HUNDREDS of McFly fans across Suffolk woke with their ears still ringing today after a night of pure pop genius.In a special double-bill the band returned to the county for a gig the fans thought they might never see.

HUNDREDS of McFly fans across Suffolk woke with their ears still ringing today after a night of pure pop genius.

In a special double-bill the band returned to the county for a gig the fans thought they might never see.

After the disappointment of the summer's cancellation the anticipation had built to fever pitch and the Regent's auditorium was fit to burst with screaming fans desperate to see their idols.

This was the moment they had been waiting many months for and they were not disappointed.

With a crash of drums and deafening guitar riffs McFly began to storm their way through songs from their most recent album Wonderland.

And although this was their second show of the evening they showed no signs of tiredness, racing around the stage bellowing at the top of their lungs.

It's amazing how roaring “Ipswwiiiiiiiich” down a microphone whips fans into a frenzy - even after the twentieth time.

Ultraviolet and The Ballad of Paul K were real crowd pleasers, while songs like Obviously and That Girl proved that the old favourites can't be beaten.

Throughout the gig fans crowded up against the front of the stage and the McFly boys were only too keen to interact, holding their guitars out over the crowd at every opportunity and grabbing the hundreds of hands thrust in their direction.

They also had some real fun with the array of items thrown on the stage which, bizarrely, included several sports socks, a banana and a large pair of Y-fronts which Tom then decided to wear over his trousers for the rest of the show.

It is this kind of intimacy, which fans would not have got during their arena tour, that helped to make the show that extra bit special. In the current musical climate where rock rules and pop is something of a dirty word McFly proved the two can be combined to very good effect.

Their covers of Greenday's American Idiot and The Killer's Mr Brightside attracted some of the loudest singing and frenzied pogo-ing of the night - although the latter was somewhat spoilt when they decided to launch in to a song about diarrhoea immediately afterwards!

By the sing-along finale even the parents who had remained resolutely in their seats throughout could not help but be roused in to standing.

Comic Relief hit All About You turned into a massive group hug as Tom encouraged everyone to put their arms around the person next to them and the night ended with their current single I Wanna Hold You before the fans drifted off in to the night to dream of their idols.

Let's hope it's not too long before they return - although this may be the last time for a long time that they play such a small venue if their current success continues.

N What did you think of the McFly gig? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk