What do you think?
Rate this book
McBusted: The Story of the World's Biggest Super Band
This is the first book to tell the full inside story of the world's most awesome supergroup, McBUSTED. McBusted takes an exclusive look at the birth of Busted and McFly, two ground-breaking pop-rock bands who journeyed through sell-out arena tours with number-one hits, and the unique friendships that the boys shared from the very beginning. Packed with behind-the-scenes gossip, it follows the boys through the years, revealing the truth behind Busted's shock break-up and McFly's hiatus, the secrets of their private lives, and the roller-coaster ride that fame took them on - both the good times and the bad. In September 2013, McFly staged their tenth-anniversary show at the Royal Albert Hall and James and Matt were invited along as special guests to perform a medley of hits with the band. The reaction to the six-piece supergroup was stratospheric and the boys decided to take the new superband on tour - and lo, McBUSTED was born. McBusted walks side by side with Tom, James, Danny, Dougie, Matt and Harry as they build the band and provides a backstage pass into the tour, the fans and what the future might hold.
- GenresNonfictionMusicBiography
276 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2014
6 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 29, 2014
I am a HUGE fan of McFly and Busted, and as a child I was a complete fangirl for them. When we were younger my sister and I went to four separate Busted concerts, and Saw McFly twice too. We had posters everywhere, knew all the words to their songs, we even had fanpages on the web dedicated to our sheer love for them.
If you are a fan of McBusted, then this is the book for you! It literally has everything you could ever want in it! One of my favourite things about this book is that each chapter is titled with an iconic Busted or McFly song, which made me want to sing as I read and really took me straight back to all the wonderful memories I have of those songs!
In this book Jennifer Parker takes a look at Busted and McFly from the beginning – their stories, their number one hits, and a part that I found particularly fascinating – the friendships that they had made and formed with each other. For me personally, I remember the day Busted announced that they had split up, and I was truly devastated, but as a younger teen I never really understood or knew why they had broken up, it was put out that Charlie wanted to do his own thing but I didn’t properly understand how it just seemed to come out of nowhere. Well in this new book Jennifer delves into the shocking Busted break up and as a reader you get a bit more of an insight into what happened and how Matt, James and Charlie felt about the situation. McFly also took a break and this is all covered too – so it doesn’t matter where you are a Busted Fan, a McFly fan, or even both because this really has something for everyone.
For me it was like delving into my childhood and reading about what really happened with the bands I swooned over and seeing how far they have they come since they first got together. And the best part is that this book reveals how McBusted came to be formed, taking you right up to the present day and where they are now.
McBusted : The Story Of The World’s Biggest Superfan is a really personal and insightful look into how Busted and McFly came to be, the friendships, and their journey towards where they are now as the superband McBusted. This book is a MUST HAVE for any fans!!!
If you are a fan of McBusted, then this is the book for you! It literally has everything you could ever want in it! One of my favourite things about this book is that each chapter is titled with an iconic Busted or McFly song, which made me want to sing as I read and really took me straight back to all the wonderful memories I have of those songs!
In this book Jennifer Parker takes a look at Busted and McFly from the beginning – their stories, their number one hits, and a part that I found particularly fascinating – the friendships that they had made and formed with each other. For me personally, I remember the day Busted announced that they had split up, and I was truly devastated, but as a younger teen I never really understood or knew why they had broken up, it was put out that Charlie wanted to do his own thing but I didn’t properly understand how it just seemed to come out of nowhere. Well in this new book Jennifer delves into the shocking Busted break up and as a reader you get a bit more of an insight into what happened and how Matt, James and Charlie felt about the situation. McFly also took a break and this is all covered too – so it doesn’t matter where you are a Busted Fan, a McFly fan, or even both because this really has something for everyone.
For me it was like delving into my childhood and reading about what really happened with the bands I swooned over and seeing how far they have they come since they first got together. And the best part is that this book reveals how McBusted came to be formed, taking you right up to the present day and where they are now.
McBusted : The Story Of The World’s Biggest Superfan is a really personal and insightful look into how Busted and McFly came to be, the friendships, and their journey towards where they are now as the superband McBusted. This book is a MUST HAVE for any fans!!!
July 8, 2015
Tengo sentimientos encontrados hacía este libro porque la formación de McBusted no me termina de convencer. Soy mil veces más fan de McFly, a secas, y nunca me sentí demasiado atraída por Busted, apenas me sé un par de canciones, la más famosas.
