We’ve come to the year
2023: not much has changed but
Busted are bigger than ever. The trio –
James Bourne,
Charlie Simpson and
Matt Willis – sold almost
150,000 tickets for this autumn’s 20th anniversary and Greatest Hits tour in the blink of an eye, leading to the addition of another eleven arena shows to fulfil phenomenal public demand for tickets. As a result,
Busted will now play to a remarkable total of almost
300,000 fans throughout the tour. They’ve also featured on numerous primetime TV shows in recent weeks, including a
riotous performance on Ant and Dec’s ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’.
Now Busted share a new version of their song ‘Loser Kid 2.0’, which features Canada’s pop-punk heroes Simple Plan. The track is the first in a series of new take on Busted fan favourites which will be released this year, with future collaborations with McFly and All Time Low already confirmed. Listen HERE.
Matt says “Loser Kid has always been a favourite track of mine. It was the end of the first album and summed up that record. ‘Wore my sisters jeans’ is also a standout lyric from that time for me too. Still makes me laugh!”
James adds, “Loser Kid was always the sequel to our first single ‘What I Go To School For’. The second song in a 2 part story.”
‘Loser Kid 2.0’ provides a grittier, more layered update on the original with rasping vocals from Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvierproving to be the perfect complement to the Busted boys’ harmonies. It also features a brighter, bolder production with more aggressive percussion, crashing guitars and subtle synth textures. And its story is just as fun as ever, with the self-confessed loser kid coming good on his lustful ambitions, complete with throwbacks to Busted’s smash hit debut single ‘What I Go To School For’.
‘Loser Kid 2.0’ was written by Busted, and was produced by Phil Gornell.
Like Busted, Simple Plan excel at mixing the fun escapism of pop with a dash of super-energetic punk – a sound which has seen them sell 10 million albums, win multiple Juno Awards and build a following of almost 7 million monthly listeners at Spotify. The band’s debut single ‘Just A Kid’ shares a similar narrative to ‘Loser Kid’ and recently attracted a brand new audience to the band when their #imjustakid challenge at TikTok inspired 3.4 million video creations, including clips from Ed Sheeran, Usher, Hilary Duff and Venus and Serena Williams.
Busted’s extended 20th anniversary and Greatest Hits tour now features the following shows, with remaining tickets available HERE. Tickets for the shows in Dublin and Belfast have just gone on sale. The tour also features an essential line-up of special guests, with Hanson performing at all shows from September 9th onwards, and New Hope Club and The Tyneconfirmed for the entire tour.
SEPTEMBER
2nd – Plymouth, Pavilions (SOLD OUT)
3rd – Cardiff, International Arena (SOLD OUT)
5th – Swansea, Arena (SOLD OUT)
6th – Bournemouth, BIC (SOLD OUT)
7th – Brighton, Centre (SOLD OUT)
9th – Birmingham, Utilita Arena (SOLD OUT)
10th – London, The O2 (SOLD OUT)
12th – Bridlington, Spa (SOLD OUT)
13th – Newcastle, Utilita Arena (ADDED DATE)
15th – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena (SOLD OUT)
16th – Newcastle, Utilita Arena (SOLD OUT)
17th – Leeds, First Direct Arena (SOLD OUT)
19th – Aberdeen, P&J Live
20th – Glasgow, OVO Hydro (SOLD OUT)
22nd – Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena (SOLD OUT)
23rd – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena (ADDED DATE)
24th – Manchester, AO Arena (SOLD OUT)
26th – Cardiff, International Arena (ADDED DATE)
27th – London, The O2 (ADDED DATE)
29th – Birmingham, Utilita Arena (ADDED DATE)
30th – Manchester, AO Arena (ADDED DATE)
OCTOBER
1st- Glasgow, OVO Hydro (ADDED DATE)
4th – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena (ADDED DATE)
6th – Dublin, 3Arena (ADDED DATE)
8th – Belfast, SSE Arena (ADDED DATE)
10th – London, The O2 (ADDED DATE)
