91Èȱ¬

I've only two clear memories of the interviews themselves, one was Shane, and the other was the White Stripes. Jack and Meg were really cute, Jack was excited to be taking part in this great British institution and jibbered happily about some of the people who'd been on the show in the past. Meg, while smiling, said nothing from the start to the finish, beyond a very brief hello.

Then there was Shane. His visit to the Pops came during Boyzone's long 'career-break', and before his time on celebrity TV shows had really got started, so he was a little lost. We settled down to reminisce, and I made the mistake of assuming he was in on the joke that his and Keith's role in the band was largely just to look good.

"So, Shane," I began, "you'll have been to Top of the Pops many a time, right? And for most of your time here, you'll have been standing at the end of a line of five men, doing this..."

At which point I swept my right arm across my body and up in an arc, like a second hand in reverse, and then clicked my fingers when it reached shoulder height. Just like I'd seen Shane do over and over again when performning all of those Boyzone ballads. Westlife have nicked the move since, so even you youngsters will know what I mean.

Well, you'd have thought I had questioned his manliness, drawn a great big curly moustache on his face using a pooey compass, and hung Christmas tree baubles from his earring. He blustered a red-faced, grumpy reply, glaring and insisting that Boyzone's music meant everything to their fans and how I had no right to mock.

He was sort of right, thinking about it, even though his actual involvement in Boyzone's music was (and is) minimal. And he's the first person who came to mind when listening to McFly's latest, which is either a super-sarcastic slam at anyone who dares to dismiss the band out loud, but secretly rather likes them, or a super-sarcastic slam at the entire recorded music business, and everyone involved in it.

See what I mean? "Blah blah don't pretend you don't like us then dance to our music blah blah just because we're successful doesn't mean we suck blah blah we don't get the credit we deserve y'know blah blah and we can totally rock out if we wanna, listen blah..."

And again, they're not wrong to make these points. It's just that there are people who have always liked McFly as people, liked their music, supported them wherever possible, and generally thought of them as being Good Pop Stars To Have Around. Some of us even liked their cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Born To Run', and we're not even being ironic just to annoy the rocksnobs.

So it's just a tiny little bit annoying to witness McFly acting out for the benefit of people who were always going to preted to be a little bit too cool to like 'em. Do they think this is going to force these people to change their ways? It's not. And it makes them look a little petty, a tad snide, and perhaps (if I'm feeling uncharitable) a smidge desperate?

Just as well it's rowdy,eh? Or we'd have a bigger mess on our hands than Shane Lynch's side project with Keith Duffy. Now that WAS something to get huffy about...

Download: Out now
CD Released: July 14th

(Fraser McAlpine)