McFly: 10 Years.

I have to be honest and admit that the idea for this blog post was stolen from Amy, so I really hope that she doesn't mind me taking the idea from her blog post on the subject, which you can read here.

My journey with McFly started from day one - their first TV appearance on CD:UK. I watched CD:UK every week religiously on a Saturday morning when I was staying over at my Nan's house. I remember wondering who the hell they were, and then loving every second of it when they played their first single, 'Five Colours In Her Hair'. It was 6th December 2003, yet I remember it like it was yesterday. I loved them from day one. At just 11 years old, I didn't know that my life was about to be sculpted by a band.

You can watch their first TV appearance below.

I was in love with them from that day on. It was my Dad who actually bought me the singles of 'Five Colours In Her Hair' when it was first released and he purchased them from Woolworths - that shows how long ago it was! I remember purchasing their first album, 'Room On The Third Floor' from Safeway (again showing how long ago it was).

My best friend saw them when they supported Busted on tour and she rang me so that I could hear them. I wanted to go to their first ever tour in 2004 but the nearest venue was Wolverhampton Civic Hall. It was just an hour's drive from my house but my Mom refused to take me, as she didn't want to 'waste money on a band that I'd grow out of in a couple of months'. We never went to the tour and to this day, my Mom says she regrets not taking me.

The first time I actually got to see McFly live was 3rd September 2004 at Blackpool Illuminations. I'd begged and pleaded my parents to take me but they kept saying no. I was upset. On the day that they were playing in Blackpool, they told me we had to go to Manchester to pick up a lorry for Dad's work. They asked me whether I wanted to go or if I wanted to stay at my Nan's. I decided to go, and aren't I glad that I did! We stopped off in Blackpool and my parents said it was to get something to eat. I thought, how can they possibly be this mean to me? It turns out, we weren't going to Manchester at all - we were there to see McFly! We spent the day queueing and got 10th row. It was absolutely amazing and I cried my eyes out through the whole thing.

I treasured that day and never stopped talking about it. I felt so privileged and so lucky that I'd been to see my favourite band. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to see them on tour. Then, my 12th birthday arrived in November 2004 and I opened a card off my parents which I thought was strange as I'd already received a card from them. When I opened it, two tickets to the McFly tour fell out of it and onto my lap. I screamed the house down!

We went to that gig on 15th September 2005 at the Birmingham NEC (now LG arena). I went with my Mom. We were on the side tiers but right at the front and Danny climbed up the barrier right in front of me. I screamed that I loved him and he shouted, "I love you too!"

In December 2005, (I can't remember the specific date), various websites for magazines had boxes where you could ask McFly a question in their upcoming interview. For the life of me, I can't remember which magazine that mine appeared in, but this sprung up both online and in a magazine;

I became friends with a girl who I now hate, but when McFly announced that they were playing at Newmarket Racecourse on 21st July 2006, she gave me the opportunity to go. Of course, I snapped it up! I didn't know then that her Nan worked there. On the day, we got there early and we were allowed straight in due to her Nan working there. We were let in before even the VIPs! We were chilling by the front of the stage, the only ones around, when we looked to the left and saw, you guessed it, McFly! They were just chilling out on the steps. I didn't feel like we could go over and interrupt until Tom waved and gestured for us to go over, so we did. Dougie didn't say anything for the whole time we were there and Harry was on the phone, but Tom and Danny were as chatty as anything. I freaked out every time Danny spoke and I tripped over... Luckily, Tom caught me but him, Danny and Dougie all laughed at me! We had to explain to them how we'd got in because they were very confused, and when we explained about my friend's Nan, we pointed to her. Danny stood up, waved to her and shouted "Hi Nan!" I will never forget it. Tommy and Neil were there too. We were with them for about 10 minutes before Dougie, Danny and Harry (who waved goodbye even though he was on the phone) went off with security, presumably to go backstage, but Tom stayed talking to us for a further half an hour! We got a photos with him (I regret not getting photos with the other boys now but I was too nervous to even think about it at the time!) and he signed my book. He also asked who our favourite member of McFly was and we both said Danny (sorry, Tom). He said he would tell him! We ended up being second row during the gig itself.

The rest of 2006 was when I started seeing McFly regularly. First of all, I went to the tour both nights at Birmingham NEC (19th and 20th September 2006) which was fantastic, and then I went to my first ever signing. It was the Star Girl signing and we got to HMV at The Fort in Birmingham at 6am to get wristbands. We met them around 6pm the same evening, and Tom remembered me as 'The girl from Newmarket who fancies Danny"!

I saw them three more times that year. Once at the Birmingham Christmas Lights on 11th November 2006 and then twice at Butlins in Minehead on 25th November 2006, just days before my 14th birthday.

