One Direction Announce New Show: Fans Are Furious
One Direction fans are legendary for their devotion to their boy-band heroes. The members of One Direction, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne, are used to being followed wherever they go and having their every move scrutinised. One thing that One Direction are probably not accustomed to is being criticized by their fans. In recent months, various members of One Direction have been critical of fans who put their lives in danger by chasing cars and of those who have been rude and aggressive when denied the chance to take selfies.
As reported by the Inquisitr, Liam Payne was labelled as “homophobic” after he made a comment during a show in Philadelphia, which some One Direction fans felt was exclusionary toward same-sex couples. Some One Direction fans attacked Payne again a couple of weeks later, when he posed for the cover of iconic UK “gay” magazine Attitude. In an interview with the magazine, Payne criticized those fans who spread false stories claiming that Briana Jungwirth’s pregnancy is some sort of conspiracy theory. Some One Direction fans were also not happy when Liam junked rumors that bandmates Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles are in a secret gay relationship.
If you are a member of One Direction, it is probably fair to say that every slip of the tongue is given more analysis than it is worth, and as a result, criticism is something of an occupational hazard. It is also probably fair to say that One Direction probably do not expect criticism when they announce a surprise new show to launch their new album.
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Unless you have recently been living on a desert island, you are probably aware that One Direction are to release their fifth, and possibly last, album on November 13. In a surprise move, an announcement on One Direction’s website revealed that the band will pay a “launch party gig” for an invited audience at a secret location in London on November 14.
One Direction star Louis Tomlinson used Twitter to announce the special London show and to provide a link to a video explaining more about the special event.
Well looking forward to seeing all our fans at The London Session ! http://t.co/jYZQ8AfP3j
— Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson) September 29, 2015
Given that One Direction will be splitting up, at least temporarily, in the new year, you would think that fans would be excited to have the chance to attend a special event, especially given that tickets will be given away in a competition.
According to Unreality TV, it seems that some One Direction fans are not at all happy about the new show. In fact, some are livid. The problem stems from the hidden details in the competition for tickets. Tickets will be allocated to winners of a “fan art” competition on a country-by-country basis. Some fans are angry because they cannot draw, because entrants have to be over 16-years-old to be eligible, and because not all countries are included.
The hashtag #1DLDNsession was set up to promote the event, but many One Direction fans are using it to vent their frustration at the age, country, and art restrictions.
1. I can't draw
2. I'm not 16+
3. I'm going to kill myself
4. number 3 for sure
#1DLDNsession http://t.co/LFePHbF9f4— Pieri (@quitecurlyhs) September 29, 2015
Sugarscape reports that the London session gig will be an intimate affair for just a couple of hundred people, so tickets are sure to be like gold dust. Do you think that an art competition is a fair way to allocate the tickets? Given that the One Direction fan base is overwhelmingly young, is it fair to exclude the under 16-year-olds? Let us know what you think.
[Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images]
