t allowed to leave until doors for the public opened at 6:30pm.

Once that time came we went through the pubic walkway and were greeted by an array of free stuff (glow sticks, Wonka candy, magazines etc.). Finally reaching the end after moving through the slow tide of people, we went to search out our seats. We had tickets for section 103, row E, seats 11 and 12. At first I was excited that we had the fifth row (if going alphabetically), then I was disappointed that we had section 103 which was one of the side and not 102 the middle.  But then I was excited again when someone told me row E for that side section is actually the first row! And when we actually went to our seats and saw them, I couldn’t help but be ecstatic because it was a perfect view!!! We were angled towards the middle of the stage with no one in front of us.

But of course it had to get better, right? Right.

So right in front of us was a platform and two security guards beside it. What’s so awesome about that? That’s where the boys jumped onto for fan interaction!!!! Yes Harry, Zayn, Liam, Louis and Niall were all centimeters away from me when I ran up to that platform and I was able to touch their hands! You couldn’t get closer to the boys than this, it was unreal! I could see every little detail of their faces and even made eye contact with the boys! It felt like my own private concert.

What else could happen to make this already seemingly perfect experience even better?

Some fan threw a Canada hat at Harry and he wore it for a bit of a song, then he laughed and threw it back into the audience and I happened to catch it!! (So yes in my possession is not only a shirt held by Zayn Malik, but a hat worn by Harry Styles! We checked, and no, there are no curly pieces of hair inside the hat).

Also, as a bonus we were fortunate enough to have the great Paul Higgins (directioners will immediately recognize this name, but for others he is the head of security and manager for the boy band) stand right in front of us, beside that glorious platform, during most of the show.

I wish this post could fully describe the experience, but it honestly can’t. Hopefully the memories and images in my head will be there for a long, long time.

Best. Day. Evaaaaaa
Fangirling done.

– @Naomi_ML

For a full gallery of photos from the concert visit experiencedmoments.com.