Busted put every other British band to shame at Londons O2 – review

Busted perform 'Year 3000' on CD:UK in 2003

Okay, let’s get this out of the way: I’m a Busted fan. I have been since I was a child. They were the first real band that I listened to, and they got me, wholly, into the music that has formed me over (too) many years.

So, stepping into London’s O2 Arena on October 10, 2023, was a little nerve-wracking for me. Would they still be good? Would Charlie Simpson’s voice hit as hard as it once did? Would I come away with my childhood ruined?

I shouldn’t have doubted the lads at all.

Opening with a jaw-dropping Back To The Future cameo from Christopher Lloyd (Doc Emmett Brown), Busted brought the house down with Air Hostess.

Matt Willis was on top form all night. “Are you ready to lose your f****ng minds?!” he screamed throughout the night. Bouncing around the circular stage, constantly, proving that he’s still got more than enough energy, despite having been on this Busted journey for 20 years.

READ MORE Busted – ‘The music industry didn’t know where to place us’

Busted are BACK – and they’ve just released their Greatest Hits 2.0 album, a collection of remastered, remixed, and newly-featured songs with massive names attached. All Time Low, Bowling For Soup, Hanson – they’re all there. 

Buy yours here from Amazon now.

Technically, Busted were flawless. Charlie and James Bourne delivered guitar licks with ease and rhythms that seemed second nature to them by now. Matt’s basslines were thick, bouncy, and complete with non-stop gusto – the perfect bassist.

That’s not all that was perfect, though: Charlie-f****ng-Simpson. That man can sing. He always has been able to, but seeing him now, live, 20 years after he debuted, was like night and day. Of course, he’s honed his vocals in Fightstar and as a Rhino, but he truly does have one of the most beautiful, pitch-perfect punk-rock voices of the noughties.

Drummer Eddy Thrower is best known for giving percussion performances for the incredible band Lower Than Atlantis – but as one of the UK’s best session drummers, Busted simply had to bring him back for their live shows, and I’m so grateful they did.

Eddy is, without question, one of the best drummers around. His pristine, punchy fills weren’t distracting but were deep enough to really show off his prowess. The Busted trio shouted him out more than once because of how truly fundamental he was for their performances. And I hope they keep him going forward.

At this point in their tour – 30-something dates in – Busted literally didn’t play a note wrong. Sure, they’ve been playing the songs nightly for months, but it’s a true testament to their abilities that they could play so swiftly and accurately, and still have fun throughout.

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Busted are no one-trick pony, either. Sure, the hits (You Said No, Year 3000, Crashed the Wedding, et al) were flawless and exciting, but it was the traditionally slower songs that were the real showstoppers. 3am, Who’s David? and Meet You There were some of the show’s highlights. Not only were they monstrous demonstrations of Charlie’s vocal prowess, but also they are some of the tentpole tracks in their repertoire that prove they can actually write great songs.

Not every instance of the night was powerful, though. The darkest moment in Busted’s show was around halfway through, when they invited support act Hanson back onto the stage to play their biggest hit, MMMBop. The track is great, sure, and seeing Busted’s rendition of it live was a thrill – but it felt like an odd stopover for the band.

Thankfully, they made up for it with Who’s David?

“Is anyone here named David?” Charlie cheekily asked the 20,000 attendees. “No? How about Ed? Anyone here named Ed?”

For an instant, confusion swept over the fans before the mighty Ed Sheeran stepped out onto stage to play his version of the song.

Busted are BACK – and they’ve just released their Greatest Hits 2.0 album, a collection of remastered, remixed, and newly-featured songs with massive names attached. All Time Low, Bowling For Soup, Hanson – they’re all there. 

Buy yours here from Amazon now.

The entirety of London’s O2 Arena absolutely lost their minds (just as Matt had predicted a few times that evening) and it was perhaps one of the most unexpected cameos to ever hit the UK.

Guest spots aside, though, Busted were sublime. They put on a real show that, simply, put other longtime touring bands to shame. The show as a whole was produced but raw; powerful yet accurate; talented yet frenzied; a cacophony of nostalgia, beautiful music, and an endless amount of fun.

Busted are back, and I never want to lose them again.

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