Review: Busted, Newmarket Nights
It’s over 20 years since Busted released their eponymous debut and gave us the hits What I Go To School For and Year 3000, back when the band were in their teens. Now in their late 30s and early 40s they are playing those same songs, with similar energy, albeit after some tweaks as per their Greatest Hits 2.0 releases in the last couple of years.
After a pair of pop punk tunes by masters Blink 182 and Green Day, the lights kicked into gear to Eminem’s Lose Yourself, followed by Thunderstruck by AC/DC to build the hype before the band would take to the stage at Newmarket.
Opening with Air Hostess, quickly followed by Meet You There both from their debut, followed by Loser Kid from their sophomore release. Those first two albums would be the source for almost all songs played to the post races audience.
The big exceptions being a cover of Hanson’s MMMBop with crowd singing along and standalone 2004 movie tie-in single Thunderbirds Are Go, also well received allowing the band to get the crowd to hum the theme tune in unison.
In between songs Matt Willis mentioned how he had been at Ibiza airport the morning of the gig and managed to still make the show, despite the IT glitches plaguing airports that day. He also reminded the Suffolk crowd that they had one of their own on stage with Charlie Simpson hailing from Woodbridge.
At the start of ballad Sleeping with the Light On, the band urged the crowd to get their phone lights in the air and swaying, to show them that they can beat McFly, who graced the stage last year (and 2006, 2012, 2013, 2021 for that matter, with Busted making this only their second time).
Next up at Newmarket is James Arthur on 2nd August with Becky Hill and Deacon Blue later in the month too.
Review and pictures, Stephen Keable, for Ipswich24 Magazine
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