Niall Horan may have released three chart-topping solo singles since One Direction went on hiatus but that doesn’t mean he’ll ever forget the first gig the band did after they left X-Factor. Of course, every true fan remembers that the guys didn’t win the competition nor did they even place in second. But, they literally skyrocketed to fame overnight once they left the show. It was during the era when their single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” hit number 1 and they felt like they were on top of the world. Then, they performed at the Watford Colosseum in December 2011.

Niall chatted with BBC News about the experience and said, “I never want to talk about that gig again. Worst night of my life. The worst One Direction show ever.” We know what you’re thinking, weren’t the boys just on X-Factor performing week after week? Yes, but, a full show is different than just going out on stage and singing one song.

Nialler continued, “We’ve refused to talk about it ever since. It was a disaster. We were just a joke. Anything we rehearsed just went out the window. It was our first ever gig and we just didn’t know what the [expletive] was going on.” Aww, poor babes. Clearly, they have come a long, long way. The boys ended their run with stadium tours under their belt. So, it’s safe to say that fateful first performance can be subtly forgotten.

The crazy thing about that performance is that it got a four-star review by the Watford Observer, according to BBC. The review praised the band’s vocals and the connection they had with the fans. Niall speaks to that saying, “Yeah, there was a charm. But the second gig was better.” Obviously, nothing is changing his mind on this one!

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With the band set to make a return at some point in the future, Niall is now focusing on himself and his solo career. He just announced a world tour in 2018 and people are going absolutely bonkers over his newest single, “Too Much To Ask.” There’s one thing the Irish heartthrob is a bit worried about when it comes to this world tour and his new album – putting on weight. LOL!

He explained, “With One Direction, we were doing five or six kilometres a night, running around the stage like lunatics. There’s none of that now. I’ll probably put on a bit of weight, standing still and playing guitar all the time!” Soooo, maybe that first gig way back in 2011 did have its perks.

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