Mary Phelan

Friday’s night’s concert in Croke Park may have featured One Direction but it was the Niall Horan show from start to finish. He arrived out on stage in a white and green top, the Irish colours were masking-taped onto his mic, and he had an Irish flag trailing from the back of his jeans all night. While his fellow One Directioners oohed and aahed about the size of the stadium, informing the crowd this was One Direction history because it was the biggest crowd they ever played to, Niall just gazed onto the pitch, looking genuinely humbled to be playing at home, and awestruck to be doing it in the one and only Croke Park.

Throughout the show Niall hammed up the Irishness, (not least when he emerged towards the end of the show in an Irish rugby jersey) and when Harry joined in, in all his rockstar glory screaming “this is so Irish!!!”, the crowd went wild.

ADVERTISEMENT

But that’s where the positive feedback ends.

I just wasn’t blown away by the concert.

The backing track was so loud it was hard to hear the band’s voices and, given they don’t dance, the performance really depended on the singing. Perhaps the stadium is so big the five-some couldn’t fill it with their voices alone, and this is where the electric guitars filled the void, but by the same token, the sheer size of Croke Park can also probably also be thanked for why my eardrums came away intact.

One Direction seemed utterly bored when singing their hit single “That’s What Makes You Beautiful”- in fact two of them were having a chat during the song. This punter got the impression they are outgrowing pop – certainly in the case of Liam, who beat-boxed and screeched Shrillex-style any chance he got.

This concert left me feeling that all those people who give out about manufactured pop groups (people I’ve never entertained before) may indeed have a point; the hype and hysteria surrounding One Direction has far outgrown their talent. I don’t want to feel like this – I went to the concert an excited One Direction fan, but came away disappointed. My overall impression can be summed up by this sentiment; I got the tickets for free – but if I’d spent money on them, I’d have considered it €70 badly spent.

Another problem was the weather, which wasn’t One Direction’s fault. In fairness to them, they were troopers to jump around in that weather and sing in the rain. The weather resulted in entertaining logistical difficulties with various band members disappearing sporadically to get hoodies. Harry however, in very Mick Jagger-esque fashion, rocked out the whole concert in a bandana and flimsy black and white polka dot shirt.

I wonder what the future will hold for these boys. Will Harry break away from the group, Robbie-Williams-style, and become a real-life rockstar? Will Zayn leave to lead a quiet life away from the spotlight? But when it all goes wrong, as it inevitably will, 250,000 Irish people, or 5% of the Irish population will remember these concerts. They truly were a national event, and the cosy memory of darkness falling over Croke Park, lit up only by tiny flashlights, will remain forever with Niall Horan, with the five-year olds in the back of the car being driven home, and even with this lowly crank.

Aisling O'Toole

All it took was one sentence, one sentence and Niall Horan had an 80,000-strong crowd in the palm of his hand. “Not too many Westmeath men make it to Croke Park,” he said. The crowd cheered and it was a done deal, my heart had melted.

As a non-GAA fan I’ll assume he’s telling the truth, but he got to me because it was such a sincere sentiment from somebody who truly can’t believe his luck. Four years ago we’d never heard of One Direction, and now they can play to 240,000 people over the course of one weekend. Not bad for a 21-year-old from Mullingar. I went along out of devilment because I wanted to see the biggest band in the world and because, let’s be honest, they’re all fairly easy on the eye. I didn’t bring a child, instead I brought a partner in crime also in her 30s and despite worrying we’d be the oldest swingers in town we were in good company as fans of all ages cheered and screamed around us.

Sure the music snobs will say the songs are ripped off, that the sound was rubbish, that Simon Cowell is the puppet master and the five lads will be chewed up and spat out within the next few years or that they have no musical talent between them but surely they’re missing the point of pop music and boy bands. It’s feel-good entertainment at its most powerful. Wouldn’t it be interesting to sit those music snobs down and ask them about their first concert? Mine was Kylie in The Point in 1988 by the way, and it made such an impression on me I still have a scrapbook of newspapers cuttings about it.

Every little girl and boy who trekked to Croke Park in the rain over the weekend left with so much more than a ringing in their ears. One look around the crowd confirmed that this concert was the biggest thing that had ever happened to them. From the little girl who danced circles (literally) around her parents to the teenager who scooped up leftover streamers like they were gold dust, I couldn’t stop smiling. Of course the band were entertaining but seeing so many kids and families look so happy was worth the entrance price alone.

We had a great night and will surely go to many more concerts over the summer, but for the kids who truly love One Direction it was a chance to see their heroes and discover the excitement of live shows. And isn’t that the point?