5 Seconds of Summer Looked So Perfect in Atlanta: Concert Review

5 Seconds of Summer took over Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia on September 2nd, 2023. While the band members are all native to Australia, guitarist Michael Clifford is now living in Georgia “20 minutes down the road” from the venue as Michael described.

For this tour, 5SOS had an up-and-coming rock band, Meet Me at the Altar, opening the gigs for them. Openers for me are usually hit-or-miss, but Meet Me at the Altar was a pleasant surprise. They brought the energy and covered some 2000s classics from artists such as The Jonas Brothers and Kelly Clarkson. Safe to suffice, they were an awesome band, and confirms my suspicions that 5SOS never miss with their openers (i.e. Pale Waves). 

After the openers, the iconic 5 Seconds of Summer Show curtain was lowered, and the crowd eagerly waited for their four favourite Australians to come on stage.

Something really unique about a 5SOS show is the level of interaction the guys maintain with their fans. As the crowd waited for them to come on stage, skits with the four guys played on the big screens. The final skit showed the guys “leaving” to head to the show, and all the lights cut off, once they turn back on, all you see are four shadows through the large hanging curtain. 

Before I could register Luke Hemmings just 20 meters in front of me, the curtain fell and there on stage in all their pop-punk glory stood Luke, Calum, Michael, and Ashton. Immediately the venue fills with screams and cheers from 12,000+ fans, and 5SOS jump right into Bad Omens. Something that delighted fans was Michael Clifford wearing his University of Georgia football jersey, to pay homage to his new home in Georgia. 

The crowd and band ceremoniously sing the opening line together, “So this is where I am,” as we all are reveling in the moment of the start of the show. 

The first moments of concerts for me are so indescribable, and this gig was no different. Seeing one of your favorite bands on stage, singing the songs you love live, surrounded by other fans who love your fave the same way you do is an overwhelmingly positive sensation. 

The show was super high energy, both from the crowd and the band themselves. One of my favorite things about 5SOS is that their live shows are always totally next level. They usually play their songs in more of a rock genre, rather than pop, which keeps the energy peaking the entire show.

One of the best songs of the evening was Babylon, and while they didn’t play the Youngblood track in its entirety, the return of this banger was incredible after it didn’t make the setlist on the previous tour. The fangirls all go crazy for the Calum solos, and this song was no different with the entire stadium chanting “we burned too bright, now the fire’s gone, watch it all fall down, Babylon!”

One of the most iconic moments of the 5 Seconds of Summer Show Tour is the oversized dice Luke drags on stage and tosses into the crowd, with 6 surprise songs on it. The pit spins the dice and sends it back to the stage, and the band will play the song it lands on. Our surprise song was Wrapped Around Your finger, which was amazing, but I had been really manifesting English Love Affair.

The final four songs of the show in my opinion were four of the best, and closed to show out in the best way possible. Fans were blessed with Jet Black Heart (emo classic), followed by She Looks So Perfect featuring punk jumps, Outer Space, and then the iconic closer Youngblood.

The concert was incredible, and as a longtime fan, I appreciated the band tossing in several throwback songs so I could pretend it was still peak 2014 as I screamed along to Don’t Stop and Disconnected like a young tween once again.