2007 began with three gigs on the same tour. Wolverhampton Civic Hall (28th March 2007), Leicester De Monfort Hall (28th April 2007) and Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall (5th May 2007) which was an eventful gig, as we traveled for hours and then queued for ten hours with no food or drink. I got onto the second row, got crushed and somehow ended up hitting the barrier, where I broke my ribs, collapsed and got dragged out. However, I ended up sitting on the amp cases at the side of the stage as paramedics tried to take me to hospital and I refused. It gained me a little wave from Tom. That gig was awful. I've never seen so many people being pulled out and rushed to hospital.

This was followed by more McFly events in the same year. The next was a signing, again at HMV at The Fort in Birmingham (10th May 2007), followed by their performance in Weston Super Mare at T4 On The Beach on 22nd July 2007. I then traveled to Blackpool to see them again at the Illuminations on 31st August 2007 but unfortunately, Tom wasn't there.

This is a video of me meeting McFly on 10th May 2007. You can see how rushed the signing was, and how mean the security guard was not letting me hug Danny.

The next tour saw me going to Wolverhampton Civic Hall (27th September 2007), Leicester De Monfort Hall (2nd October 2007) and the Birmingham NEC (30th November 2007). In between those dates, I went to another signing at HMV at The Fort (23rd October 2007) and saw them at the Birmingham Christmas Lights again (10th November 2007).

This is a video of another rushed signing on 23rd October 2007 where Tom was missing. Unfortunately, my Mom missed the beginning of the video where Danny yawned in my face!

That Birmingham NEC tour date (30th November 2007) was my first Meet and Greet with McFly. I won a competition and got to go backstage with them which was epic enough, but it was made even more awesome by it being a few days after my 15th birthday and it being Dougie's birthday on the day! All I really remember is Tom hugging me for AGES, Dougie asking if I needed him to call me an ambulance because I was shaking so much - he was really concerned - and Danny saying "Do you want me to sign in the square?" as I asked them to sign a piece of paper which I had folded into four, just to fit into my bag!

And this one with Tom in the middle of the McFly Street Teamers, as we got a lot longer with the boys than the ordinary winners did. You can just see me on the far right, facing the opposite way...

The first time I saw McFly in 2008, I met them. It was on Brighton Beach when they did Vodafone TBA on 10th August 2008. I was second row from the front and to this day, it remains one of the best gigs that I've ever been to. McFly walked past us round the back after. Tom and Danny literally ran past without stopping for anyone - how rude! I got a photo with Dougie but my Dad took the picture and didn't actually take it. To this day, I bring it up whenever he upsets me. I won't let him live it down. If it wasn't for my friend letting me in her picture, I wouldn't have even got a picture with Harry that day, as we had the group one first and then I asked if I could take a quick one of just the two of us on my phone.

I saw them then at Belvoir Castle in Grantham on 16th August 2008 where I was really near the back but had a great time anyway, before meeting them at the Radio:Active signing in Asda in Derby on 26th September 2008 - see video below.

I then went on to see them at BBC Switch's under 16 event at Hammersmith Apollo on 12th October 2008, before going to their tour four times. Birmingham NEC Arena (14th November 2008) where I was dressed in pyjamas to raise money for Children In Need, Bournemouth International Centre (15th November 2008), Nottingham Arena (21st November 2008) and last but by no means least, Wembley Area (27th November 2008) on my 16th birthday.

Unfortunately, I did not meet McFly in 2009 but I did see them live three more times. These were on tour at Wolverhampton Civic Hall (21st April 2009) and Leicester De Monfort Hall (9th May 2009), before seeing them again on 20th June 2009 at Sherwood Pines Forest in Mansfield.

Seeing them in 2010 began with their radio tour. I was gutted as they were going near my hometown but I was on holiday in Weymouth. Then I found out they were going to Bournemouth on 2nd August 2010 so we went in hopes of meeting them! Here is a video of them arriving. (Sorry it's in a different format to the others, it's the only way it would let me post it!)



There wasn't much conversation when they came back out afterwards because there were quite a lot of people there but I got the following pictures with them.

The first time I got a tweet off one of them was on 13th August 2010 and it was off Harry. This is what was said...



I met them again at a signing at HMV in The Fort, Birmingham on 6th September 2010 which I skipped my first day at sixth form for. I befriended a security guard and got to go around twice, which I think I deserved after we were visited by drug dealers during the camp out the night before who wanted blowjobs in exchange for drugs that we didn't want. The police came with dogs and everything - it was quite a scary experience! I met Harry and Danny again the day after. Danny loved my Dad because he said he was good at football (they were like best mates!) and both Danny and Harry asked if I was at the signing in Birmingham the day before... Oops!

The only time I saw them live that year was 23rd October 2010 at Manchester MEN Arena, but I met Tom and Danny again on 15th November 2010 and received a tweet off Harry on the same day whilst I was waiting in the queue outside.



This is a video of Tom and Danny arriving at the signing.

