Live Review: McBusted @ Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield

After a hugely successful performance at the Royal Albert Hall for McFly's tenth anniversary concert, fans have been clamoring for a reunion between Busted and McFly, and the boys didn't disappoint. Announcing a full UK arena tour last November, excitement has been building as shows across the country sold out and McBusted added more dates to the tour to keep up with the phenomenal demand. Fans had been promised a shamelessly nostalgic set with a few surprises thrown in, and that was certainly what was delivered.

The Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, was bursting with excitable fans and first to grace them were Young Brando. They performed a set of their own material and the enthusiastic lead vocalist dominated the stage showing bags of potential.

The following support group, EofE weren't dissimilar. They opened their set with a cover of Michael Jackson's ‘Billie Jean’ that was well received by the audience and their original songs proved equally popular.

Third support, the 3 Dudes, consisted of three fresh-faced American boys, who were floppy-haired, energetic and had a clear passion for performing. Their performance was not as slick as the previous bands but they definitely gave it their all.

Photo credit: Topher Winward

Finally McBusted burst on stage with a larger-than-life stage presence, opening with ‘Air Hostess’, one of Busted's biggest hits. The arena filled with screams as they quickly followed with ‘You Said No’, a tale of teenage rejection, and ‘Britney’, inspired by former member Charlie Simpson's obsession with Britney Spears.

Although it's been ten years since the boys last toured together, the six band members don't seem to have aged at all. James Bourne sported ripped jean-shorts covered in Marvel comic book patches whilst Tom Fletcher had a snapback hat tucked in his belt loops. Their boyish charm captured the hearts of the audience demonstrating how many ways they haven't changed at all.

The band surprised the audience with an on screen film skit where they acted as victims of an alien invasion before descending from the top of the arena on a UFO, glow in the dark guitars in hand. They performed McFly favourite ‘Star Girl’ which received a huge response from the audience, dancing and singing along.

McBusted treated the audience to a slightly rockier version of Jackson 5's ‘I Want You Back’ with Bourne taking the lead on the vocals, and Matt Willis and Danny Jones accompanied him with a typically cheesy, yet entertaining and refreshing, boy-band dance.

‘Crashed the Wedding’ saw an avalanche of heart-shaped confetti launched over the audience as well as Willis donned in a wedding dress - similar fashion to Busted's original music video. This took the audience right back to 2003 when the song was first released delivering a sense of nostalgia that many of the fans had been craving.

The show ended where it all began with ‘Year 3000’ and there couldn't have been a more fitting ending. There was a great mix of both Busted and McFly songs, and the lively tunes left the audience grinning from ear to ear.

Despite concerns that the show would be a little bit too cheesy, it was close to flawless; the vibrant personalities of the boys shone through as well as their musical talent, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The tongue-in-cheek humour and boyish gags could have made even the most cynical person giggle. And let’s be honest, how often do you go to a concert and see a guy in a wedding dress, huge inflatable balls bouncing over the audience, and a giant trio of boobs above the stage?

Words by Sian Abbott