McFly hadn’t even come on stage and the screams were deafening at Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday night. Not put off by eating too many Easter eggs or family BBQs, the McFly fans were out in force – and it wasn’t hard to see why when the boys hit the stage.
The Keep Calm and Play Louder tour is like a walk through a McFly hall of fame, with songs of yesteryear and the year before that - in fact songs from nine years ago – being pulled out and performed with the same gusto the boys played with back then. They’re no longer kids and they’ve grown massively and it shows in their performance. The laid-back guitar-strumming of Obviously and It’s All About You a prime example.
Any not-so-hardcore fans (me) would be pleasantly surprised too – because you might not realise it, but these boys have a collection of very catchy pop hits. Think Star Girl, Lies and One For The Radio. Give it five minutes and you’ll be rocking along, belting out the words. It’s fun!
The highlight by far though was hearing the boys’ new material. Do Whatcha is early on the list but nevertheless the thousands of fans knew every word. Red hits you with a bang but it sounds magnetic, like ‘classic’ McFly – rocky, raw. Actually not the pop you’d assume from the band (plus Dougie takes the lead, which is quite a new experience).
Just as you get comfortable, there’s a fun Covers Medley with Danny belting out Living On A Prayer, a fun We Found Love cover and a McFly rendition of Busted’s Year 3000 and One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful. Cue the screams.
My favourite track was a breezy Walk in the Sun - with Danny, Dougie and Tom jamming close together front of the stage, while Harry flexed his biceps while drumming away in the background. It’s a powerful sight and you can see why these four boys have lasted as long as they have – friendship, loyalty and talent. Simple, but clearly the key.
And once the boys (sweaty but buzzing) head off stage, 8,650 happy fans (both male and female) leave the venue to a chorus of the closing Shine A Light (the band’s biggest hit to date). The audience are beyond happy. And that’s what live music is about. Well done McFly.
Star rating: * * * *
McFly return to London on Friday 20 April to play Hammersmith Apollo. Tickets for that show and other dates around the country can be found here: http://www.seetickets.com/Search?q=mcfly&search=Search
