JLS delight fans at Birmingham LG Arena

One Direction take note, in 12 months this could all be yours.

Since graduating from the X Factor, JLS have secured an army of screaming fans, a string of number one singles and now an arena tour.

If Liam Payne and co want to see how it's done, they could do worse then follow the lead of Aston, Marvin, JB and Oritse.

The boyband performed at Birmingham's LG Arena last night — and thousands of teenage girls dressed in JLS hoodies and bearing homemade posters dragged their parents along for good measure.

Wearing tutus, tiaras and sparkly headbands, the JLS army descended on the second city from across the region.

And the two-hour concert featuring a flying car, Thriller-inspired dance routines and a walkway that descended from the sky did not disappoint the thousands of hysterical supporters.

Wood Green High School student Katie Atkins, aged 15, who lives in Wednesbury, said the show had been fast-paced and fantastic.

"I've been really looking forward to tonight and seeing Aston, who's my favourite," she said.

"JLS were amazing, they are really good singers and dancers."

However, her seven-year-old sister Libby Atkins was already warming to the new kids on the block.

"I'm in the middle between JLS and One Direction, I like both of them the same now," she said.

JLS superfan Emily Joyce, aged 22, from Willenhall, said her favourite numbers of the night were Beat Again, One Shot and the encore of Everybody in Love.

The NHS worker added: "They did a cover version of Rihanna's Umbrella, which they did on the X Factor, and it was amazing.

"I voted for them loads when they were on the show and they are just getting better and better."

She added: "They started the show in a flying car that hovered above the crowd and everyone was screaming and waving at them."

Tamworth College hairdressing students Leanne Povey, aged 19, and Sammy-Jo Wardle, 17, dressed up for the occasion in custom made T-shirts and tutus.

They said their favourite song of the night was the current Children In Need single, Love You More.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old students Alex Stork and Jasmin Wright travelled from Grantham for the show with a homemade banner dedicated to their favourite member, Marvin.

"One Shot was the stand out track for us, we loved it," said Miss Stork.

Thanks to the likes of Jedward, Wagner and Chico, the X Factor is more often than not slated for its failure to produce any real musical talent.

But thanks to sheer hard work, genuine ability and a few perfect pop songs, JLS, like many of their fellow X Factor performers, most notably Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke, who have both gone on to huge success, are proving the critics wrong.