Hay partes de este libro que me han hecho sentir fatal, como si McFly no quisiese seguir siendo McFly, y esas palabras que supuestamente Tom, Harry, Dougie y Danny han dicho me han destrozado por dentro, porque los amo. Entiendo que McBusted haya sido un soplo de aire fresco para ellos, pero a la vez era como si estuviesen hartos de ser un grupo de 4, como si no quisiesen cantar sus canciones de siempre, por ello había más canciones de Busted o de James y Matt, que de McFly en sí.
Afortunadamente, creo en las palabras que se cantan en "The Heart Never Lies": "It's not always easy, but McFly's here forever". Y creo que 2016 va a ser el regreso de McFly, tal y como lo están pintando actualmente los chicos y yo lo agradezco en el alma.
¿Qué puedo decir del libro en sí? Me ha gustado, salvo aquellos momentos en los que sentía que McFly se iba a ir a freír espárragos y que jamás iban a volver. Me ha ayudado a conocer un poco más a James Bourne y Matt Willis, pero este primero sigue sin caerme del todo bien. Pero ese no es el tema en cuestión.
El libro es un poco caotico en cuanto a temporalización, de pronto hablan de cosas más avanzadas en el tiempo, por ejemplo un momento en el que estaban hablando de la pedida de mano de Danny y al párrafo siguiente la autora hablaba de cómo se había celebrado de la boda, cuando esta tuvo lugar en Agosto del 2014 y la pedida de mano fue como un año antes, aproximadamente. Esto sucede en varias ocasiones durante el libro y puede dar lugar a despistes.
Por lo demás, no hay mucho nuevo acerca de McFly, pues todo está escrito en "Unsaid Things: Our Story", salvo los acontecimientos sucedidos a la publicación posterior del libro. Se habla de la gran depresión de Tom y de Dougie, pero no se da gran información. Casi se sabe más de la adicción y rehabilitación de Matt que de ellos dos, de cualquier forma, se encuentra en el libro anteriormente mencionado y escrito por los propios miembros de McFly.
Otra cosa que me ha dolido en el alma, es que la autora no menciona en ningún momento a Lara Carew-Jones, la anterior novia de Dougie, que creo que fue una persona fundamental en su vida. Todavía no entiendo que pasó entre ellos dos para que se separasen y acabase con un polo tan opuesto a Lara como la cantante que actualmente es su novia.
Resumidamente: Si eres fan de McBusted, esto te va a encantar. Si únicamente eres fan de McFly puedes llevarte algún que otro chasco como me ha ocurrido a mí.
Hay partes de este libro que me han hecho sentir fatal, como si McFly no quisiese seguir siendo McFly, y esas palabras que supuestamente Tom, Harry, Dougie y Danny han dicho me han destrozado por dentro, porque los amo. Entiendo que McBusted haya sido un soplo de aire fresco para ellos, pero a la vez era como si estuviesen hartos de ser un grupo de 4, como si no quisiesen cantar sus canciones de siempre, por ello había más canciones de Busted o de James y Matt, que de McFly en sí.
Afortunadamente, creo en las palabras que se cantan en "The Heart Never Lies": "It's not always easy, but McFly's here forever". Y creo que 2016 va a ser el regreso de McFly, tal y como lo están pintando actualmente los chicos y yo lo agradezco en el alma.
¿Qué puedo decir del libro en sí? Me ha gustado, salvo aquellos momentos en los que sentía que McFly se iba a ir a freír espárragos y que jamás iban a volver. Me ha ayudado a conocer un poco más a James Bourne y Matt Willis, pero este primero sigue sin caerme del todo bien. Pero ese no es el tema en cuestión.
El libro es un poco caotico en cuanto a temporalización, de pronto hablan de cosas más avanzadas en el tiempo, por ejemplo un momento en el que estaban hablando de la pedida de mano de Danny y al párrafo siguiente la autora hablaba de cómo se había celebrado de la boda, cuando esta tuvo lugar en Agosto del 2014 y la pedida de mano fue como un año antes, aproximadamente. Esto sucede en varias ocasiones durante el libro y puede dar lugar a despistes.
