By Elizabeth Cotton,Indigo Jones,Mia O’Hare
Copyright walesonline
Busted star James Bourne has revealed he’s had to pull out of the band’s joint tour with McFly just a week before they were meant to take the stage at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on Tuesday, September 23. The two bands, who shot to stardom in the early to mid-2000s, previously joined forces as McBusted in 2013 , completing an arena tour the following year. They had recently announced that both groups would be embarking on a head-to-head tour designed to poach each other’s supporters. The singer took to social media t o share the sad news that he would no longer be able to take part in the tour due to his health. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . In a statement posted on Monday, September 15, James explained: “The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as l’ve been all year for this tour to begin, I’m really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows 🙁 “There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on the medical stuff for now. “I really hope I can be in a position to come back further down the line. It’s still going to. be an amazing show and I will miss being there! See you all as soon as possible.” The tour is due to conclude at the O2 Arena on 1 November. McFly’s Harry Judd remarked: “Won’t be the same without you dude. Hope you’re back on Tour asap.” Fans also expressed their support, with one writing: “Oh James, look after yourself. It won’t be the same but your health comes first. You’ll be missed so much”. Another fan commented: “So sad not to see you on Sunday, but of course health comes first. Wishing you a speedy recovery James”. When the tour was unveiled last year, Harry Judd told the Mirror: “We’ve been talking about this for years, it’s only now it’s the right time so it’s come together. The idea is that each band will perform, then we’ll come together to battle it out. “There’ll be laser beams shooting out of guitars, and at the end some kind of winner.” James added: “I love the idea of it being a McFly show, and then they sing Bubble Wrap – and the first you see of Busted is Charlie coming down from the ceiling like an angel, singing the chorus. “I’ve got a hundred of those ideas. I wanted to have the intro like in ET, with seven of us flying in on BMX bikes in the sky. That would be epic.” The tour will kick off in Birmingham tonight, September 16, before moving on to London’s O2 Arena. McFly and Busted are then scheduled to perform in Cardiff , Sheffield, Leeds, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester, Dublin and Belfast.
