The Script Write Up and Images in Shop

THE SCRIPT M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

February 20th 2020

Tonight it’s a sold out M&S Bank Arena for The Script on the opening night of their huge European Arena tour in promotion of their new long player, ‘Sunsets & Full Moons’,

The Script are big, huge in fact and if you don’t believe me these stats will back it up, 6 billion streams, 30 million single sales, 10.8 million album sales, over 12 million monthly Spotify listeners and 1.8 million ticket sales, not bad for an alt-pop trio from Dublin, Ireland.

So as the lights dim Danny O’Donoghue (vocals, piano, guitar), Mark Sheehan (vocals, guitars) and Glen Power (drums) take to the stage and the massive crowd welcome them like long lost heroes, and they kick the night off with “Something Unreal” and the huge radio hit “Superheroes” setting the tone for the night.

The Script will play 20 songs tonight across all there 6 long players, “The Man Who Cant Be Moved”, “For The First Time”, “Hall Of Fame”, “Rain”, “Breakeven” and as the night progresses I start to realize how many off their songs I am familiar with from the radio, TV adds, television programmes and movies, and they jump genres, alt pop, a little rock, hip hop and some quite middle of the road pop, but what is also evident is that they’ve embraced arena status with all the familiar trappings, from confetti cannons and pyro to computer graphics and extended catwalks, even taking to delivering a stripped-down mini-set in the seating area amongst the audience, like being down your local, well….nearly.

So even though I like my music a little more indie, a little more edgy a little more punk and a lot less middle of the road, I do have the ultimate respect for a band like the Script, yes they can be a little clichéd in parts and even a little formulaic if you want, but they write hits, big big hits and they put on a proper live arena show and they are at the top of their game right now, The Script are an admirable live act emotionally, connecting with their audience.

But with all that said the most important thing out of it all, is that everyone in the M&S Bank Arena, both young and old had a brilliant time and that’s where it all starts and ends as far as I am concerned.