From their original debut in the 2000’s, solidifying themselves as one of the best boy bands in the UK, it seems that 90’s and 00’s kids still burn a very bright flame for Busted.
This was very evident with their sold-out show filling the whole of Leeds Millenium Square for Sounds of the City 2024.
Some would consider Leeds the home of the UK pop rock scene. We have the likes of Slam Dunk, Key Club, Santiago’s Bar and many more making it a hot spot for lovers of the music genre. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that Leeds gave a very warm welcome to Busted and made sure the band knew that they were in for a great night.
Busted has had a longstanding relationship with Yorkshire – my first time seeing the band was actually in 2004 at Party in the Park which took place in Temple Newsam.
They have also made surprise appearances at Slam Dunk North, under the name Y3000, and brought their 20 year anniversary tour to Leeds First Direct Arena in 2023.
Sounds of the City knocked it out of the park with booking Busted and even more so with pairing them with Scouting for Girls as the opening act. Millennium Square was packed with people all sharing the nostalgic love.
Scouting for Girls played their fan favourites to warm the crowd up. Elvis Aint Dead, This Aint a Love Song and She’s So Lovely (calling all Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging fans) got everyone singing and dancing along.
Headliners Busted kicked off the show with Airhostess, immediately setting the tone for a rocking night and amplifying their signature sound. Somewhere out in the crowd was a 30 something year old resisting every urge to do the James Bourne jump kick.
Illuminated above the band was a huge BUSTED sign accompanied with an impressive light show.
There is something to be said about how much audiences in the UK love a singalong. Some credit it to early school assemblies, others to our love of football chants, but whatever the reason is, there’s nothing more therapeutic than screaming along to tracks from a band like Busted with all your fellow “elder emos”.
The track 3am (which the band have re-released in recent years with X Factor winner James Arthur) received a really strong reception. Emphasising the brilliant vocals of Charlie Simpson, there’s such a raw, authentic crisp to his voice that you don’t really get much of in current artists.
Some would argue that titling Busted as a guilty pleasure or a throwback band doesn’t give the artists credit for the execution of the songs performed live. I think where Busted are not able to break from those categories are the lyrics. We have it with the likes of Blink 182 where you ask the question, why were men in their 20’s and now 40’s singing about high school?
I spoke to an audience member as to why Busted are so popular 20 years after their debut and are still selling out so many of their live shows: ”I’ve been a fan of Busted since I was a teen. My friend Nat is a diehard fan though, so we went to see Busted together in September last year. It was my first time seeing them live and it was like reliving my youth all over again. I loved it, so when they were playing in Leeds again this year we all got tickets.”
Finishing off with Year 3000, there was a wave of people jumping and singing, arms in the air and hearts full from a wonderful evening brought together by live music.
A huge congratulations to the team at Leeds City Council for all the fantastic shows put on for Sounds of the City 2024.
All photography by Emma Gibbon.
