It cannot be denied that McFly and Busted were two of the most recognisable names in the pop rock scene in the 2000s. For many kids growing up in the 00s, they were the bands that introduced them to the rock sound and aesthetic. For over 20 years, the two have always been intertwined in some capacity. Between being part of the same record label at the same time, merging into supergroup McBusted, members of each band having won I’m A Celebrity and The Masked Singer and Busted themselves dropping in at McFly’s huge 21st birthday show last year, this tour seemed almost inevitable. It’s safe to say that it was the epitome of nostalgia, in the best way.
In what seems to be a concert first, there was no support act. Instead, fans rocked out to classic bangers such as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Living on A Prayer’ and ‘Y.M.C.A’ (with the lights flashing in time) to warm themselves up. The audience was utterly captivated and coming together to have a good old time and the show hadn’t even started.
Round One
After a 10 minute delay, which served to further build anticipation, the lights deemed and a video broadcasting the career highlights and achievements of both bands in the style of a news bulletin played before McFly rose to the stage to huge crowd reception.
Kicking off with Where Did All the Guitars Go? McFly proved to all that after 2 decades in the game, they’ve still got it.
From there, it was a nostalgia marathon: Star Girl, That Girl and One for The Radio had the crowd screaming the lyrics and joining in with the band’s iconic synchronized kick steps, a staple of McFly live shows. In a stand out moment, each song had their own visuals which only enhanced their set even more. Obviously was one of the fan favourites of the night and had the crowd screaming the lyrics until their voices were raw and majority of both songs were left to them to sing with Danny Jones commenting “you sound beautiful Manchester!” and led to him holding out his mic for the crowd to enjoy a little encore.
Dougie Poynter’s introduction of the band has to be acknowledged due to its hilarity– “long before Harry Styles” Harry Judd, “the composer of your new favourite musical” (yes, really) Tom Fletcher, “the man steering this ship” Danny Jones and the man himself “responsible for anything you do see here tonight” Dougie Poynter had the crowd roaring with laughter and it was at this point the band’s 20+ years of friendship made itself known.
All About You was a wholesome moment, with Jones encouraging everyone in the audience to embrace the ones next to them, whether it be a friend, a partner, a parent or even a stranger.
It’s safe to say that the set had energy synonymous with McFly- chaotic, funny and undeniably charming. A perfect blend of throwback classics and new material, it’s clear to see why McFly are still such a beloved band 2 decades later.
Round 2
The transition to Busted was impressively smooth and left no time for the audience to recover from McFly’s intense and high energy set. They wasted little to no time and launched straight into the classic Crashed the Wedding.
Keeping up the “vs” aspect of the show, Matt Willis jokingly quipped “we want to thank McFly for warming you up for us” before gliding through the pop punk classics You Said No, Meet You There and Loser Kid to name a few.
Then, the elephant in the room was addressed. The notable absent of James Bourne. A mere 24 hours before the tour began, Bourne had to drop out due to illness. Willis told the crowd that he was “really f*cking sick and we wish him the speediest recovery and I’m sure you all do as well” before quipping “he warned us not to do anytbing embrassing, he’s watching all of the TikToks!” Despite this, Bourne urged them to proceed with the tour. But it begged the question, who will replace him on guitar? The answer, Bourne’s little brother Chris of course! Perhaps most recognised as “the scientist kid” from the Year 3000 music video.
It has to be said that Christ took to it all like a duck to water. His riffs were clean, his confidence and energy were infectious. It was like he’s always been a part of the band. But then again, he sort of has been.
Sleeping with the Light On was an unofficial dedication to James Bourn, with the crowd taking it upon themselves to sing his opening verse in its entirety all while bathing the arena with the soft light of their phone torches. A truly touching and poignant moment. From that moment on, Bourn’s absence was felt tenfold, with the unspoken tenderness that radiated from Simpson and Willis to the entire crowd.
The rest of the set went off without a hitch but the band seemed to lean more on the earlier hits, perhaps subconsciously due to Bourn’s absence. Nonetheless, it didn’t hinder the band’s performance in any capacity. Much like McFly’s set, Busted’s stage production added another level of atmosphere to the songs, though in a starkly different y2k punk style.
Round 3: The “vs”
The show reached its peak with the “versus” aspect of the show coming into full effect. Harry Judd of McFly and Eddy Thrower of Busted faced off in an intense drum off which practically shook the entire arena. McFly’s Dougie Poynter and Busted’s Matt Willis then stood at either side of the crowd and exchange good natured barbs and playful taunts before launching into McBusted’s Hate Your Guts, to truly battle it out.
However, the spotlight was snatched by the frontmen, Simpson and Jones joining forces for a stunning mash hp of 3am and Not Alone. It has to be said that the vocals of the duo were absolutely incredible. It’s well known that separately, their talent is something else. But together? Powerful and goosebump inducing.
The joint set closed the show on a high note, the chemistry and friendship between the two bands evident as they joined forces for Shine a Light and Year 3000. The interactions between the bands painted a clear picture. There’s no real rivalry at all. Just 20+ years of comradery, shared history, nostalgia and pop rock brilliance.
It was truly impossible to pick a winner. The true winners were the crowd, who got the chance to relive their childhood memories of blasting McFly and Busted’s CDs in their room for the first time, seeing two beloved bands in their own right come together in a celebration disguised as a competition and being reminded as to why these two bands are still so loved 2 decades on from their respective debuts. Both McFly and Busted are truly back in the game which begs the ultimate question. Will the saga ever truly end?
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