Por lo demás, no hay mucho nuevo acerca de McFly, pues todo está escrito en "Unsaid Things: Our Story", salvo los acontecimientos sucedidos a la publicación posterior del libro. Se habla de la gran depresión de Tom y de Dougie, pero no se da gran información. Casi se sabe más de la adicción y rehabilitación de Matt que de ellos dos, de cualquier forma, se encuentra en el libro anteriormente mencionado y escrito por los propios miembros de McFly.
Otra cosa que me ha dolido en el alma, es que la autora no menciona en ningún momento a Lara Carew-Jones, la anterior novia de Dougie, que creo que fue una persona fundamental en su vida. Todavía no entiendo que pasó entre ellos dos para que se separasen y acabase con un polo tan opuesto a Lara como la cantante que actualmente es su novia.
Resumidamente: Si eres fan de McBusted, esto te va a encantar. Si únicamente eres fan de McFly puedes llevarte algún que otro chasco como me ha ocurrido a mí.
December 8, 2014
This is a must-read for fans of McBusted: McFly and Busted! It is packed with quotes and memories of the stories of this supergroup right from the early days right till the McBusted that perform sold out arena tours today and will make you feel as if you are alongside the boys every step of the way. I loved this book so much and I would highly recommend it!
Thank you so much to the author, Jennifer Parker, for writing this fantastic book and of course, the McBusted boys for creating the awesome songs we all know and love!
Thank you so much to the author, Jennifer Parker, for writing this fantastic book and of course, the McBusted boys for creating the awesome songs we all know and love!
March 12, 2021
"This is the start of the future, you know. We never thought it would be this big..."
Let me start of by saying that I love both McFly and McBusted very much. Which, at this point, is the only reason this book even got two stars from me.
Maybe I expected too much going into this, but I came out of it disappointed. There wasn't really any new information at all, and most of the things that are described are taken from books (written by the guys themselves) or major interviews and documentaries. It doesn't really do anything apart from listing it all in one story.
And I wouldn't even go as far as saying that it's well made. The writing style consistently felt forced, switching between historical documentation and weird novel-like moments that just didn't really make much sense to me. It all just felt like big ginormous jumbled mess of information, which is ordered somewhat chronologically but not even in a very good way.
Also. The amount of times I have now read the phrase "little Dougie Poynter" is actually somewhat concerning. Especially when talking in reference to his drink and drug addiction, it just really wasn't suitable at all.
Overall, I really didn't like this book. It was fine and I'll give it two stars because of the collection of the band's history, but any more than that would be tipping the boat. The best way I can describe my feelings on this book are that it didn't really feel right. It didn't fit the bands' styles and it was overall just not informative enough.
It might be better suited for new fans, but even then I would rather recommend reading Unsaid Things by McFly and then watching a bunch of McBusted interviews and you'll have a better understanding of who these guys are than by reading this.
Actual rating: 1.8 stars
Let me start of by saying that I love both McFly and McBusted very much. Which, at this point, is the only reason this book even got two stars from me.
Maybe I expected too much going into this, but I came out of it disappointed. There wasn't really any new information at all, and most of the things that are described are taken from books (written by the guys themselves) or major interviews and documentaries. It doesn't really do anything apart from listing it all in one story.
And I wouldn't even go as far as saying that it's well made. The writing style consistently felt forced, switching between historical documentation and weird novel-like moments that just didn't really make much sense to me. It all just felt like big ginormous jumbled mess of information, which is ordered somewhat chronologically but not even in a very good way.
Also. The amount of times I have now read the phrase "little Dougie Poynter" is actually somewhat concerning. Especially when talking in reference to his drink and drug addiction, it just really wasn't suitable at all.
Overall, I really didn't like this book. It was fine and I'll give it two stars because of the collection of the band's history, but any more than that would be tipping the boat. The best way I can describe my feelings on this book are that it didn't really feel right. It didn't fit the bands' styles and it was overall just not informative enough.
It might be better suited for new fans, but even then I would rather recommend reading Unsaid Things by McFly and then watching a bunch of McBusted interviews and you'll have a better understanding of who these guys are than by reading this.
Actual rating: 1.8 stars
October 25, 2018
I've slowly and painfully been reading this book since my dad bought it in a 3 books for £1 deal at a charity shop - he really wanted one book, liked the look of another and found this to make the deal worth it - almost a year ago.