I chatted to them for a while and told them that it was going to be my 18th birthday a week and a half later. They wished me a happy birthday and Danny agreed to give me a birthday kiss on the cheek as long as I gave him one back afterwards. The following pictures happened, and then I refused to kiss him! I said "Why would I want to kiss you!?" and he acted all hurt. It was honestly one of the funniest meetings I've ever had with them.

(I know me and Tom look like shit in this picture but Danny looks too cute for me to not post it.)

In 2011, I saw them again on various occasions - Manchester MEN Arena (19th March 2011), Birmingham LG Arena (30th March 2011), Nottingham Arena (6th April 2011) - I also went to Danny's after party this night which was the first time I'd ever been in a night club and I was right at the front - Alton Towers (19th June 2011). This was the first year that Super City held annual meet and greets. The one that I went to was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Birmingham on 15th August 2011, and I went by myself. Danny remembered me. I was the first person to have my photo with him as he came to our corner and asked who wanted to go first. Nobody stepped forward so he pointed at me and said, "You can go first because I remember you. How are you doing?" It was such a good feeling!

I then saw them at Summer Sundae in Leicester on 14th August 2011 which was my 48th McFly gig and my first time being barrier. It was one of the best gigs of my life.

On 31st October 2011, Harry tweeted me a whopping eleven hours after I tagged him in a tweet.

Then on 30th November 2011, three days after my 19th birthday and on Dougie's birthday, Danny tweeted and retweeted me for the first time.

2012 saw me beating my record of four gigs in one tour with six gigs in one tour! I went to Manchester MEN Arena (10th March 2012), Oxford Center (11th March 2012), Birmingham O2 Academy (30th March 2012), Reading Assembly Rooms (6th April 2012), Leicester De Monfort Hall (15th April 2012) and Birmingham O2 Academy (19th April 2012) where I was on the barrier again, surrounded by strangers.

McFly held another Super City Meet and Greet which became the last. Security wouldn't let me get a photo with Danny, but he quickly grabbed my photos off them and signed them whilst trying to have a rushed conversation with me about how I was and how he hadn't seen me for a while. I was so upset that I didn't get a photo with Danny that I kicked off, but I got these photos with the other three on 21st July 2012 - exactly six years since the first time I'd met them.

I then went to see them at Hyde Park as part of the Olympics on 4th August 2012 where I got barrier again.

The only tweet I got that year was off Danny on 4th October 2012.

The last time I met McFly was on 30th October 2012 at WHSmith in Milton Keynes at the signing for their autobiography signing.  Tom and Dougie barely spoke but Harry called me his 'Chocolate eClair'. We were told strictly no hugs. Danny was signing my book signing 'Clare, Clare, Clare' because we had to write our names on a post it note in the book. Then he looked up and said, "OH MY GOD. HELLO. IT'S YOU! I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU FOR AGES! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN!?" And with that, he jumped over the signing table and gave me a huge hug, holding me so tight that you'd think he was my best friend. I literally couldn't speak. I was gob smacked, not only that he'd remembered me again, but that he made such an effort to come and hug me. It was, to this day, the best moment of my life.

I have not been able to see McFly much this year as I moved away to Newquay where I was working 48 to 60 hours a week so I had to miss out on the tour which broke my heart. However, before I left, I went to see them running at the Birmingham NIA on 3rd February 2013 for the TV programme, 'From The Heart'. I got Dougie's autograph and Danny gave me a thumbs up. (I know it was to me as I was the only person there at that time.)

On 5th February 2013, I got three tweets from Harry in the space of two minutes due to being his first sponsor for him running the London Marathon, one of which was telling his friends about me!

This was followed by Danny tweeting me on 13th February 2013, after the death of his Grandad and my uncle. This is probably the tweet that means the most to me as he barely tweeted around this time and didn't reply to anyone else for over a month.

Then Harry retweeted me some day in February after this, but I can't remember the exact date.

The last time I saw McFly was at their 10th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington on 20th September 2013. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go due to my injury. I ended up going in a wheelchair which wasn't ideal and I had to pay double what I'd paid for my original seats to change to a box that was wheelchair accessible but it was worth it! We had an amazing view and our box was empty apart from two other people, so I hopped down the steps and got to the front row of the box instead of the back, as I couldn't see from where I was sitting. I cried from the moment that I got in the box to around ten minutes after the concert. I could write in so much more detail about it but I'd be here forever, so you just need to know that it was the BEST and most emotional concert I'd ever been to in my whole life, and the pride that I felt towards them was unreal.

I've spent a decade - my entire teenage years and more - following McFly around the country. So far, I've seen them live 59 times and met them up to 17 times (some more than others). They've given me some of the best memories, experiences and friends that I could ever wish for and I could never thank them enough for what their music has done for me.

Clare
(twitter / instagram)
xxx