!!!One Direction!!!

Friday, June 13, 2014 -

37 weeks ago, September 25, 2013 we bought six tickets to see One Direction at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.  The BIG DAY finally arrived!! If possible Gabby would have had us waiting outside Friends Arena at noon.  As it was, we had plenty of time to kill when we arrived at 4pm.  After buying concert t-shirts, we stood online for an hour, only to have the 'queue turn into scrum' as the masses mobbed the open doors. 

A few things noted by Jayne Burton and me as we have not attended a large venue concert in a long time.... 

• coffee instead of beer
• iPhone torches instead of lighters
• Sweden's unisex bathrooms work really well in a venue with a lot of girls, very short lines... it's still funny to walk out of a stall and see men in the bathroom
• blankets handed out as the temperature dipped to 13C/56F and windy
• smart people wearing down coats in June
• with the arena roof open it was light out until the very end of the concert
• workers were walking around with brooms and dustpans during the concert
• every time the band members would say 'how are you doing Stockholm' or 'it's great to be back in Sweden' it still sounds funny to me and reminds me that I am really here!
• it's the first time I've actually used ear plugs at a concert

5 Seconds of Summer opened the show (I have actually heard a couple of their songs).  One Direction played for about two hours, their stage, videos and graphics were great.  We all had fun!

Gabby and her best friend Annabel Burton

Simon Burton being a good, annoying brother to Annabel

the wait

retracted roof made for a chilly evening

post concert glow

mom selfie with coffee... clearly needed it because I couldn't even keep my eyes open for the picture!

the returned blankets