BUSTED | LIVE REVIEW
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Tue 26 Mar
Busted were last seen in Cardiff in 2017, playing the relatively small Cardiff Students Union, to promote Night Driver, their comeback album after splitting in 2005. In 2019, though, fans are getting used to the fact that the band are back up and running, as they return to bigger and better venues like their prime.
Their pop punk sound of openers Young Brando, a Salisbury pop duo, touches on the depressive anthems made famous by bands like Mayday Parade, if not as good. Young Brando also joined McBusted on their 2014 arena tour – a nice touch, but the lack of excitement in the audience spoke volumes. The Xcerts, on the other hand, know how to kick it up a notch after previously touring with You Me At Six and Biffy Clyro. Their stage presence was huge, thanks to the confidence of frontman Murray Macleod – who does a strong a capella turn for closing song, Feels Like Falling In Love.
Busted set the scene with an onscreen countdown to the 1990s, as their silhouettes stand tall onto the backdrop, and we’re taken back to better days with Nineties, the lead single from new album Halfway There. It’s set to be a huge night, the trio noting that Halfway There was recorded in Wales; Charlie Simpson is on the liquid confidence and there’s a lot to live up to as bassist Matt Willis proclaims: “I’ve had the best nights of my whole fucking life in Cardiff. It ended very well for me, but I won’t go into the details…”
It’s quite funny to see how Busted still attract the little’uns no matter how many years pass by. Teenage fans who grew up with the band In their early-00s peak would now be in their 30s. Here’s to another generation of singing along to lyrics and growing up to realise that they were actually a bit naughty. Which leads on to some throwbacks from the band’s self-titled debut album, Britney and She Wants To Be Me.
Guitarist James Bourne sums it all up perfectly: “I came here in 2011 to see McFly and someone at the merch was like, ‘I remember when we used to sell your t-shirts.’ I said, maybe one day you’ll sell our t-shirts again… and look what happened.” Come new song All My Friends, which sees Bourne on piano, he notes: “It’s the Halfway There Tour, and we’re halfway there, halfway through the set and halfway through the tour. This is a special moment.”
We’re informed we beat Glasgow at singing a cover of Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’ before, again, the on-screen countdown takes us back to 1985 and Night Driver’s On What You’re On. As the end of the set looms, the band draw in the classics, What I Go To School For and their first UK number one, You Said No. The encore sees performances of Coming Home and the huge hit Year 3000.
“We love playing Cardiff, but tonight just reminds us why,” says Simpson. Fire, streamers and all, the trio make their mark in today’s music industry. It’s as if they never even left.
words and photos AMY FARRER