A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.
Photography by Dod Morrison Photography https://dodmorrison.com/
This much awaited tour has the audiences divided as we are supposed to choose between Team Busted and Team McFly. You will be glad to hear that this review can be somewhat well balanced as its writer has always been Team Busted, whilst our photographer is Team McFly.
Impact-Site-Verification: 8646afc4-4ad8-4b14-9216-db8c135901d5
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Nothing about this concert came as a surprise as I have been watching social media eagerly awaiting the tour’s arrival in Aberdeen since buying the tickets in October last year! The setlist had been “leaked” in a few places, showing an hour’s worth of McFly to start with, before they passed the stage over to Busted for their turn.
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Both bands exuberantly performed many of their hit songs. McFly started with Where Did All the Guitars Go? and included my favourite One For The Radio. During All About You a young man next to my wee group whipped out an engagement ring and proposed to his girlfriend. I congratulated them at the end and she had no idea he was planning on doing this, and he had done a great job as the ring was gorgeous! It was really special to share in their happy moment and created a happy buzz around them with another audience member taking a photo of them with the ring and the band behind them on their phone for them. The bride to be was totally overcome and it was lovely to see such happiness between them both, just wonder if we can Crash The Wedding?!
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Anyway, back to McFly’s set! Dougie did introduce every member of the band at one point, using all their middle names as well. Perhaps they like to see who gets the biggest screams – for me it was Tom, my son had all his Dinosaur who Pooped books and I would love to see his Paddington musical! The guys all looked like they were having a fabulous time together and were careful to all take a turn visiting the opposite side of the stage so we all got to be that bit closer to each band member.
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Each song came with its own graphics on the back screen, and now that I’ve seen photos from further back, they were also around the top of the stage area too. There were lots of bright lights and pyrotechnics with flames and sparkles! No expense was spared with the production of this tour and this was split across both bands fairly.
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When the curtain, or in this case giant lighting rig, came down on McFly it paused for a moment before rising on Busted. Now it was their turn to entertain us with their hits including Crashed The Wedding, You Said No and Loser Kid. When it was time for Sleeping With the Light On they said it was James’ favourite song so we all had to sing along and wave our torches for him. Unfortunately he is unable to make this tour as he is “very unwell”, although care has been taken to not give anything away about the nature of this illness, which is concerning. I just hope it is something he can fight off and come back bouncing joyously. His brother Chris did join Charlie and Matt for some of the songs and did a very good job. He is not an unknown face to Busted fans anyway as he appeared in the video for Year 3000. Apparently when the band discussed what to do without James in the tour it was agreed that any guitarist except those of McFly could stand in (even Jedward!) but I think Chris was a sensible and appropriate alternative.
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Following Busted’s set was the versus part of the night, starting with a drum battle between Harry Judd of McFly and Eddy Thrower, the often unnamed drummer, of Busted. Next Matt of Busted and Dougie of McFly appeared high up in the crowds on opposite sides of the arena and hurled abuse at each other across the room, making us join in with tutting or doing teeny weenie signs at the other before signing some of Hate Your Guts. Back on stage McFly’s Danny sang a mournful version of Not Alone with Busted’s Charlie. Busted then did Air Hostess and McFly sang 5 Colours In Her Hair – the two songs that had felt missing in the bands’ earlier sets! To finish with both bands combined to sing a couple of songs together, with lots of shenanigans between the musicians before Year 3000 gave the grand finale complete with the largest amount of confetti ever seen!
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The tour is continuing for many more locations so there is still time to get tickets if you were not like me and bought tickets as soon as it came out. See you in Glasgow boys, because yes I am even going again! The Aberdeen concert I enjoyed with the same girls as I saw the last time Busted were at P&J Live, two years ago. However, in Glasgow I will be accompanied by the same friend I saw Busted with in Glasgow back in 2004, when they were supported by a then unknown band called McFly! That friend was pregnant then, which was the second time I had seen Busted live. Her son is now 21 years old, so it will be special to share the experience with her again all these years later! There is no question of whether we will enjoy Busted v McFly.
Further information: https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/artist/1936972
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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