Jonathan Geddes

PLENTY of people scoffed when Charlie Simpson announced he was leaving pop heavyweights Busted to focus on rocking out.

A decade on and the singer's now set to mark Fightstar's 10th anniversary with a special show at the O2 ABC on Tuesday - a venue that brings back some painful memories.

"We've had some great shows at the Barrowlands, that's a fantastic place, and also at the ABC, because it's one of my favourite venues in the country," says Charlie, ahead of next Tuesday's gig.

"Last time there (in October 2009), though, I nearly broke my leg - I jumped off the stage at the last song, and didn't quite time it right, so I fell down at the grates in between the barriers and had to be carried off.

"That was probably my worst onstage incident ever, which is a shame because it was an amazing show."

Fightstar's return next week marks their first activity in the past few years, after they went on hiatus in 2010, with Charlie releasing two solo albums since then.

Now they're celebrating the fact they're still going on after 10 years, having to overcome a lot of doubters when they first appeared on the scene, with Charlie still considered the cheerful popster behind tunes like Year 3000.

The fierce sound of debut EP They Liked You Better When You Were Dead started to win over critics, though.

"There was so much apprehension when Fightstar came out, and people weren't sure what to think of it," he reflects.

"We definitely had an uphill climb to get to where we got to, and that makes it all the sweeter to do these shows, because we really fought hard to pave our way, and we came up against fierce sceptics along the way...

"This has been a time to look back and really appreciate what we've done and all the support we've had. We wouldn't have been able to do any of this without the fans."

Fightstar's return marks Charlie's second visit to Glasgow in a month, as he was playing King Tut's to support his recent solo album, Long Way Home, in January.

A stripped back, warm record, it's an album miles away from the heavy rock albums he's made in the past.

"It's definitely the happiest record I've written," he says.

"I wanted to make a warmer record sonically, which is why I wanted to work with Steve Osborne (producer), because I'd been listening to a lot of Laurel Canyon stuff, Jackson Browne, the Eagles and those records really speak to me with the way they sound.

"Lyrically it was just a case of being in a good place - I was getting married and I wanted to reflect that in the music."

Charlie's also soon to be a father, with a baby due in August, and mentions feeling content with his life.

That perhaps explains why he's recently become friends again with Matt Willis and James Bourne, his former partners in Busted.

He hadn't spoken to the duo until meeting up a couple of years ago to sign away his rights to the Busted name, letting the others carry on as the McBusted supergroup with McFly, a project that's had huge success.

While Charlie has no interest in joining them, they're on good terms again.

"We spent seven years out of contact," he says.

"Them doing this thing (McBusted) has opened up the channels of conversation and we've got that friendship back - it took a long time to come back around because I wanted to get away from it.

"But 10 years have gone past and I've got a different mental attitude, and some distance from it.

"At the time (of Busted) it was all so hectic, whereas now everything's chilled."

Things won't be chilled when Fightstar return next week.

They'll be playing a career-spanning set, but the foursome are already plotting a studio return to work on new ideas

"It's very much up in the air, but we're going to spend some more time together, starting with this tour," adds Charlie.

"Now I've finished the solo tour I can start looking ahead, and we'll start writing - we won't put stuff out for the sake of it, though.

"I've been doing the solo stuff for the past few years, where I don't scream, so I've had a lot of pent-up energy building up over the years.

"Scotland's definitely in for an energetic show."

Fightstar, O2 ABC, Tuesday, £15, 7pm