REVIEW: The Script, BIC, Bournemouth

HAVING had a rough time of it over the past year or so with founder member Mark Sheehan passing, The Script are back as a four piece with touring musicians Ben Sargeant and Ben Weaver now officially part of band.

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Having released their seventh studio album, Satellites, earlier this year the band are undertaking a world tour of the same name. The support act is Tom Walker who gave a thumpingly impressive 45-minute set of songs which had the packed audience singing along especially with set closer Leave The Light On. I, for one, shall make a point of seeing him next time he tours.

After a short interval you could almost taste the excitement within THE Windsor Hall as The Script took to the . The opening bars of You Won’t Feel a Thing saw the band appear on stage one by one and finally Danny snaking his way through the audience from the back of the arena to join them. An entrance that built even more anticipation - if that’s possible! Superheroes and Rain followed with Danny strutting back and forth across the stage in a red and black sequinned outfit clearly enjoying being in the hall as much as the audience.



The Script are renowned for their strong fan connections and tonight was no exception with Danny joining the audience during Rain and offering the mike to eager fans to singalong. The first offering from the new album was Both Ways during which Danny introduced the band members each receiving huge cheers. The hits just kept on coming and after more classic Script numbers including The Man Who Can’t Be Moved and Millionaires, Danny introduced If You Could See Me Now which he and Mark originally wrote about the passing of their parents.

He dedicated this to Mark and other family and friends who have passed. The show included huge video screens which ran the complete width of the stage and integrated close ups of the band with various scenes which I couldn’t work out if they were associated with particular songs or just fine art. Either way they provided a great backdrop.

After a brief introduction to Nothing, a song about ex’s, Danny performed from the audience, again offering the mike to fans to sing along. A wow moment and great photo opportunity for the thousands of phones which were continually held aloft was a shower of confetti across the audience to accompany the green stage lighting for the patriotic Paint the Town Green. Danny joined the rest of the band each with a drum hung from their shoulders marching and drumming across the front of the stage.

The final song of the main set For The First Time followed a request for Danny for everyone to take out their phones and turn the torches on. The crowd in fine voice shouting the words back at the band which was continued as a demand for an encore as the band left the stage. Cheers and screams met the return of the quartet for a three number encore including Breakeven and Hall of Fame.

The latter was accompanied by pyrotechnics and streamers shot high across the Windsor Hall making sure we all went home with great memories of a great night out. The Script are a great advert for the merits of a band and the great songs that can be produced with multiple artistic inputs. They have a persona of a group of mates having a great time delivering an infectious sense of fun.

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