McBusted’s Sheffield leg of their nationwide tour on Sunday night had it all: spaceships, pyrotechnics and Busted’s Matt Willis in a wedding dress. And, of course, a host of Busted and McFly classics. What more could a fan want? The Motorpoint arena was at its full capacity with screaming fans, including three guys dressed in Thunderbirds outfits. After almost 10 years without Busted, it was great to finally see the boys back on stage.
After good performances from the supporting acts, including rock band E of E, footage of Busted announcing their 2005 split appeared on eight screens, building up the crowd’s anticipation of McBusted’s arrival. A Back to the Future inspired opening, with Busted’s Matt and James Bourne arriving on stage in a flying DeLorean car, kicked the concert off, with the supergroup playing Busted’s ‘Air Hostess’. The reception from the crowd was exceptional – screaming, singing and dancing – as the McBusted boys jumped and bounced around the stage. Beyond the incredible production value evident by the sheer amount of fire and noise, the thinking behind the introduction was apt and addressed the slight elephant in the room. Yes this is a supergroup throwback band, but they’re under no illusions. No laurels were rested upon and their willingness to have fun was evident throughout.
Although Busted wasn’t quite complete in Charlie Simpson’s absence, the boys pulled off each other’s hits so well that you could be forgiven for forgetting his absence. The supergroup seem to have gelled together well and played each song – whether Busted or McFly – with equal enthusiasm.
After the Busted hit ‘Sleeping with the Light On’, the supergroup disappeared from the main stage and, after a brief interlude, descended from the ceiling on a spaceship playing McFly’s ‘Star Girl’. Armed with flashing guitars and mics they also sang ‘Nerdy’ from Busted’s second album, ‘A Present for Everyone’. McBusted knew how to work the crowd, with the audience producing deafening shrieks each time any of them spoke a word.
The eclectic set list of Busted and McFly songs was a definite success with the crowd. ‘What I Go to School For’, ‘Five Colours in Her Hair’, ‘Who’s David’, ‘Obviously’ and ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ were among some of the most popular songs played, as well as a rendition of Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’.
The concert came to a close too soon with ‘Year 3000’ from Busted’s debut album. The song’s reference to triple breasted women was brought to life in the form of an inflatable suspended from the ceiling. Perhaps this was a bit too immature and gimmicky, along with the school-boy ‘banter’ and sexist comments which wore a bit thin by the end of the night. However, all in all this highly anticipated comeback tour was well worth the wait. The boys put on a real show and, whether a fan of Busted, McFly, or both, the McBusted tour is a must-see blast from the past.