REVIEW: McFly at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Words and photos by Dave Lawrence

Blue sky, blue sea and hot sunshine greeted gig goers to McFly’s show at Scarborough on Saturday where the North Bay was full of sun worshippers, surf classes and yachts.

The Open-Air Theatre is made for a night like this. Bathed in sun and packed to the gills with 8,000 concertgoers it was a great sight with the both the standing floor area and amphitheatre seating full with a crowd buzzing with anticipation.

The sold-out show was the band’s first return visit to the venue since 2013, and the audience roared their approval when the band emerged on stage at 9pm. Each member exuded a mix of seasoned confidence that a successful twenty-two year long career brings.

They launched into their set with Where Did All the Guitars Go, Land of the Bees and Star Girl – the same numbers they opened their improbable recent show at Donington’s Download Festival where, word is, they went down a storm. They certainly did so here.

Danny and Tom from McFly take to the stage. Photo by David Lawrence (Image: David Lawrence) The band were a blur of movement and action. Stage left, bespectacled Tom Fletcher on guitar and vocals threw plenty of poses as he tore away at his instrument and leapt around acrobatically.

Fellow singer and guitarist Danny Jones sported a huge grin as he swaggered about the stage interacting with members of the audience. Dougie Poynter pounded away on his colourful bass as he hopped and skipped around while Harry Judd anchored the band from behind his drumkit.

The band dug out a succession of crowd favourites including That Girl, One for the Radio, I Wanna Hold You and Obviously that had the audience eating out of their hands.

Harry Judd performing on drums at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre (Image: David Lawrence) Everybody Knows morphed into a mid-set medley of Livin’ on a Prayer, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, YMCA,  Radio Ga Ga and Twist and Shout. It couldn’t – and didn’t – fail to encourage everyone to sing along and dance even those towards the top of the raked seating.

Over twenty years of chart success meant they were not short of cracking songs and what is clearly a genuine friendship among the four members meant their interaction and recurring smiles helped create a great atmosphere which the audience lapped up.

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The closing run of songs ramped things up spectacularly including Room on the 3rd Floor which Fletcher remarked was the first song he and Danny wrote together. All About You had the audience joining in enthusiastically and set closer Red saw Jones leave the stage to balance precariously on the fencing with the help of a few fans while as he sang.

An encore of Forever’s Not Enough, Honey I’m Home and a triumphant Five Colours in Her Hair rounded the night off superbly leaving the crowd blissed out as they headed home.

McFly’s Danny Jones at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre (Image: David Lawrence) Kicking the show off were Devon from the Forest of Dean and Scotland’s Twin Atlantic who had played the TRNSMT festival in Glasgow the previous day. The latter’s up-tempo set especially The Chaser, Meltdown and Heart and Soul will have won them plenty of new fans.