McBusted, The O2, gig review: A huge energetic romp of a reunion

Monster six-headed reunion is undeniably huge, healing fun

Busted and McFly attend a press conference to announce the McBusted 2014 arena tour at the Soho Hotel on 11 November 2013 (Getty Images)

Growing up, I hated first poppy punks Green Day, then punky poppers Blink-182 and their ilk, and then the even further sanitised pop-punk boybands Busted and McFly.

But time softens youthful rancour and in retrospect, I have to tooth-grittingly admit the songs of the latter two at least were good. And this monster, six-headed amalga-reunion of the two bands is undeniably huge, healing fun.

They open with Busted's fantasy-lusty 'Air Hostess', descending to the stage from a model Delorean and bouncing onto a ring-shaped walkway.

Like all the songs tonight, it sounds better with the thickness of multiple guitars and voices, less teeny-tinny and whiny.

Indeed the only mark against McBusted in this hugely enthusiastic, energetic romp of a show is that with two bands' songs to get through, you'd have had thought they'd have had less time for limp jokes like “Give yourselves the clap”.

But all is forgiven when they perform 'Star Girl“ on a flying saucer-shaped B-stage that descends from the ceiling.

The out of this world jokes make themselves.