hi alison I'm asking you about akdnak what you think and how you feel about the tally marks
hi shal!! thank you for asking hdkahfkhrkd sorry this is such a delayed response for someone who asked to be asked about the topic 🤦🏻♀️
also answers to this anon and team @4thbrighteststar
DISCLAIMER: tattoos can be extremely personal and this post is not me claiming to know or understand why they do or do not have the tally mark tattoo or the meanings behind that. I respect however they do feel on it. this is simply why I think it reflects them—essentially what I’d write if say I did a fic centered on them getting the tally mark tattoo. again, idk them irl nor the actual meanings so this is no attempt to push it onto them nor to convey some fact
and the actual answer below because it’s going to be a long post
Starting with the facts—Ashton got his in the summer of 2014 (probably early June) before the release of self-titled. The original instagram post with the first picture of it is gone because Ashton archived his posts for SB but here’s the earliest pic on the band account. Additionally, Ashton’s tally mark tattoo is the only one that resembles the actual tally mark logo.
Starting with the facts—Ashton got his in the summer of 2014 (probably early June) before the release of self-titled. The original instagram post with the first picture of it is gone because Ashton archived his posts for SB but here’s the earliest pic on the band account. Additionally, Ashton’s tally mark tattoo is the only one that resembles the actual tally mark logo.
June 2014 would be at this place of peak SLSP promo and the moment right before self-titled—this is essentially a moment of change. It’s where the band is seeing their dreams actualized but right before any of that hits. So, to me, it’s—in a way—memorializing the band before things change, before things go big and they debut their first album etc etc. in hindsight, this feels more true given the logo changes etc. It’s taking who they were and making it permanent—keeping a reminder of it. idk them personally but I think staying grounded was something important to Ashton—especially sort of being the face of the band and being the one to post and interact with media and fans—like that dude has been running their social media for years lol
I just think Ashton having the official tally marks tattooed and getting it when he did speaks to the ways I think Ashton works to not lose himself in everything they experience and that goes on. In the tattoo interview they did for GQ in YB era, he talked about the tattoo and saying that “it’s our band” and “it’s special” and for Ashton, especially now, being the least tactile of the band—it’s a very Ashton way of expressing his love for them, the band, and their journey. he’s also been in other bands so I think it’s recognition of how special the band is to 5sos that expresses it much more than he might be able to verbally to his band or in daily sort of small actions. also regarding the GQ interview and how the rest of them chickened out of getting it—I think it’s very Ashton to be the one with it.
Calum:
He got his tattoo somewhere between december 2015 and early january 2016. This (tw: roy and calum aren’t wearing shirts in the pic) is earliest pic I can find, but I’m not entirely sure of the specific date. Main point here is that it was after SGFG was released, after they had to change logos because of copyright, and presumedly during their Bali trip.
Calum doesn’t really get tattoos for aesthetic-only purposes, like I’m pretty sure the bicep one is the only one. The bird, thistle, leaf, roman numberals, R, etc etc all have some ties to important people or events in Calum’s life—so does the tallies. I don’t recall him ever really talking about them (but then again my memory is only slightly better than this band’s) but the fact that he got the tallies—next to where he has tattoos for his family no less—is something I read as Calum saying this band and his bandmates are important to him. this coming around the time of the Bali trip sort of emphasizes that to me because that trip did a lot for them individually and as friends (despite as turmoulous winter 2015-16 was).
Especially with all we’ve learned about where the band was at regarding label and management in reaction to SGFG and how it did commercially and all that stuff, I guess if Ashton got his tally mark tattoos in a time of change then so did Calum. what speaks to me also is the design of the tallies. It’s a scratchy sort of design rather than the actual tallies. Idk the real reason behind it but given Calum writes some of their rawest lyrics and is introspective etc—I think it reflects his personality and what it means to create art and be in a band. It’s far from clean or ease or smooth—there are hardships and difficulties and sometimes art feels like prying yourself open. That’s the sort of vibe I get from his version of the tallies. Something reflective of all they’ve been through and will go through but still them.
Luke:
Luke’s tattoos came after YB in September 2019 (probably). Earliest pic I can find is this one and I’m pretty sure he got his tallies along with his parents’ birthdays and the bird on his bicep. This dates the tattoo as after teeth and easier releases, as well, and while they were on the WWJ tour.
I will say that I think Luke’s tally mark tattoo was probably the most spontaneous—more of a “ooo opportunity to get a tattoo finally” as opposed to “this is a really important time to get a tattoo”. Again, idk them so I could be wrong there—but even in the GQ interview it sounded like Luke was waiting for the chance to rather than one specific moment. However, given it was on the WWJ tour which would’ve been their first time supporting on tour since 1D was an exploration for them to different audiences, along with following easier and teeth releases (both notably somewhat different in sound from previous stuff)
Luke’s tallies are also very minimalistic—which I’d say kind of matches the aesthetic of his other tattoos and how he… is? Idk. like he wears flashy things like gold boots and gold shirts and gold eyeshadow but he’s also not one to wear prints the way Michael does. I do think it takes time for Luke to figure out the confidence to be as fully expressive in his appearances. And for the tattoo—as the person least likely to get all verbally sappy about the band, it feels natural that he gets tallies that look the least like the tally logo—like only relation is that it is a set of 5 tallies. it’s a way of conveying what the band is to him in a way that doesn’t outwardly or boldly put it out there. and given as the frontman and what that demands he gives the audience etc, I think it’s kind of cool cos the outward minimalism of it—while knowing that the band does mean a lot of luke—is kind of like, the tattoo is for him. he knows what it means and how much it means. that’s what matters. idk how to explain it better
Michael:
As of now, Michael is the only one the in band without tallies. And, as anon mentioned, it’s interesting given Michael isn’t very reserved about getting tattoos. I don’t think it’s about reservations for it, but the tallies don’t seem like something Michael would get because they don’t match with the more aesthetic vibes of the bands or the calf tattoo, but also not along the levels of personal like the X or the home symbol on his arm. Granted, as mentioned, I don’t know anything really or can or should judge but I think it sort of speaks to how Michael is always such a big advocate of the band?
Michael was the one vouching for them when they wanted to pursue the band seriously in the beginning. Michael was the one like “yeah we can record all the tracks/layers for the Killer Queen cover.” I don’t think Michael needs a 5sos tattoo to show himself or anyone else what the band means to him and granted—they all don’t need to—but unlike Calum who gets a lot of tattoos that are about the people and things and moments important to him and Ashton gets them as reminders to himself (at least that’s how I interpret his explainations behind them), I think for Michael—especially given the band doesn’t use them anymore—he doesn’t have one because it’s not like he needs it to show how important the band is because he lives that. He knows that.
Maybe down the road he might? I wouldn’t say he would never get it, but I think it would be something for later in their careers or after the band is done. Something that’s like “look at what we did”.