A glimpse into the world of El Paso One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer fangirls
There’s something about the way musicians across the pond can set hearts aflutter.
More than 50 years ago it was The Beatles with their mop-top hair and silly love songs.
Now, it’s One Direction (1D) with Niall Horan,Zayn Malik,Liam Payne,Harry StylesandLouis Tomlinson.
From The Beatles to New Kids On the Block to N’Sync and now One Direction, boy bands are a rite of passage for teen girls and young women.
5 Seconds of Summer, a band starting to rival 1D in popularity, will open the El Paso show.
1D became known to the masses thanks to winning X-Factor in the U.K.
Just a few short years later they’re selling out stadiums with their Where We Are World Tour. The stadium tour kicked off in Europe over the summer and will continue into 2015.
“They’re so dorky and cute and fluff balls of amazingness,” Nyla Hajj said.
“They can sing too, unlike just autotune,” Nyla’s sister, Darya, added.
By all accounts, their shows are loud – from the music to the screaming fans it’s decibel level is just below that of a jet engine.
The tour is in support of their late 2013 release “Midnight Memories.”
But earlier this month 1D announced their next album, “Four” would be released in mid-November.
As a gift to their fans they let them download the new album’s song “Fireproof” for free for 24 hours.
It was downloaded more than a million times.
Don’t underestimate the devotion of Directioners.
“Oh, my gosh! I’m like, shaking right now!” Eleny Salazar, 15, said Wednesday night as she stood on a rail overlooking Sun Bowl Stadium, squinting to get a glimpse of 1D’s stage in the wind and the rain.
Salazar and 5SOS fan Brianna Juarez were probably the happiest people ever to see a dark empty stadium.
“I feel like I can never eat again,” Juarez said.
Salazar also felt a bit emotional.
“Oh, my gosh! I’m going to die!” Salazar said.
The 1D and 5 Seconds of Summer fans found each other online, each starting up accounts for El Paso’s Directioners and fans of 5SOS.
“I didn’t expect to meet so many people 500, 800 girls. It’s amazing,” Salazar, a
Directioner, said.
Thursday afternoon, Erin Sanchez and her friends tried to get a glimpse into Sun Bowl Stadium.
Weather won’t keep them away.
“If they cancel tonight, I’ll probably go to San Antonio. I love my mom, but we need to do this,” Sanchez said.
Joining the fanatics will be Canyon Hills student Noelani Wheaton who won a ticket raffle at her school.
A Pleasant Distraction
During a recent planning meeting with about 25 Directioners and 5 Seconds of Summer fans, they all got distracted when a trailer for 1D’s upcoming film started airing on the TV.
There were some squeals, hands to the face in OMG mode, and a couple of “we’re not worthy” bows toward the screen.
“The best part about doing this has been getting to know others who feel the same way about the band as I do,” Salazar said.
The El Paso 1D fans will have glow sticks and dress in neon colored clothing.
1D fans and 5SOS fans also plan on holding up specially made – and agreed upon – signs for the Sept. 19 gig.
Still, some fans want to make other signs and are trying to see what UTEP officials will let them get away with.
UTEP officials say all signs have to already be made before being brought to the show and cannot have anything inappropriate.
“Can I put, ‘kiss me I’m legal’?” one 18-old asked a UTEP official at the meet-up.
He reiterated that there can’t be anything inappropriate on the signs.
Can’t blame a girl for trying especially when those British boy bands get those hearts racing.
