The Script, Liverpool
Review Date: February 20 2020
Format: Concert
Genre: Pop Rock
Performance: February 20 2020
Location: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Duration: 150 Mins w/ Support (100 Mins For Main Show)
Age Rating: Under 14’s Must Be Accompanied By An Adult
Undoubtedly talented musicians with honest and relatable lyrics, The Script gave an exceptional performance on the opening night of their fifth tour, Sunsets & Full Moons, at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena. The Script warmed the arena with their musical and visual creativity and their genuine appreciation of fan support; a truly stunning, authentic performance.
The Script, Liverpool – Description
To give their support act a well-deserved mention, Becky Hill brought not only a gorgeous, confident vocal but a fun, upbeat energy. She demanded the attention of the whole arena with her getting-the-party-started, sassy but sweet vibe. She performed two of her most popular tracks I Could Get Used To This and I Wish You Well, which both received a brilliant response, with the crowd both singing and dancing along to these high energy, party hits. After slightly fluffing up her lyrics at one point, she made a joke and laughed at herself, which I actually found to be a nice touch as she didn’t take herself too seriously and clearly appreciated the opportunity to perform to an arena full of excited fans. She gave a vibrant performance.
The concert started in darkness with a heart-like beating of light building the anticipation of the band’s reveal. They appeared in front of a starry screen and opened with the strong keyboard riff of Something Unreal, the first track of their latest album. A second, rounded screen slowly tilted upwards above the stage to face the audience, revealing the image of a moon, and stopped at a slight downward angle, creating a magical feeling of being beneath the moon and stars. Golden confetti fell over the crowd only adding more dazzle to the magical atmosphere. After welcoming everyone to the Sunsets and Full Moons tour the background changed to a purple hue, showing a lake surrounded by mountains and the second screen in front showed a closer view of the individual members of band. Other bright and bold backgrounds were used to reflect the feel of the music with a clear solar theme throughout- fitting with their new album and tour title.
The audience was mixed, with all types of people enjoying the performance- there were groups of friends of a variety of ages, couples and families with children. All seemed to be enjoying the brilliant atmosphere. Some audience members stayed seated at times, appreciating the professionalism and beauty of the music, where others were standing and dancing along with the band. They played a fantastic repertoire including their big hits Rain, Superhero and Hall Of Fame, along with favourites from their latest album like The Last Time, Hot Summer Nights and their latest single Run Through Walls (performed, uniquely, from almost within the audience, behind a lower block in between the two tiers), and well-loved picks from their earlier albums. They didn’t abandon their older hits – much to the audience’s delight- playing a rather emotional, creatively stripped-back performance of The Man Who Can’t Be Moved from the B Stage, where a giant moon hung low above them. Breakeven and For The First Time were to follow later on, closing the concert on a rather moving, nostalgic note.
The Script, Liverpool – Analysis
First and foremost, the musical talent of The Script is unquestionable. Their vocals are gorgeous, with warm tones and the lovable Irish accent woven through their music, giving it an authentic, natural style, different from other pop rock bands. We were treated to their complementary harmonies and the mini rap sections in a couple of their songs adds an extra dimension to their music; arguably quite surprising to the ears of new listeners who may be expecting a typical pop rock genre, but not to those who know and love this not-your-average, multi-talented band. Their professionalism as a band is second to none, yet they still manage to encourage a relaxed, casual and intimate atmosphere. Their catchy keyboard and guitar riffs and punchy drums combined with their honest, heartfelt, almost gritty lyrics concoct a powerfully moving concert experience. Their performance was full of heart and as the audience you seemed to feel their down-to-earth characters on the stage. They were clearly grateful for the support of their fans and their success as the lead singer, Danny, introduced their first hit song as the one that “…introduced us to you guys, put a roof over our heads and a shirt on our back” which created a truly beautiful moment.
The show was emotionally varied, with moments of full, high energy, jumping and dancing, then gentler moments of a more chilled-out, relaxed mood. Their audience interaction as a band was brilliant, and one particular comedic moment where an audience member’s ex-boyfriend was serenaded over FaceTime had the whole arena entertained! They high-fived fans as they walked between stages and the lead singer walked up and down the side aisle singing and filming himself with surrounding fans in the background whilst the live footage played out on the overhead screen.
The visual effects were dynamic! They used vibrant lighting which enhanced the almost spacey mood, creating illusions of warm sunsets, fiery galaxies and starlit skies. During their powerful performance of Hall Of Fame, there were strobe-like lights bouncing from the stage out into the arena like light reflections bouncing off a mirror, forming patterns on the ceiling. They performed a gorgeous, stripped-back set at the B stage, with a giant moon above the stage and warm, mellow lighting creating a rather intimate, campfire-like feel with a genuine, emotional quality to the performance. It isn’t unexpected for confetti to fall at a concert, but these bursts of confetti felt particularly exciting! Perfectly timed with the music, golden flakes swirled around above the audience during the opening song. Similarly during the last, and rather special, performance of the night, For The First Time, silver confetti puffed out from the stage and twinkled brightly around the arena like stars as fans looked up (some spinning around with arms up in the air) mesmerised, reaching out to catch them.
Summary
The Script’s Sunsets and Full Moons tour is beyond brilliant: an incredible, magical moment. This exciting musical escape is an experience not to be missed!
Notes
Target Audience: Teens-40s
Content: Occasional Strong Language
Recommendation?: Yes
Overall Rating: 10/10- Perfect
For further information about The Script’s next upcoming tour, click here!
