Photo Credit: Press
Words: Sophie Thompson

Friday night saw two of the UK’s most iconic pop/rock bands Busted and McFly go head-to-head in a nostalgia fuelled showdown in Manchester for the first night of two at  the AO arena. They took a 20,000 strong crowd on a journey full of 2000’s throwbacks  and cheeky banter. 

The last time McFly and Busted toured together was 10 years ago when they conjoined  as McBusted which saw the two bands join forces for an arena tour and an album giving  fans a taste of what the combined power of both bands looked like. In this new era  these noughties’ bands, have rejoined forces as rivals. Marketed as a musical face of  between “two star crossed bands”.  

First up was McFly making their way onto the stage to the infectious sounds of Village  People’s “YMCA”which got the crowd out of their seats before they played the first  note. Opening the show with the anthemic 2023 hit “Where’d All the Guitars Go” , as the  song rightly says, “rock and roll is good for the soul” and after the rousing opening  performance from McFly this certainly cannot be disputed as the crowd beamed in joy  for the next two and a half hours. 

Effortlessly they transformed into the ever-iconic “Star Girl” which saw the bands three  front members Danny Jones, Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter glide into a boyband  esque choreography with the three of them performing synchronised leg kicks, a fan  favourite move which became a staple at all McFly shows.  

Despite the blend of two fanbases, McFly won over the room. Danny Jones returning to  his hometown, had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he asked the crowd “are you  ready to get the party started on a Friday night Manchester”. The answer was a  deafening yes screamed back by 20,000 voices. 

Backed by stadium worthy stage production featuring everything from fire to fireworks  and confetti, McFly truly came to win and beyond the spectacle the heart of the band  shone through. They never lost the intimacy of just four best mates having the time of  their life doing what they love.  

“Obviously” was a highlight during McFly’s set with the crowd every note met with a  choir of voices singing back to them. Accompanied by sombre red lighting was the  stunning “I’ll be okay” and the 20,000 strong crowd truly “weren’t alone” on Friday  night. 

Dougie Poynter took central stage introducing his fellow band members, who probably  did not need an introduction. With his usual wit he introduced drummer Harry Judd as  “long before Harry Styles we only cared about Harry Judd”, to which the crowd roared in  agreement. 

McFly closed their first set, and they proved that they aren’t just a band riding the wave  of nostalgia, but they are evolving and still continue to be brilliant live performers.  

The atmosphere changed into something a little rockier and louder as Busted entered  the stage for their first set of the night. As Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis charged onto  the stage with “Crashed the Wedding” kicking of their performance. An ironic opener as  they weren’t just joining the party they were gatecrashing it. 

Despite being a man down with the absence of James Bourne who had to pull out due to  illness they still bought explosive energy and nostalgia. Matt addressed James’ absence  as the “elephant in the room” and instead Bourne’s younger brother Chris filled in for  him on the bass guitar during a mashup of “Dawsons Geek”, “Britney”, “Nerdy” and  “Why”. Chris Bourne had an undeniable talent and stage presence despite only finding  out he was performing on this tour 2 days prior to its start.  

The dual vocals of Matt and Charlie was as powerful as ever and with the rousing guitar  riffs and infectious energy, it is clear why Busted were and continue to be such a  popular band 20 years later.  

Towards the end of their set “Sleeping with the Lights on” bought a change in tone as  they dedicated the song to James Bourne and requested that the packed Manchester  arena shine their flashlights for James who is “watching from home on TikTok”, as the  

fans sang the first verse themselves creating one of the most impactful moments during  the set.  

The hits were continuous from “Loser Kid” to “Thunderbirds are go” and closing with  “What I go to school for”. They delivered a euphoric and vibrant performance  accompanied with an extensive range of pyrotechnics which livened up their already  dynamic performance. 

After the individual sets, which felt like two headline performances, Busted drummer  Eddy Thrower and McFly’s Harry Judd battled it out in a powerful drum battle taking the  tensions between the two rivals to a new level. Continuing with the battle Dougie and  Matt took the conflict to the seats, on opposite ends of the arena they went head-to head trading sarcastic and crude remarks at one another with spot on comedic timing.  Ending their battle with a rendition of McBusted’s song “Hate Your Guts. Next to take on  the battle was Danny Jones and Charlie Simpson for an incredible delivery of Busted’s  “3AM”. 

The rest of the show focused on the classics with “Five colours in her hair” and “Air  Hostess” bringing an end to the battle of the bands and uniting them as one once again. 

Bringing in the encore was “What happened to your band” connecting the feuding  bands as one just as they had been 10 years ago. Truly it was not a battle but a  celebration of the past 20 years. “Year 3000” had erased all boundaries between them 

and the crowd, whether you were team Busted or team McFly or somewhere in the  middle every single person in the arena was singing along having the time of their life.  

As War’s “why can’t we be friends” played out over the arena’s speakers during their  exit it really summed up the night, there really was no conflict between the bands but  rather light-hearted banter between two friends. What was promised as a battle ended  as friendship.  

You could say the night ended on a draw.