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McFly’s fourth visit to the Piece Hall was one for the books. Having played two sold-out shows in 2024, they returned to repeat the feat – in the most excruciating heat imaginable.
Contrary to their claims, openers Remember Monday are not an all-girl version of Slipknot. There are no screams or blast beats, but they do go hard at what they do: delivering solid country-pop with a touch of sass.
You may remember them from appearing on The Voice or representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025, but once you’ve seen them live, you’re unlikely to forget them. Powerful vocals and boundless energy made for the perfect start to the evening.
Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic were next up, raising the temperature even further with their stadium-sized anthems. At one point they had to pause proceedings while security checked on the welfare of fans in the crowd, but once everything was confirmed to be fine, they stormed through the rest of their set, leaving everyone sweating buckets.
McFly are undoubtedly some of the best writers of catchy, infectious pop songs on the planet, but the addition of some ’80s hard rock and metal influences has given their sound an extra lift. Quite possibly, it’s made things even more fun for them too, especially after 23 years together. Even the Metallica styled logo at the back looks cool as fuck.
Danny leads the charge like he’s graduated from the Bruce Springsteen School of Frontmanship with honours, while Tom and Dougie work either side of the stage, each attracting their own devoted pocket of fans eager for the best view of their favourite McFly member.
There’s plenty of metal posing, a touch of Status Quo-style choreography, and the height Tom reaches with every jump is astonishing. Sporting a Selleck-style moustache, he looks like he’s wandered straight out of a gritty ’70s cop show – or the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage video.
The hits come thick and fast before a brilliant medley featuring Pink Pony Club, Radio Ga Ga and Livin’ on a Prayer, among others.
All About You provides the biggest singalong of the night, before the encore closes with 5 Colours in Her Hair, bringing a fantastic evening to a fitting conclusion.
For those who haven’t experienced it, the glorious Piece Hall is something of a sun trap. Given the incredible heat, you could have forgiven the band for conserving their energy, but they went full bore from start to finish, showing exactly why they’re everyone’s favourite pop-rock band – and why they’re the perfect gateway to heavier music for the hordes of kids in attendance, many of whom were probably experiencing their very first concert.
What a band. What a night.
