Say what you want about Busted and McFly, but in the tidal wave of 00s boy bands, these lads actually wrote and performed their own music. Leaning hard into the nostalgia, the show opens with a tongue-in-cheek video montage showing old tabloids pitching the two as fierce rivals (fun fact: they were always friendly, and James Bourne and Tom Fletcher frequently co-wrote hits for both camps).
McFly are first up, and even if you’re a Busted diehard waiting patiently for it to be over, it has to be said that they’re great showmen: a bit of synchronised dancing, theatrical guitar solos and smashing vocals (shout out Danny Jones for the high note on ‘That Girl’ as well as Tom on ‘Room On The Third Floor’). Hardcore fans of course know the whole set, but it’s the fizzy pop charm of ‘Obviously’ with its newly tweaked lyrics about Charlie Simpson, and the corny but irresistible ballad ‘All About You’, that have the entire O2 singing along like it’s 2004 again.
If McFly are the clean-cut boy-next-door, Busted feel like the slightly edgier older brother (”They’re PG Busted, I call them! Busted Juniors!” Matt Willis quips about McFly). James Bourne’s absence due to health reasons does leave a noticeable gap – his younger brother Chris does a solid job stepping in, but his presence on staples like ‘Crashed The Wedding’ and ‘What I Go To School For’ is missed, and it’s a sweet moment when the crowd take over James’s part in ‘Sleeping With The Light On’. Still, Charlie reminds everyone why he’s one of the most underrated vocalists of the era, holding a soaring note in ‘You Said No’ that earns an arena-wide roar.
After each band delivers their solo set, the show shifts into its namesake: ‘Busted Vs McFly’. A grinning Matt and Dougie appear on either sides of the arena, rallying the crowd into teams for ‘Hate Your Guts’ while hurling jibes at each other Blink-182 style. Meanwhile, the more mature Danny and Charlie stay grounded on stage, showing off the vocal abilities of both groups on the emotive rock of ‘3am’ and ‘Not Alone’.
Finally, the two “rivals” reunite to tear through some of their biggest anthems – the chaotic ‘Air Hostess’, the surf rock of ‘5 Colours In Her Hair’, and of course, ‘Year 3000’. This is more than a reunion of two boy bands. It’s a celebration of a moment in British pop history, delivered with heart, humour, and solid musicianship – and a reminder of exactly why we loved these bands in the first place.
