Fancy a rummage round Danny’s bedroom? Or intruding on Tom writing a song? How about meeting McFly in person, bagging the best seats at their concerts or connecting with fans of the band from all over the world? Then sign up to Super City.
Super City is much more than a website. It’s a high-tech, high-concept super site set to revolutionise the relationship between a band and their fans. It’s a portal that works both ways, spills over into the real world and offers a future model for the piracy-hit music industry.
Two years in the making and funded by McFly themselves, Super City was inspired by graphic novels and interactive computer games. The site has citizens rather than visitors, whose aim is to increase their status, not by spending money, but by interacting with the band and other fans. By earning points, fans can achieve Gold Citizen status, which allows them to unlock further levels of band access.
“Super City doesn’t look or work like any other website,” says singer Tom. “It took two years because we started from scratch with both the design and the concept. We created new ways of interacting with fans and supplying them with music. We ignored all the old rules about what bands can and can’t do. With Super City, our fans never have to buy a McFly album again. They get unrivalled access to us. They get a say in what we play at shows and which songs we release. They can talk to us through the site or, if they reach a certain status, come early to our concerts and meet us.”
The idea for Super City took root when McFly discovered, almost by accident, how large a fanbase they had all over the globe. During their first spell with major label Universal, their albums were released only in Britain. When they went independent, they found they could sell out shows everywhere from Australia to South America – they shifted 12,000 tickets in Sao Paolo alone. When they took to Twitter, over 300,000 fans started following them.
“The idea was to create one place where fans from all over the world could get together and access as much McFly content as we can produce at the same time, wherever they live,” says the band’s manager Matthew Fletcher. “We’ve built a site that not only looks spectacular, but goes way beyond any other web experience. The boys aren’t precious about anything. Both personally and professionally, either bravely or foolishly, they will welcome fans into their lives through Super City.”
A subscription site that offers both monthly and annual memberships (£6 and £40 respectively), Super City will update its content on a daily basis. All citizens receive McFly’s new album, 'Above The Noise', on 1st November two weeks ahead of the release date, plus monthly content that will include acoustic songs, concert performances and exclusive covers. The site has a Super Community with a Facebook-style element so fans can interact with each other, a Twitter-like application called Chatter, a table where fans can post their own artwork or videos and a room from which McFly can video chat.
All four members of McFly have designed their own fantasy bedrooms, where they will post personal content. “With Danny, it might be dance remixes or he may run a competition to remix a track from a fan,” explains Fletcher. “I know Dougie has his lizards in his room, if anyone needs tips on breeding reptiles! Harry wants to document making over a fan’s bedroom. Tom, who is the main songwriter, is prepared to post demos through his audio player and even let fans eavesdrop on him songwriting. We will stream rehearsals live. If the boys have an argument, you’re going to see it. There may be a few regrets along the line.”
Super City launched yesterday on November 1st. The first 20,000 to sign up will be granted ‘Pioneer’ status, receiving the new album 'Above The Noise' download plus artwork, being first to see McFly’s 38 minute film 'Nowhere Left To Run' and a personalised, band-signed certificate, amongst other benefits. On the recent Before The Noise tour, Pioneers who had pre-ordered were granted VIP status at the gigs, with priority queueing, early access into the venue and the band coming out to meet fans after soundcheck. Next year, McFly will host meet and greet days unconnected to concerts for annual Pioneers in cities from Madrid and Manchester to Amsterdam and Sao Paolo.
Super City is about giving fans MORE than their money’s worth. “We want to give our amazing fans the ultimate fan experience” says Fletcher. It’s about moving the music industry on, but keeping music at its core. The only reason McFly are being so bold is because they believe in the music they’re making. But these days, fans want more than music for their money and that’s what Super City gives them.”
Fans can access Super City by visiting the bands website here.
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