REVIEW: 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER PROVE WHY EVERYONE'S A STAR AT THEIR HOMETOWN SHOW IN SYDNEY
Images: Vasili Papathanasopoulos.
There is a certain irony in watching four musicians stage an elaborate production about the rise, fall and eventual breakup of a boyband, only to spend the evening reminding everyone exactly why they became one of the biggest bands of their generation. For 5 Seconds of Summer, the EVERYONE'S A STAR! World Tour is less a traditional concert and more a theatrical retelling of their own story, complete with dramatic interludes, tongue-in-cheek boyband tropes, nostalgic throwbacks and, naturally, a few existential crises. Returning to the city where it all began, Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood and Ashton Irwin delivered a hometown show that was equal parts spectacle and celebration, and the ultimate showcase of just how bloody good they are at what they do.
Divided into seven acts, the production follows the band's journey through THE PEAK, THE FALL, THE YEARNING, THE BREAKUP, THE RISE, THE BEGINNING and, finally, THE RETURN. The visual storytelling, archival footage and deliberate overdramatic video interludes bring a playful self-awareness to the production, with the band seemingly more than happy to poke fun at the very ‘boyband’ identity that helped launch their career. A montage of the four growing up offers a reminder of just how much time has passed, while later segments lean into the ridiculousness of the whole theme. At one point, there's even a boyband award ceremony.
But this is Sydney after all, and the boys weren't about to let a hometown show pass without acknowledging it. “How the bloody hell are ya?,” Hemmings asks the audience. “Thank you so much for having us. This is fucking crazy. The last time we played this venue, I drove here on my L-Plates,” he shares. “Sydney, we fucking need this to be the best show of the whole tour, alright? It’s our biggest and best show yet.” During a special 'Sydney Takeover' segment, the band offered a very 5SOS interpretation of being back on home soil, recounting a pit stop for a famous Four'N Twenty pie at the servo, cracking open some Vodka Cruisers backstage and even extending an invitation to Keith Urban to join them on stage. The segment was a reminder that international success hasn't scrubbed the Australian out of them. There's something particularly endearing about watching a band capable of commanding arenas around the world celebrate being home with the same enthusiasm as a late-night servo run.
The opening act, THE PEAK, wastes no time establishing the scale of the production. Bursting into NOT OK, the band immediately sent the arena into a frenzy, with the crowd jumping along before the first act had barely begun. No. 1 Obsession brings a striking visual component, while Teeth offers an early glimpse of the musical precision that underpins the entire show. There is a real weight to the arrangement, with the four members throwing themselves into their instruments and delivering the kind of performance that makes it abundantly clear this is not a group relying on backing tracks and nostalgia to get by. The guitars cut through, the drums drive the arrangement forward and the vocals remain remarkably strong, even as the production demands so much physically from the performers.
If THE FALL is supposed to represent the band's downward spiral, it certainly doesn't sound like one. During Easier, the crowd takes over, turning the performance into something of a conversation between the band and the fans. It's a dynamic that continues throughout the night, with Sydney repeatedly singing the lyrics back at the band, often loudly enough to rival the four men holding the microphones. Hemmings’ guitar work draws an immediate eruption of screams, while his harmonies with Clifford are a particular highlight. Meanwhile, Irwin is an absolute force behind the kit, commanding the stage with a level of energy that makes it difficult to look anywhere else. Hood is equally impressive, providing a low-end punch that can practically be felt in your chest.
The band's ability to move between theatrical spectacle and genuine musicality is what makes the production so effective. The extended performance of Evolve is a perfect example, building into an expansive instrumental moment that feels entirely different from the standard live rendition. The four musicians stretch the arrangement, feeding off one another and allow the song to take on a life of its own. It becomes less about recreating the recording and more about demonstrating what the band can do with it in a live context. This idea is further explored in their latest release, CLUBSOS VOL. 1 which recontextualises their songs into dance-floor ready bangers. There is a confidence in the way they play together, a natural chemistry that only comes from years of performing alongside one another. The show may be dressed up as a boyband saga, but moments like this are a reminder that 5SOS have always had the musicianship to back up the theatrics.
Of course, no 5SOS show would be complete without a healthy dose of audience participation. From the crowd enthusiastically screaming through She's Kinda Hot to the enormous singalongs that accompany their older material, the arena rarely gets a moment to rest. The band seems to relish the exchange, occasionally handing the lyrics over to the audience and allowing the crowd to become part of the performance. The result is less a one-way concert and more a shared experience, with thousands of people singing, jumping and exuding joy. The nostalgia is particularly potent when the band begins revisiting the songs that first introduced them to the world. Amnesia becomes a genuinely touching moment, its stripped-back atmosphere and arena-wide singalong serving as a reminder of the emotional connection that has kept these songs alive for more than a decade.