This is a nice biased take on the adventure of McBusted. It's not one for the realists who knew people who knew people and fangirled their way through the gossip and stories during the heyday of both bands.
This is a nice biased take on the adventure of McBusted. It's not one for the realists who knew people who knew people and fangirled their way through the gossip and stories during the heyday of both bands.
March 10, 2016
When I was 21 I was coming home from college (the second time for me, having completed a BTec in Performing Arts I had taken a year out and then gone back to college to study A Levels…not important to the story but I’m just offering a little context) and I received a heartbreaking text from my best friend. My favourite group had split up. Busted were no more.
Some people laughed and told me to get a grip of myself but I was genuinely devastated by the news. Everyone has that one group, you know; that one group that they fall blindly in love with. No one could say anything negative about them. I would defend them until I had basically scared and ranted the hater into submission (this happened quite recently to a member of staff that works in the same school as I – he won’t look me in the eye now…I know it is through fear!).
Before Busted came onto the pop scene the music was terrible. I was tired of listening to Fast Food Rockers and sugary novelty pop. Here came a band that wrote their own music and lyrics and performed live. It was pop at its best. It did so much for the indie craze that followed. It got young people into guitar music again. I will forever be thankful to Busted for doing that.
Anywho, I digress. In 2013 McBusted was born and I got to see two thirds of my favourite band team up with another band that I love and become a superband. It was magical. I know that sounds completely cheesy but anyone who had hoped, prayed and begged to a deity that they would get to see some form of Busted again knows exactly how I feel.
In Jennifer Parker’s book McBusted: The Story of the World’s Biggest Superband, the writer chronicles the history of both bands and the present day excitement of the McBusted and you know what. She bloody nails it.
The respective stories of these six individuals are amazing, from humble beginnings, to heartache and strife and drug abuse to reality TV shows. For people who are relatively young they have lived a life worth reading about. You find yourself chuckling away to yourself throughout McBusted: The Story of the World’s Biggest Superband but there are times of genuine sadness that did bring a tear to my eye. In part, this was probably brought on through nostalgia and rose-tinted spectacles but a lot of it was because of the hopelessness of certain situations.
What comes across more than anything is that Jennifer Parker is a genuine fan of both Busted and McFly. Both bands have not been excluded from negative press coverage whose main goal is to belittle them both and diminish their achievements to cheap pop fodder. For that, I personally thank Parker – you did good, kid!
McBusted: The Story of the World’s Biggest Superband by Jennifer Parker is available now.
You can follow Jennifer Parker (@McBustedBook) on Twitter.
Some people laughed and told me to get a grip of myself but I was genuinely devastated by the news. Everyone has that one group, you know; that one group that they fall blindly in love with. No one could say anything negative about them. I would defend them until I had basically scared and ranted the hater into submission (this happened quite recently to a member of staff that works in the same school as I – he won’t look me in the eye now…I know it is through fear!).
Before Busted came onto the pop scene the music was terrible. I was tired of listening to Fast Food Rockers and sugary novelty pop. Here came a band that wrote their own music and lyrics and performed live. It was pop at its best. It did so much for the indie craze that followed. It got young people into guitar music again. I will forever be thankful to Busted for doing that.
Anywho, I digress. In 2013 McBusted was born and I got to see two thirds of my favourite band team up with another band that I love and become a superband. It was magical. I know that sounds completely cheesy but anyone who had hoped, prayed and begged to a deity that they would get to see some form of Busted again knows exactly how I feel.
In Jennifer Parker’s book McBusted: The Story of the World’s Biggest Superband, the writer chronicles the history of both bands and the present day excitement of the McBusted and you know what. She bloody nails it.
The respective stories of these six individuals are amazing, from humble beginnings, to heartache and strife and drug abuse to reality TV shows. For people who are relatively young they have lived a life worth reading about. You find yourself chuckling away to yourself throughout McBusted: The Story of the World’s Biggest Superband but there are times of genuine sadness that did bring a tear to my eye. In part, this was probably brought on through nostalgia and rose-tinted spectacles but a lot of it was because of the hopelessness of certain situations.
What comes across more than anything is that Jennifer Parker is a genuine fan of both Busted and McFly. Both bands have not been excluded from negative press coverage whose main goal is to belittle them both and diminish their achievements to cheap pop fodder. For that, I personally thank Parker – you did good, kid!
