In the latest of the “Oh my god we’re old” throwback tours, Busted are doing a Greatest Hits 20th anniversary tour and it is drenched in nostalgia – from the visuals to the pre-show playlist and the evening’s support Henry Moodie supplying his own brand of 2000s boyband-esque heartbreak pop dressed in double denim. There is no denying, however, the energy in the Utilita Arena Cardiff: for many here, Busted were surely a gateway to the likes of Green Day and My Chemical Romance, whose songs are duly belted out by thousands.
Five minutes before Matt, Charlie and James take the stage, there’s a warning from Stephen Fry that they will soon be there… and then Dr Emmett Brown (aka Christopher Lloyd) appears on screen to introduce the band in what is an obviously very much Back To The Future-themed video and then a ‘bolt of lightning’ hits and OMG! There they are! It’s Busted!! Air Hostess is played, and the room erupts! It’s just like being back in 2003 except we’re 20 years older with back pain but it doesn’t matter!!
The entire show fully leans into the nostalgic element, with You Said No augmented by animated MSN Messenger windows featuring its lyrics and a Nokia 3310 (no snake though) popping up during nearly every song. Considering how acrimonious the band’s split was in 2005, with Charlie insisting he would never return to Busted, it’s clear there is so much love between the three on stage: Matt makes sure the crowd knows he “fucking loves Charlie Simpson,” and how happy he himself is to be in Busted. “We wanna do this forever!”
Slotted in amongst a cover of MMMBop, the OG emo banger 3 am, and the phones-out moment of Sleeping With The Light On is also a cheeky new song called Good One which draws from the pop-rock of the band’s 2016 comeback album Night Driver. There’s also arguably the best movie song ever in the form of Thunderbirds Are Go before the main set ends with 2003 chart-topper Crashed The Wedding.
The Doc reappears on screen for the encore, announcing that we’re now in the year 3000 (gasp!) before the trio bust out their cover of Teenage Kicks followed by Coming Home. Of course, the show finishes with the platinum-certified banger that is Year 3000, flanked with every possible pyrotechnic that can fit into the arena tonight. Iconic.
Busted, Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sun 3 Sept
words JOSHUA WILLIAMS photos FFION WILLIAMS