THE YEARNING brings one of the evening's most affecting moments, with Ghost of You. The lights rise across the arena as the song unfolds, revealing audience members holding one another and swaying along. The vocals are beautiful, with Hood and Hemmings’ harmonies adding another layer to an already emotional performance. It's a striking contrast to the chaos of the earlier acts, and a reminder that the band's catalogue has always had room for vulnerability alongside the huge choruses and guitar-driven anthems. Even the more subdued moments feel enormous in a room full of people who know every word.
The production then takes an unexpected turn into THE BREAKUP, giving each member a chance to step away from the collective identity of 5SOS and showcase their individual artistry. Hemmings’ Starting Line is particularly moving, beginning with him alone before his 5SOS brothers join in, a lovely visual reminder that even when the narrative suggests they're going their separate ways, they're still there to support one another. Irwin follows with Have U Found What Ur Looking For?, bringing his own distinctive energy to the stage. Having spent much of the evening commanding the drums, it's a chance to appreciate another side of his artistry and the strength of his songwriting and vocal delivery. Hood’s Don't Forget You Love Me shifts the mood again, bringing an unmistakable early-2000s pop sensibility that feels right at home within the production. Then there's Clifford’s enough, which provides a particularly powerful finish to the solo showcases. His vocal performance is commanding, with an intensity that demonstrates just how much he can hold the stage on his own. While each performance offers a glimpse into the individual musical identities the four have developed beyond 5SOS, there's something especially lovely about watching them support one another throughout. The segment could easily have been framed as four musicians going their separate ways, but instead becomes a celebration of what each brings to the group.
And bring them back together they do. THE RISE and THE BEGINNING are where the production really leans into the band's history, with a series of nostalgic video segments and familiar anthems taking the audience back to the early days. The visual storytelling is frequently hilarious, particularly as the band attempts to navigate what it means to be 5 Seconds of Summer again. But beneath the jokes are a genuine sense of reflection. The group has grown up in public, with their audience doing much the same, and there's something rather special about watching those shared memories play out in an arena full of people who have carried these songs with them.
Following the emotional weight of Start Over, the band launches into a closing run of English Love Affair, Voodoo Doll, Don't Stop, Jet Black Heart and She Looks So Perfect. It's a reminder of just how many hits sit within their catalogue, and how effortlessly the band can move between the different eras of their career. Don't Stop sends the crowd into another frenzy, while Jet Black Heart brings a heavier, more impassioned energy. Clifford’s scream cuts through the arrangement as thousands of voices rise around him, creating an enormous thundering wall of sound.
The final act, THE RETURN, brings the show back to its central idea with Everyone's a Star! before Youngblood sends the audience off on one final high. On the former, the band make their way through the crowd, as they return to the stage. It's an appropriately triumphant conclusion to a production that has spent the evening playing with the idea of a band's rise and fall, only to demonstrate that 5SOS are still very much in their prime. And in Sydney, the return feels particularly fitting. This is the city that first gave the four-piece its start, and the affection between the band and the crowd is unmistakable. The audience isn't simply celebrating a group of musicians who have made it around the world; they were celebrating a band that began here, grew up in front of them and have now returned with an arena-sized production that reflects just how far they've come.
What makes EVERYONE'S A STAR! World Tour so enjoyable is that it never relies on nostalgia alone. The setlist gives the band's newest material its moment while making plenty of room for the songs that have become part of their collective history, but the production itself is what elevates the experience. The seven-act structure gives the show a narrative, the visuals provide plenty of humour and spectacle, and the musicianship ensures that there's substance behind all the theatrics. All four members are vocally exceptional, their harmonies consistently strong and their instrumental performances impressive throughout. They know how to put on a show, but more importantly, they know how to play one.
For a band that has spent the evening staging its own breakup, 5 Seconds of Summer seem to have made a rather convincing argument for staying together. Sydney certainly wasn't ready to let them go. Just shy off fifteen years into their career, the four-piece has managed to turn its own history into a spectacular live experience, celebrating where they've been while showing exactly where they're going. While they might now be international stars, there's something rather special about seeing them come home. If everyone's a star, Sydney certainly made sure its four favourite sons knew it.
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