While small venues offer fans an intimate and atmospheric show, something has to be said for arena tours: it allows bands more creativity and the opportunity to put on a huge performance. One of the biggest Irish bands in the world, The Script, offered this no holds barred approach to their fans on Thursday night at the Echo Arena. With spectacular light shows, explosions of confetti and their universally loved music too, the Irish trio raised the bar on performances for their ‘No Sound Without Silence’ tour.
British grime artist Tinie Tempah was a surprise addition as the support act, stepping in for Labrinth who was unable to play the show. A No.1 artist in his own right, Tempah had the crowds screaming and jumping for his top hits, ‘Pass Out’, ‘Trampoline’, ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’, and material from his new project, Youth.
With the audience sufficiently warmed up, Danny, Mark and Glen, made their way through the crowd in a procession of fans carrying growing green flags, to play ‘Paint the Town Green’, an ode to their Irish heritage. They raced through their set-list of tracks for all four albums, though a noticeable inclusion of tracks from their debut, including ‘Before The Worst’ and ‘Breakeven’. Danny was the ever-performing front man, barely taking a minute to breathe in between dancing around the stage, running down to the audience standing to pose for pictures, and even walking through the crowds with a Go Pro camera to film fans and allow them to sing along into the microphone.
In between songs, the band took the time to tell their fans how much they mean to them, by maintaining they wouldn’t be here without help from ‘the Script family’, and to thank them for standing by them for the past eight years. Half way through the show, they moved to a smaller stage in the centre of the arena to play a stripped back version of their first single, ‘The Man Who Can’t be Moved’ and looked visibly emotional when they finished as they surveyed the cheering fans in the 12,000 capacity arena. You could say Danny and his band were ‘moved’ by the experience.
After a four song encore, featuring ‘No Good in Goodbye’ and ‘Hall of Fame’, confetti and streamer explosions covered the arena in shiny paper and added to the euphoric atmosphere of the arena. After joining hands with their live musicians, the Script took their final bows and left the stage in a moment of triumph.
