Music > Live Reviews

Busted

The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA

01/02/17

Busted’s Sunday night LCR show sold out within ten minutes, which is impressive as we’re not talking about some hot new thing. Busted are kind of a relic. Matt, James and Charlie were the One Direction of my day, the Zoella of the early noughties. However (after splitting in 2005, and touring with McFly in 2014) they’re back with a new album.

It was always going to be difficult to please both a) screeching fans of the old albums b) screeching fans of the new album. Amazingly, Busted did a damn good job. Those in the former category may have been left a tad disappointed by the new:old ratio, but ultimately the tour is named after new album, Nightdriver (not to be confused with Nightrider).

Busted certainly pleased squad B, giving their all to 1975-esque electro indie hits. Said songs were samey, but I guess it’s difficult to shift old successes into the modern day, unless you’re Craig David. Regardless, the band showed clear enthusiasm for Nightdriver. They bounded about, coaxed the crowed and jammed alongside a mohawked saxophonist.  

The set was peppered with oldies too, for which the crowd obviously went apeshit. Year 3000 had us in school-disco mode, whereas angsty tunes like 3am mellowed us out. Despite getting a better reaction from their old material, Busted stubbornly treated all their songs with the same amount of passion. That is, the zeal of three Essex teens starting a band together. Yes, this meant the banter was a bit childish and half the songs sounded underdeveloped. But the same nostalgic vigour meant for a fantastic performance. Sneaking each other soppy smiles while howling shit lyrics (“went past the Taj Mahal. It’s so fuckin’ beau-ti-ful”), the band convinced that Nightdriver wasn’t born from desperation. James, Matt and Charlie are still passionate about each other, their music and their fans. This display made for a thoroughly enjoyable show, even if they didn’t play That’s What I Go To School For. 

7/10