McFly
Oasis Leisure Centre, Swindon
April 20th 2007

They came, they conquered, they collided with all things quasi-fashionable and adolescent and expectant and then they left; leaving behind them a trajectoral flourish of ringing cash-registers and sparkling hormones.

Such was the professionalism of Mcfly’s performance at Swindon’s Oasis Leisure Centre last week, that one just couldn’t help but question the reason(ing) behind their being – other than money.  For although the best things in life may indeed be free - so far as McFly and their hordes of screeching/screaming (predominantly) female fans are concerned – you can keep them for the birds and bees.

And there you fundamentally have it: McFly are the luminary HSBC of the snap, crackle and pop brigade, and their fifteen-song performance did everything to substantiate this. From the opening number ‘Friday Night,’ which kicked off with Messrs. Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones and Dougie Poynter leaping forth off Harry Judd’s drum-riser, to the finality of ‘Five Colours’ - all sweat, drench’n’tears - McFly didn’t, and lest it be said, couldn’t do no wrong.  Admittedly, their sound may have been a tad askew for the opening few numbers, but by the time of ‘All About You,’ Judd’s drums had settled into what might be considered a tasty drum sound; in and of itself, no mean feat considering the band were playing in a sports hall - as Fletcher rather jaggedly pointed out: ‘’it feels as if we should be playing basketball.’’

Oodles of transient fun was nevertheless sustained by both band and audience, but the price paid, traversed way beyond what ought to be plausible (let alone affordable).  As Dylan once remarked: ‘’money doesn’t talk, it swears.’’

David Marx