One is from “our” land

5 Seconds Of Summer visiting Slovenia for the first time

After a long wait due to Covid, the famous Australian band 5 Seconds Of Summer finally performed for the first time in Ljubljana’s hall Stožice. The group performed in the Slovenian capital as part of their current tour in Europe, North America and Australia. Four Australians have become globally famous over the past ten years. They are conquering the top of the music charts, they have received a number of awards, their debut album has risen to the top of the charts in as many as 11 countries and they have sold more than 10 million albums so far. Now they have also come to us and their first arrival is connected with several attractions.
For the concert spectacle, stage equipment was brought to Slovenia in eight tow trucks and the team came with five tour buses. In addition to a large light park, a huge sound system and a large smoke generator they also had 2 large lasers on stage to perfectly stage the concert. The group and the team need 5 backstage offices, 4 locker rooms, 220 towels… They also have their own kitchen with their chefs, for which the organizers had to provide all necessary connections and accessories in the backstage of Arena Stožice, as well as a large dining room. They also needed 80 kilograms of ice in it. About 200 people are working on the project, both the international team that comes with the group as well as domestic technical, security and other teams.

Do they believe in dragons?
“It’s always amazing when we go to a country for the first time. Now, after a long lull, experiencing the excitement of the fans is especially gratifying, especially when we’ve released so much music. This is a great opportunity for us to soak up the culture and create a special night for the people, our fans, who deserve it the most,” said bassist Calum Hood about the band’s first concert in Slovenia. He also said that they will visit the capital during their stay in Ljubljana. “After almost two years of absence from touring, the band completely changed their view of touring. We will explore Slovenia as much as possible and time, we hope it will. We take such things as a kind of blessing,” he said. They visited Ljubljana Castle and the Dragon Bridge. The bridge obviously impressed them, or at least they found it interesting, as they also jokingly asked if Slovenians believe in dragons. At the concert, they added about Ljubljana that they are very far from their home Australia, but that they feel great here and jokingly added that they want to become the most popular Slovenian band. In recent years, Australians have no longer lived on the continent “down there”, but all live in Los Angeles. “We have created homes, with people we love, a space to calm down and to create projects that we want to realize. This is a place where we can rejuvenate and reconnect with each other,” he explained.

Plane and yugo roots
They don’t talk too much about their private lives, but we nevertheless heard some interesting things from them that are not exactly known. Calum Hood, for example, loves painting. He has not yet prepared a painting exhibition, at least for now, but the other three from the group praise his talent and creations. The group has its own charity, Friends of Friends. “We are aware of the scale and influence we have as a music group and we want to contribute to a world in which people will be humane and empathetic. It is important for us to be able to help those in need,” he says about their work. He is also considering donating a painting of his own to charity. He is also surprised by the revelation that he has a pilot’s exam and that he also knows how to fly an airplane.
If Hood is interesting because of the hobbies, an even bigger surprise is probably guitarist Michael Clifford. As he revealed, he also has Yugoslav roots. His grandmother was born in Belgrade. “I used to often joke that my grandmother comes from a part of the world that I will probably never see myself, but now I’m performing in these parts and I’m finally here,” he says. When he revealed part of his origins, the remaining 5 SOS trio immediately started joking that he really has a real, distinctive Slavic look. “I look at the audience and I see a lot of beautiful people. We Slavs are really beautiful,” he said to the Ljubljana audience, adding that although Yugoslavia fell apart, Belgrade, as a former part of it, is not that far away.

To be on the stage for several decades
The group entrusted us with another of their great wishes. “We want to be, and that’s our plan, on the scene for several decades. Like the legendary Smokie or Rolling Stones, which have been performing for over 45 years. The prospects and our vision of the group’s mission are completely simplified. We love doing what we do and people like it. We want to be a multigenerational group. One that will last several decades, that will be fruitful for both us and the fans. One day, we really want more different generations in the audience, just like the two mentioned groups have,” Hood added.

Photo: SOS Management