30,000 fans throng One Direction concert
(Above, from left) Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan performing to a huge crowd of about 30,000 mostly young female fans at the One Direction concert at the National Stadium last night. Many fans had started queueing outside the venue from early yesterday morning and rushed into the venue when the gates opened at 6pm. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
THE National Stadium yesterday hosted what was possibly its shrillest crowd to date - 30,000 mostly young female fans of British boyband One Direction screamed and cheered their way through a 100-minute show.
The gig is the band's first in Singapore and is one of the largest shows by a Western pop act here in recent times.
The five members came on at 9pm, one hour later than scheduled, and performed songs such as Clouds and Steal My Girl from their latest album, Four, as well as signature hits, including What Makes You Beautiful.
Formed in 2010 on British singing reality television show The X Factor, the group was ranked by concert trade industry publication Pollstar as the most successful live act in the world last year, and all their four albums have hit the top of the Billboard album charts.
Among the fans at the concert was Ms Azlizah Rosli, 21, who won a pair of VIP tickets in the ST170 Treats contest organised by The Straits Times.
The polytechnic student said before the concert: "When I received the e-mail to tell me that I had won, I was stunned. I read it five times to make sure that it was real."
Earlier in the day, thousands of fans queued to get the best spots in the free-standing area of the concert. Stadium staff estimated the figure to be between 2,000 and 8,000.
The fans had bought free-standing tickets in Category 1, which were worth $172 each. Mr Tommy Giovanni, 18, reached the stadium at 8pm on Tuesday, and did not leave till 7.30am yesterday for a bath and a nap before going back.
The Ngee Ann Polytechnic student from Indonesia said: "I just watched shows on my laptop to pass the time."
Some parents and at least one grandmother were also at the stadium with their young charges.
Madam Olive Fones, in her 70s, accompanied her granddaughter and the girl's two friends to the stadium. The Secondary 1 students arrived at about 11am yesterday.
Madam Olive Fones, in her 70s, accompanied her granddaughter and the girl's two friends to the stadium. The Secondary 1 students arrived at about 11am yesterday.
Madam Fones, who is retired, said: "I need to be there with the girls, as they're so young. Anyway, I think the band members are cute. My favourite song of theirs is Best Song Ever."
She waited till 6pm, when her daughter arrived to attend the concert with the girls.
Ms Rhoda Yau and her husband came from Kuala Lumpur with their daughter, who is attending the concert.
The housewife, who is in her 50s, was there at about 11am with her husband to pass some buns to their 17-year-old daughter. Ms Yau said: "I don't mind doing things like this, if it pleases my kid. I personally like some of their songs too."
The New Straits Times / Top of The News Published on 12 March, 2015
By Eddino Abdul Hadi And Sarah Giam
No comments:
Post a Comment