Can Busted-lite stay the course

The bands share a sound, the management, songwriters and, partially, the same public school. Busted's James Bourne even co-wrote most McFly songs. On last night's showing, the shark-eyed masterplan ("You'll be pleased to know we're doing another DVD for our next single," they announced at one point) is coming to fruition and the quartet are beginning to share the same audience of screaming, banner-waving, good-natured, pre-teen girls.

Before McFly, the Apollo smelled of bubble bath; afterwards, as if Metallica had played, it smelled of sweat. The screaming never abated (even for Tom Fletcher, the young Boris Johnson) and so McFly's dirge-heavy dullness was disguised.

The audience were shortchanged - just because they're young, doesn't mean they should not be cared for - with a cheap setting and short set, plus the worst sound I've ever heard at the Apollo. Beatlemania must have been like this: to blunderbuss the point home, they played an abominable version of She Loves You.

Their sound is harmless enough and, as exemplified by the soporific Hypnotised, stubbornly lacking personality. Room On The 3rd Floor had a scarf-waving chorus; Not Alone ("about going to school and stuff," apparently) had the noble air of a Bon Jovi ballad and, close your eyes and the deserved number one, 5 Colours In Her Hair, could have been by Fountains Of Wayne.

For now, as one banner said, McFly Rule; longevity, though, is on nobody's agenda.

McFly
HMV Apollo
Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH