McFly look forward to Newbury gig

Jon Ashby talks to the band about their comeback tour

MUCH-loved boy band McFly will be taking to the stage in Newbury this summer for the first time.
The quartet – with number 1 classics such as Obviously, 5 Colours in her Hair and All About You, as well as number one albums Room on the 3rd Floor and Wonderland – will be performing at the racecourse Party in the Paddock following the day’s racing on July 18.

The show will be part of a nationwide comeback tour following a three-year hiatus, and will feature quintessential McFly songs from their early days alongside music from an as yet unreleased album.
Asked how their perspective on performing and making music had changed since their formation in 2003, lead singer Tom Fletcher said following their break they now simply make the most of the experience.

He said: “The hiatus was rubbish, we missed it so much. It’s the best job in the world and when you’re not doing it you feel a bit lost. Being on stage is incredible – you don’t get to tour every year so it’s amazing being on the road.

“Even being backstage at venues and at hotel rooms is so much fun, and sometimes when you’re doing it for a long time you lose sight of how fun that is. The older we get, the more we enjoy it and make the most of the places we go and the shows we play.”

The band – comprising Tom Fletcher, lead vocalist and guitarist Danny Jones, bass guitarist Dougie Poynter and drummer Harry Judd – are now in their 17th year together. Following the release of a collection of demo recordings last year – titled The Lost Songs – the group have spent the last couple of months in the studio working on a new album.

Dougie said: “I’ve loved every single day in the studio, waking up in the morning and not knowing what was going to come out by the end of the day. There’s a lot of really honest stuff – there’s some niche stuff about a feeling that’s only 30 seconds long before going on stage, and other things that are more generic, like songs about happiness or sadness.

“We all had lots of ideas to share –none of us were too precious about our ideas, we were just trying to work out what songs sound the most enjoyable and what it is we want to say as a band.”

For information about tickets, visit www.newburyracecourse.co.uk/raceday/mcfly