Bridging the gap and breaking the mould

Yes they're boys and yes they're in a band- but if there's one thing Busted are not, it's a boy band.

Charlie Simpson, Matt Jay and James Bourne aren't in the habit of taking things too seriously. The boys from Busted are quite happy to admit that with songs containing lyrics like I asked you to dance at the disco but you said no The whole world was watching and laughing, On the day that I crashed and burned and Are you sure that youre mine, aren't you dating other guys? They aren't trying to change the world. There's no hidden subtext or political statements lurking behind their songs. All Busted are trying to do is sing about what they know and inject a bit of good humour into the proceedings- who after all can take So she may be thirty-three. But that doesn't bother me, Her boyfriends working out of town, So I find a reason to go round seriously? Despite the humour, Busted are very much the real deal and are keen to prove to anyone that will listen that they are a cut above the manufactured pop music that all too often dominates the British charts.

James is quick to warn doubters that Busted are a force to be reckoned with, to call us a boy band is seriously underrating us, he warns. Which is just as well, since Take That burst on to the scene in 1990 as Britains answer to New Kids On The Block, pop music in this country has come to resemble a production line of cloned bands, put together by management companies, pop svengalis and more worryingly reality TV shows. From Take That to Boyzone, 5ive to Westlife (with twelve number ones, the most successful boy band to date) via a few we'd all rather forget (mentioning no names 3SL and One True Voice), its been clear for a while that a breath of fresh air was more than needed to blow the cobwebs off a stagnated market.

When they first appeared on the scene in September 2002 you would have been forgiven for thinking that Busted were little more than another moneymaking gimmicks from the record companies. Their debut single What I go to school for was a cheeky tale of teenage infatuation and extracurricular activity. But since then their popularity and appeal has gone through the roof, and they have attained what few bands often do- credibility and acceptance from right across the music press, Smash Hits said they were set to kick some boyband butt with this rock-inspired masterpiece, whilst NME proclaimed them big balled, big chorused, big eyebrowedace.
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So what is so different about Busted? Well, for a start theres no gushing ballads about love with lyrics that donut make sense, take Sleeping with the Light On, a touching song about lost love with surprisingly mature lyrics like I feel her slipping through my fingers, Now shes gone, Im sleeping with the light on. There are certainly no matching outfits and unless you count the synchronised jumping theres definitely no dance routines. Busted are simply a band that arent trying to be anything more than the three average looking lads that they are.

Charlies bushy eyebrows may have gained a weird cult following, but what is so refreshing about the band is that they are happy to be skater boy meets overgrown schoolboy than pretenders to the rock god crown. Ironically though Busted ride the line between rock and pop very well- they have become the cross over kings- instead of being berated for their gimmicky lyrics the critics are lapping them up, Q magazine praised them for the inspired one liners and the Times newspaper were impressed by their catchy pop-tunes with a sense of humour.

With three number one singles, two best selling albums (Busted and A Present for Everyone have sold in excess of a million copies each) and having won two out of the three Brit Awards they were nominated for earlier this month (for Best Pop Act and British Breakthrough Act - beating off competition from The Darkness in the latter), Charlie, and James have carved out a niche for themselves in the market and brought something fresh and new to the pop table, proving that you can indeed have your cake and eat it.

Perhaps the biggest surprise about Busted is the fact that for all the gimmicks, they didnt begin life as the brainchild of a record company boss. Having spotted Matt singing karaoke (Oasis Donut Look Back In Anger apparently) a management company suggested he hook up with James (he two had actually already met on the audition circuit). Two members do not a band make, so they put and ad in the NME, Charlie answered and Busted were born.

The trio spent months writing and recording demos in a rundown studio in Londons Brick Lane before they were signed to Universal Island at the beginning of 2002. The bands self titled debut album made it into the top WHAT but quickly disappeared out of sight. Word of mouth proved itself to be a powerful force and once the second single Year 3000- a homage to time travel inspired by the Back to The Future films- was released in January 2003 and hit number two in the charts the album shot back up the charts and stayed inside the top ten for several months. The coveted number one came a few months later with You said no and with it Busted became the first act in UK chart history to have their first three singles debut at chart positions 3, 2 and 1. A sell-out tour followed and with it, in the space of a year Busted had cemented their place as one of the most exciting and refreshing acts around.

Having proved that they are so much more than a boy band, Busted have made it more than clear that they are in this for the long haul, I think weve got a bit more longevity, explains James, Boy bands dont have a hand in what they do. Busted are however aware that the pop business is a fickle one and that the band wont last forever, Thats a bridge well cross when we come to they say, before Matt adds At the moment people out there are loving it. I donut want to think of a time when they donut any more.

Busted may not last forever, but for now they are well and truly here to stay. After all they are something of a rare breed, a pop act unafraid to rock and a rock band not ashamed to embrace pop.

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