McFly back in town

They used to be the angel-faced princes of pop. But taking to the stage with an explosive concert in front of a packed-out Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, McFly proved just how much they’ve grown up in their four years at the top of the charts.

The once sickly sweet popstars used to only draw in mainly crowds of screaming schoolgirls and their mothers.

But, despite the odd teeny-bopper in the crowd wearing flashing bunny ears or a feathered cowboy hat, it seems McFly’s popularity is no longer strictly defined to the pre-pubescent.

With an audience made up mainly of lusty females, their loyal band of supporters are clearly growing up alongside the group.

Before the hotly-anticipated gig, frontman Tom Fletcher said the venue was by far the lads’ favourite, partly because of the audience going “nuts” during shows.

Fans jumped, clapped and swayed to a string of catchy favourites including Obviously and All About You, as well as a rock version cover of Rihanna’s Umbrella and the Queen classic Don’t Stop Me Now.

Among the crowd was diehard fan Jenny Bryant, from Smestow, who had queued for around four hours to get her hands on tickets.

The 18-year-old said: “They are just so fun to watch live on stage. I managed to get tickets for the last show in Wolverhampton and didn’t want to miss out this time so I made sure I queued to get them.”

Charlotte Chambers, aged 18, from Walsall, has been a fan ever since she got to meet the group before their meteoric rise to fame. “I was working as a youth worker and helped organise a free concert and McFly played,” she said. “They were so down-to-earth and normal.”

Fans armed with blankets and flasks queued for hours to get tickets for the show when they went on sale last month. Last night’s concert followed the band’s sell-out appearance at the Civic Hall in March.

by Vicky Nash