McBusted: The Story of the World’s Biggest Superband by Jennifer Parker is available now.
You can follow Jennifer Parker (@McBustedBook) on Twitter.
January 8, 2015
This books is a must have for any McFly, Busted or McBusted fan. It chronicles the life of each members childhood and how they got into their respective bands and their ultimate collaboration. From reading the book, you get a great sense of each of their personalities, struggles they went through and their love of music. All 6 members were constantly working with each other at a young age writing songs and it's great to read that they have always been together even if not in a professional way.
As someone who is a huge fan of McFly, I liked that I could finally learn a bit more about Matt and James and want they went through when Busted split up. The only reason I gave 4 stars is because most of McFly's information is taken from their biography which I have already read so in that respect it's a bit repetitive but for new fans or those who haven't read 'Unsaid Things' this is perfect! All the similarities between members as they grew up made their whole lives seem like fate or destiny - they HAD to be doing what they are doing, nothing else would have worked. Matt and Tom went to the same school, Matt and Danny played the same songs when honing their guitar playing, James and Tom both played Oliver - only missing each other by a couple of years! Even Harry's friends from school called McFly McBusted because they were seen as Busted's child. My favourite definitely has to be convincing Danny to use the name McFly. He was unconvinced until he watched Back To The Future and saw D.Jones on the side of one of the trucks in the film - FATE!
This book is great for anyone who is a fan of either bands or McBusted. I learnt even more about the band even though I knew a lot already. It's cleverly written and very well researched. Even non fans should read it, if only to see that McBusted shouldn't be considered a 'boy band' but are genuinely great people who make amazing music that should be noticed!
As someone who is a huge fan of McFly, I liked that I could finally learn a bit more about Matt and James and want they went through when Busted split up. The only reason I gave 4 stars is because most of McFly's information is taken from their biography which I have already read so in that respect it's a bit repetitive but for new fans or those who haven't read 'Unsaid Things' this is perfect! All the similarities between members as they grew up made their whole lives seem like fate or destiny - they HAD to be doing what they are doing, nothing else would have worked. Matt and Tom went to the same school, Matt and Danny played the same songs when honing their guitar playing, James and Tom both played Oliver - only missing each other by a couple of years! Even Harry's friends from school called McFly McBusted because they were seen as Busted's child. My favourite definitely has to be convincing Danny to use the name McFly. He was unconvinced until he watched Back To The Future and saw D.Jones on the side of one of the trucks in the film - FATE!
This book is great for anyone who is a fan of either bands or McBusted. I learnt even more about the band even though I knew a lot already. It's cleverly written and very well researched. Even non fans should read it, if only to see that McBusted shouldn't be considered a 'boy band' but are genuinely great people who make amazing music that should be noticed!
February 2, 2015
I was a hugely massive Busted fan and then became a hugely massive McFly fan and the fact that they are now McBusted (minus Charlie but who cares about him anyway?!) BLEW. ME. AWAY!
I LOVE THEM.
THE OMFG TOUR WAS MIND BLOWING!
THE MCBUSTED ALBUM IS BRILLIANT!
I WANT TO MEET THEM AND WATCH BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH THEM AND DOCTOR WHO AND STAR WARS AND....
I JUST LOVE THEM OKAY!!
I LOVE THEM.
THE OMFG TOUR WAS MIND BLOWING!
THE MCBUSTED ALBUM IS BRILLIANT!
I WANT TO MEET THEM AND WATCH BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH THEM AND DOCTOR WHO AND STAR WARS AND....
I JUST LOVE THEM OKAY!!
May 11, 2015
Dougie: "where do babies come from?"
Tom: "I'll show you afterwards."
Harry: "Don't show him!!!"
This book just gave me more reasons to love these talented musicians. (I'd say men, however their mental age is debatable...)
Tom: "I'll show you afterwards."
Harry: "Don't show him!!!"
This book just gave me more reasons to love these talented musicians. (I'd say men, however their mental age is debatable...)
December 28, 2014
The book was amazing! It showed the lives of the band in great detail and was very emotive. It even made me, one the least emotional people, almost cry.
January 2, 2015
fantastic. could happily read about these boys constantly
February 1, 2015
A must have book for any busted/mcfly fan - I loved it from start to finish - really well written going deep into the lives behind the stardom
January 19, 2015
Let's be real, was I really not going to love this book?
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews