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Concert review: Changing The Script


To be completely honest, I had low expectations for The Script’s latest show in Manila last Friday night. It was their third time in the country in six years, and the two previous concerts (both of which I saw) were memorable for the massive support and love local audiences showered upon the Irish trio. I thought, how could they top the last one, back in 2013, when they completely sold out Araneta Coliseum?

It turns out the band has more tricks up its sleeve, and this last show is the best they’ve done yet.

 It started with the entrance. Glen Power, Mark Sheehan and Danny O’Donoghue were accompanied by more than a dozen fans waving green flags as they paraded down the floor up to the stage before seguing to the first song, “Paint The Town Green.”

The stage itself was bathed in green lights and the humongous LED screen was awash in green “paint.” It was obviously an homage to their Irish roots, but I thought it was poignant and symbolic of them to begin the show from the audience, which is made up of hardcore fans who catapulted them to become the superstars they are now.

“You guys make us feel so at home here,” Danny said. “Thank you for making us feel like we’re the biggest band on the planet.”

This visit is in support of their latest album No Sound Without Silence, but the setlist was a satisfying mix of old and new favorites. “Hail Rain Or Sunshine” from the new album was followed by “Breakeven,” one of their first hits from their eponymous debut. Glen and Mark looked pretty much the same since the last I saw them, but Danny, who was wearing what looked like harem pants and a black vest that showed off toned arms, was sporting a much leaner frame.

Formed in 2001, The Script have since produced quite a collection of music that defies categorization. I suppose one can lump them into the generic pop-rock label, but I think that would be doing them a disservice because the band crosses genres so easily and so comfortably. I’m hard-pressed to think of any other group with such a diverse sound that’s so uniquely theirs.

One after the other they did “The End Where I Begin,” “Before The Worst,” “Superheroes,” a snippet of “We Cry” before launching into “If You Could See Me Now,” and “Man On A Wire.” Afterwards, guitarist Mark described how they used to do a gimmick on their next song which they have since stopped. He then asked the audience if they would like the band to do it again. I knew what was coming because they did the exact same thing the last time they were here, which was ask someone in the audience to call an ex-boyfriend of girlfriend and Danny would get the phone and sing “Nothing” to him or her. I still think it was pretty cheesy, but the crowd seemed to love it.

After “Good Ol’ Days,” the band moved to the B-Stage which was set-up on the floor closer to the audience and which had a barebones set-up of a piano, guitar and drums. Here the band did a tender version of “Never Seen Anything Quite Like You,” and stripped down version of their massive hit “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.”

From where I was standing close, I could see Danny visibly overwhelmed by the tremendous outpouring of admiration. “You guys gave us one of the best nights ever on tour,” he said. “Thank you so much.”

The frontman reappeared a few minutes later at the Lower Box section with about half a dozen security guys. He sang “You Won’t Feel A Thing” while carrying a remote camera that beamed his slow and steady progress through screaming, disbelieving audience members on to the big screen onstage.

A few overenthusiastic fans grabbed and groped, but security elbowed and shoved them aside. Finally Danny made it back onstage, where they launched into “Six Degrees Of Separation,” “It’s Not Right For You” to end the regular set.

They came back out to do a four-song encore, including “The Energy Never Dies,” “For The First Time,” and “No Good In Goodbye.”

“The Script is all about moments,” Danny said. “Let’s create a moment right now.” He asked everyone to turn their mobile phone’s flashlights on, creating a surreal, twinkling galaxy inside the MOA Arena as they sang the finale “Hall Of Fame.”

“Music is here for you, whether you’re straight, gay, black or white, whatever. We have no way to thank you for the love, but we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing. And we promise it won’t be two years until we come back.” With the kind of adoration they’ve been getting from Filipino fans, I have no reason to doubt they will make good on that promise. — BM, GMA News

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