Editorial: Ticket chances go in 1D

There are few things I can say "no" to when my daughter's big brown eyes are brimming with tears and she is pleading for something that will make her gloriously happy.

Consequently, we have two guinea pigs, a chocolate labrador (that has been whangai-ed out to Grand-dad) and assorted MP3 players and accessories.

However, this week I said "no".

No to outlaying $200 for two tickets for her to see One Direction.

Man, did she want to go and see this Irish-English boy band. And because she is under 14, someone has to go with her. Hence the $200 cost.

Here's the thing though, the tickets for the band's 2012 concerts sold out in 10 minutes - so now she wants to go and see them in October 2013.

Who are these guys, you ask. Well, I find them indiscernible from any other fly-by-night paint-by-numbers boy band that sing banal songs ripping off 80s pop hooks.

My daughter identifies them as the equivalent of the pop music's second coming.

There are posters of Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik everywhere in her bedroom.

Here are some other One Direction facts.

Their debut album, Up All Night, is No1 in 15 countries.

In six months, they have sold more than 4.2 million records.

In the United States the group made chart history as the first British group to debut at No1 in the US with their debut album.

They have more than 5 million Facebook fans; 18 million Twitter followers and 272 million YouTube views.

Here's another One Direction fact - they are starting to really annoy parents.

Would you spend $200 on two tickets for a concert in 18 months for a band with one album behind them. Sorry but I can't justify buying tickets for a band that might not even exist in 18 months. Based on their music, I suspect it might be a matter for time before a better looking demographically chosen band comes along and we all wonder "what happened to One Direction".