5 Seconds of Summer at the 3arena, Dublin, 26 April 2016

5 Seconds of Summer don’t have it easy. Sure, the Australian band have toured with One Direction and, more recently, sold out two nights in Dublin’s 3arena. But in doing so they have inadvertently fallen victim to the tirade of abuse brought on many people’s belief that bringing music written by bands to the radio and a younger audience is a bad thing. Now, you could maybe understand how this could be a bad thing if the band changed their music or geared it towards that audience (namely young girls), but in 5 Seconds of Summer’s case, they don’t. After writing with the likes of the Madden brothers (Good Charlotte), Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low) among others and having their two albums produced by John Feldman (Goldfinger) who has produced albums for the likes of the Used, Papa Roach and Panic! At The Disco, among many, many others – 5 Seconds of Summer have produced nothing other than pop-punk music.

But before they take to the 3arena stage, Jessarae and Don Broco give it a shot. Jessarae is a bit of a questionable addition to the tour – seeing as how he’s not so different to just about every guy ever who knows how to play guitar. With his slightly old-school sound, he puts on a show that sounds like something you’d hear in the background of a pub and barely notice it. Despite having a decent voice, something about his music lacks identity.

Next up however, Don Broco impress with their set. The Bedford foursome are no stranger to a Dublin crowd having played in the Academy on the Kerrang! Tour in February. Their energetic show includes plenty of new songs such as Automatic and Fire, which show the band at their best – upbeat, funky rock songs that will get any crowd moving.

Finally – starting with Hey Everybody! – 5 Seconds of Summer take to the stage. Their set incorporates old favourites such as Voodoo Doll and Beside You, whilst also showcasing the best of their 2015 album ‘Sounds Good Feels Good’, with songs like Money and Castaway standing out with their catchy sing-along choruses.

One of the most noticeable aspects of 5 Seconds of Summer’s show is their range. They have songs such as Amnesia and Jet Black Heart which are incredibly moving and create an amazing sense of unity in the arena, and then they have songs like Permanent Vacation which are pure pop-punk anthems. Interrupt the set with moments of enjoyable conversation and amusing banter, and you get yourself over an hour and a half of a joyous carefree rock show.

Although 5 Seconds of Summer have to face a fair amount of dismissal in the music scene, they don’t let that stop them. Here they are, two sold out nights in the 3arena, putting on a show that could change the mind of the most ardent critic, proving that they more than deserve to be here.