I was lucky enough to travel to London in January 2012 to meet the guys and see their Up All Night tour. Backstage, all of the guys were incredibly friendly, easy to talk to and thankful. It was before they came to America “officially,” and they seemed so nervous, like the fans wouldn’t go wild for them.
I got the same vibe last night — as if they though the 18,000 screaming girls (and guys!) in the building were expecting someone else. Boy were they wrong.
The Start Of An Amazing Show
The guys started the show with the high energy, “Up All Night.”
As Liam Payne spoke, he said was was starting to get emotional and wanted to thank his mom, dad and sisters, who were in the audience. So sweet. (On-off girlfriend Danielle Peazer was also there.)
The guys sounded amazing while singing their hits including, “I Wish,” “Gotta Be You,” and “More Than This.”
Harry Styles commented that “this place is bloody huge!” to a roaring applause. It was hard to tell which guy was the favorite, since the screams as the different members sang their parts seemed to grow louder and louder!
It was obvious that America wasn’t the only country represented last night, with flags from Brazil, Japan, Italy and many more countries being waved in the air throughout the show.
The guys performed a cover of the song “Teenage Dirtbag,” complete with a full pyrotechnics show. I’m pretty sure 75% of the audience had never heard the song before, since it came out in 2000, before most of them had even been born!
An Overwhelming Reception
Zayn Malik addressed the crowd, telling us, “I’ve never been so overwhelmed in my life!”
Louis Tomlinson was slightly less emotional as he said it was “party time,” before the guys performed “Everything About You.”
In the middle of the show, the guys answered fans questions from Twitter (as they do at every concert) and Liam said it was the “most important part of the show.” It’s so nice that they care about their fans who love them so much.
The question, Who can jump the highest? was hindered by tight jeans on all the guys, but it seemed pretty obvious that Niall, known for his scissor-kick jumps, was the winner.
During “Save You Tonight,” the guys had the hearts of security guards racing when they jumped into the crowd.
The guys touched hands and even posed for photos with fans! Again, amazing dedication.
Sampling Their New Tracks
During “Little Things,” off their sophomore album Take Me Home, the guys sat on the stage with their legs dangling. Halfway through, their (amazing) opening act Ed Sheeran joined them and sang a little bit with Harry.
Ed actually penned the super romantic song for the guys.
The guys finished their set with “Kiss You,” also off the new album.
An Amazing Encore
After a short break, and lots of screaming, the guys returned on stage for their encore.
They thrilled the audience with “C’Mon, C’Mon” and finally, the song that Niall said even the parents know the lyrics to, “What Makes You Beautiful.”
At the end of the show, Niall Horan thanked the fans, saying that it was “the best night of my life. We cannot thank you enough. It’s incredible what you have done in two and a half years!”
Tweeting Their Thanks
After the show, Niall tweeted, “Wow, madison square garden,thank you soo much! It was the best night of our lives! Thank you thank you thank you ! #1DinMSG” and then after 4am, “Goin t sleep! Chat tomorrow! Still can’t believe we just played @thegarden ! Thank you.”
Harry simply tweeted, “Last night was the best thing I have ever done.”
Liam tweeted before the show, “Im reallyyyyy excited for tonight!!!! Hope everyone who comes to watch has an amazzinnnggg nighttt ! I know i will :)” and later, “What a night! I had soooo much fun! Thank you to everyone who came to see us and everyone of our fans who support us! I love you loads :)”
Louis tweeted, “Feel like its the night before Christmas, so excited !!”
Zayn said, “So this is it! Can’t wait to get on that stage and see you guys!”
An Unforgettable Night
It was obvious the entire night was overwhelming for the band, as well as the fans who have no doubt waited for them for hours outside hotels and in line for tickets to shows. I saw so many girls crying so hard, they looked like they were in pain, but they were tears of joy.
I think the guys recognize the incredible fandom they have created and appreciate everything and everyone who have gotten them this far.
What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Will One Direction become even MORE famous?
— Dory Larrabee
More One Direction News:
- One Direction Boys Have A ‘Crazy’ Pajama Party — Watch Video
- One Direction Reveal The Key To Their Hearts To Ellen DeGeneres
- One Direction Announce They’re Filming A Movie