LIVE REVIEW: McFly @ O2 Academy, Bristol
Its crazy to think that MCFLY have been going for twenty years. For a lot of the attendees tonight, they grew up with this band, they shaped each individuals music journey from getting in to heavier music or just staying on a mainstream path. However, it’s moments like this that bring us all together to celebrate MCFLY‘s seventh studio album Power to Play. The queue’s are building up early and quickly and with such a big band in a small venue this is going to be a sweaty one.
Before we see what MCFLY have in store, first up is a band with almost as long of a career as tonight’s headliners: LOSTALONE. Being the one and only support they have the important job to warm up the crowd. Coming on to stage with gusto they run through their opening tracks with excitement. Making sure they keep a nice balance between songs and crowd interaction, making sure we are all ready for the headliner. Even pausing to give the photographers a nice pose so “I don’t look like I have a double chin” Steven Battelle comments. However, with bands like MCFLY, a lot of people aren’t here for the support which is shown with the very static crowd just happily listening along to the songs, only giving small cheers when directed to. Overall LOSTALONE put on a good solid performance as the support act, and even though a lot of the crowd didn’t seem to be in to it, we think the band did get a few converted fans by the end of their set.
Rating: 7/10
It’s an excited atmosphere as the O2 Academy is still filling up ready for MCFLY. Opening the set up with Where Did All The Guitar’s Go, their lead single from Power to Play. The expertise of this band is next to none and you can tell they have been playing together for twenty years. Knowing all their little quirks on stage, they know their audience and they play up to it. Running around and interacting with each other, the crowd and even throwing in some choreography for a few tracks.
They have a wonderful diverse setlist showcasing their sound over the years and how it has evolved from the more sixties pop to a more arena pop-rock sound of the latest album. Half way through, it takes a lull for slower tracks like I’m Fine and Too Close for Comfort, giving bassist Dougie Poynter a chance to flex his vocal cords. Then we get woken back up with Everybody Knows. Bringing out a cowbell half way through the track, unfortunately not a signal to open up the pit but invite a young person from the crowd on to stage to give them a moment they wont be forgetting soon.
For some of the audience who might have only seen them in an arena setting with more theatrics to go with the performance, this a stark contrast with it being more stripped back in comparison, with MCFLY only relying on themselves to put on a show but any doubt was squashed quickly. The main duel vocals of Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones is just perfect and their vocal styles complement each other so well. This is highlighted when we go in to a nice acoustic break for Not Alone and All About You, with Tom and Danny taking the spotlight and taking us down memory lane to a deep cut from their first album leading in to one of their most popular tracks. It’s a nice way to incorporate them and also change up All About You a little bit.
Even when the band come back together, for some routine thank yous, the banter and the energy bouncing off them is incredible to see and you see how in sync the whole band are. They also smoothly go into welcoming Steven Battelle of LOSTALONE on stage to join them for Shine On. Then to add an extra special moment for the audience, Danny Jones makes his way in to the crowd for Red to literally get the crowd jumping. For a band of MCFLY‘s calibre, this is such a special moment for everyone in the audience. Red ends with a bang and the band move off stage and, of course, there is the question of an encore.
Veterans will know it will come and everyone stays in one spot waiting for them to come back on stage and they come back in style with Forever Is Not Enough. The three song encore does its job, bringing it back up for the last song of the night, the classic, the one that put them on the map; Five Colours In Her Hair. Hyping the crowd up with a count down before playing the recognisable guitar riff and the chant of “Do Do Do Do Do Do!”, it ends the night in the best way, everyone singing along together and making sure everyone knows that MCFLY are here to stay.
Rating: 10/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Bristol from Serena Hill Photography here:
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