Busted- Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

Busted- Resorts World Arena- 29^th March 2019

Although it's been 17 years since they released their debut album, Busted are one of those timeless bands that you never tire of listening to. I was lucky enough to witness their gig at Birmingham's Resorts World Arena, which was a colossal celebration of the band's classic hits, intertwined with tracks from their impressive new album, Half Way There. 

A tense introduction agonized the desperate crowd, with a virtual calendar appearing on screen, slowly flipping from 2019 all the way back to the 90s. This was followed by the band launching into their new track 'Nineties', complete with dazzling indoor fireworks, and visuals that depicted photos of the band in their teens, as well as displaying the lyrics. This seemed to perfectly epitomise the general vibe of the gig, as a nostalgic yet joyful look back on the band's musical history. 

Time may have passed, but the defining features of the band remain the same: with Charlie Simpson's husky vocals appearing just as impressive, along with James Bourne's stunning guitar solos, and Matt Willis' ability to energize the crowd. One thing that struck me was the way that the band members shared verses in every song, and all contributed to the instrumentation- something rarely seen with more modern bands who tend to focus the attention on one charismatic lead singer. With the three performers constantly interacting with each other as well as the crowd, you really felt that this was a friendship, as well as a musical collaboration, with all pretences being thrown out the window.

Skyrocketing into their second song, Busted treated fans to 'Air Hostess', complete with visuals from the 2003 music video. This matched with aquamarine lighting to create a set design that was perfect right down to the last detail. The track 'Britney' was accompanied with a screen montage of Britney Spears' iconic videos, completing the performance in an engaging way. Amongst classic hits, the band were still able to attract raucous applause with their newer material, with tracks such as 'Radio', which had a melodramatic pop vibe, complete with sunset visuals.

Nonetheless, the band were able to strip it back and focus on the music, coming forward onto an extended platform to perform a few acoustic numbers. A heart-warming rendition of 'All My Friends' was performed with James on piano, with Matt explaining that each band member wrote a verse each to summarise their experiences of growing up. This was followed by remarkable cover of Tom Petty's 'Free Falling', which began on a solemn note, before building up to encouraging the audience to belt out the chorus. It was interesting to see Busted take such a familiar song and add their own rocky stance, acting as an impressive tribute to the original artist.

The end of the acoustic session signalled a transition into 'On What You're On',  a track from Busted's 2016 album Night Driver. This experimented with an 80s style, featuring guitar synthesisers and neon strobe lights. Whilst this indicated an attempt to be versatile, the crowd seemed somewhat relieved when Busted followed with one of their most popular hits, 'Crashed The Wedding', which needed no accompanying visuals. Still, the performance of 'Shipwrecked In Atlantis' performed shortly after proved that the band are still capable of producing anthems. This had an entertaining, tropical vibe, complete with snippets from the recent music video in which the band explore a waterpark. 

One track that really summarised Busted's mentality was 'What Happened To Your Band', with lyrics revealing the pressure felt to impress fans and maintain a musical career. Charlie's impressive vocals towards the end confirmed that despite periods of absence, the band are still very much capable of entertaining thousands of fans each night. This exposed the darker side of fame, providing an interesting contrast amongst so many energetic, youthful hits.

Returning for a much-anticipated encore, the band performed 'Coming Home', their first single released in 2016 to mark their official reunion. This had an atmospheric, festival-esque vibe that expertly filled the arena, providing the perfect precursor to the moment that everyone had been waiting for. The on-screen calendar whizzed forward to the date 3000, which was more than enough to spark the crowd's excitement. A final performance of 'Year 3000' was complete with bursts of confetti, and a chance for the audience to sing a verse at the end, appropriately rounding off the gig.

It was only when Matt thanked the crowd for their enduring support over the last 20 years that I realized how long Busted have existed as a band. Their latest album, Half Way There, is one that really focuses on the band's legacy, with almost every song describing something about their experiences with making music and growing up. As a result, it's not easy to see where Busted will go from here, as they break away from their reunion album and begin to create new material. But one thing is for certain, they were able to provide a brilliant night of entertainment, with both old and new hits that are worthy of being played on repeat for all time.