Rewriting the Script
SSE Arena Belfast Verdict: After the perils of lockdown the Dubliners return triumphant
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E’VE all been eagerly anticipating the return of inperson gigs after a long hiatus during the pandemic. But no one, it seems, was as keen to get back to performing as Danny O’Donoghue, frontman of Irish rock band The Script, who was visibly delighted to kick off the European leg of the band’s tour with two sold out Belfast shows at the SSE Arena.
After starting off strong with fan-favourite Superheroes followed by Rain and the band’s debut single We Cry, O’Donoghue told the cheering crowd of his delight.
‘What a feeling it is to be back doing shows again, looking into the whites of everybody’s eyes. What a moment. We needed it. You guys needed it,’ he said.
‘We’ve all been through hell and back. But do you know we’re here, we made it, we made it through. We’re here to entertain, we’re here to get drunk, we’re here to sing our asses off, we’re here to just remember what it is to be the people that we are.’
He lamented the events of the past two years as he introduced the only new track on the band’s greatest hits album Tales From The Script, I Want It All. The single, written during lockdown, was about ‘not settling for anything unless it’s everything’, O’Donoghue said, setting out the stall for The Script’s future as a band that demands no half measures.
It has been a tough time for musicians over the past two years and for a band who worked so hard to get to the top, being grounded was no doubt a torturous time of introspection. As a frontman, O’Donoghue has always worn his heart on his sleeve and time off the road afforded him time for reflection. He says he is finally learning to love himself after years of pretending to keep up with the celebrity image.
Peppering a live show with statements like ‘I was a rock star pretending I loved myself but I didn’t even know if I liked myself’ might seem a bit overdramatic to some but the band’s music has always been built on honesty between themselves and their fans, keeping their feet on the ground, staying close to their humble beginnings. Of course, that’s one of the reasons their fans adore them and it was clear O’Donoghue was being truthful about his delight at being back doing something he loves.
The 11,000 fans at the sold out show at Belfast’s SSE Arena were fizzing with excitement, hanging on O’Donoghue’s every world and and filling the arena with contagious energy throughout the five ‘acts’ the show was split into.
With no backing dancers, costume changes and little else when it came to staging — besides some slideshows in the background and the odd confetti shower — the main shift came between acts one and two when the band moved from the main stage to a round in the middle of the room.
Half-way through Paint The Town, with the lights turned green and the bass up high, they temporarily transformed into a marching band, walking slowly through the crowd, percussion instruments in tow, during a long instrumental interlude.
O’Donoghue then kicked off a strong second act with an intimate rendition of The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, admitting that the ‘hairs were standing up on the back of [his] neck’ as fans lit up the packed-out arena with the lights on their phones.
The lead singer certainly knows how to hold a crowd, and The
Script made the night a thousand times more special for a few fans when they relocated again for the third act, performing an emotional version of If You Could See Me Now (dedicated to ‘everybody who isn’t in this room today’), Nothing and Never Seen Anything from within the audience.
Ever the man of the people, O’Donoghue told the fans around him ‘don’t be afraid, come a little
closer’ and joked that there were only two rules: ‘Don’t rob my wallet, it’s got nothing in it anyway, and also please don’t touch the instruments but other than that it’s fair game.’
It was back to the stage for Act Four and I for one was delighted as it meant I had the band back in my sights again for a finale that included a fantastic performance of their aptly named first numberone single For The First Time.
The evening ended on a high with No Good in Goodbye, Breakeven and chart-topper Hall of Fame reminding me just how many iconic songs we have The Script to thank for.
It certainly was the best concert I’ve been to for a long time. With the combination of an incredible set-list and the personal touches from O’Donoghue, it didn’t need fancy costumes or over-the-top props to make it a truly entertaining show.
The weekend was particularly special for the band too as they welcomed back lead guitarist Mark Sheehan, who had been missing from the American leg due to family commitments.
‘We’re back,’ O’Donoghue said at the end of the show before hinting that it might not be too long to wait for new material and perhaps another tour.
Before that though, there are shows in Cork and Dublin to take care of, four in total but three, including Cork, are already sold out. If you’re quick, you might just get a ticket for The Script’s remaining 3Arena Show on June 16 for some passionate performances of hit after hit that you’ll surprise yourself by knowing all the words to.
THE Script play Dublin’s 3Arena on June 14, 15 & 16 and Cork’s Musgrave Park on June 19. There are a limited number of tickets for the June 16 show