McFly Crank Up the Power at Leeds O2 Academy [Photos]

Honestly, when this tour was announced, it did seem a little surprising to find pop-rock quartet McFly playing Academy-sized venues. This was further demonstrated by the size of the queue snaking as far back as the eye can see even an hour or so after doors open. Make no mistake, this was clearly one of the hottest tickets around and McFly repaid that favour by giving these fans exactly what they wanted.

Touring in support of their Power To Play album, the way the band bounced onto the stage was almost like they’d been fired out of the wings in a giant catapult. Exploding with the energy of four children given a free run of a sweet shop, it was hard to decide who was having more fun, the crowd or the band. Having been slightly bemused by the size of the venue for this run, watching the energy crackling between the crowd and the band during the opener “Where Did All The Guitars Go,” it all made so much sense. Seeing McFly in a venue this size was going to be a truly unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

Pumping up the crowd pre-show with a soundtrack of Bon Jovi, Queen, and Village People classics, McFly knows exactly how to put on a show with Tom Fletcher, in particular, looking like he is having the time of his life on stage as the band power through a twenty-one track, career-spanning set. Cranking up the energy levels with “Land of Bees,” “One For The Radio,” and “God of Rock and Roll,” it’s impossible to deny that McFly is the kind of band who have what it takes to write a bagful of musical earworms.

Things slow down a bit for “Not Alone” and “All About You,” but as the set careers to the finale of “Forever Is Not Enough,” “Honey I’m Home,” and “5 Colours In Her Hair,” this very sold-out Leeds O2 Academy was absolutely rocking on a stormy Monday night. While it may have been stating the obvious, a homemade banner held up by a fan claimed that “A McFly Show Is Good For The Soul” and, after spending an hour or so with a thousand or so fans here tonight, it’s hard to disagree with that.

McFly @ O2 Academy (Leeds, UK) on November 13th, 2023

23 photos