The Script wants us to feel the comfort of the familiar, and judging by their Dubai Airshow Gala Dinner concert on Wednesday, it’s an uplifting place to be.
Their Sunsets & Full Moons Tour was put on hold in March 2020 owing to the pandemic, which left the Irish three-piece charting a course back to live performances.
It began last month with the release of Tales from The Script: Greatest Hits, a compilation encompassing their 14-year career thus far.
The private Dubai concert, held within the grounds of Atlantis, The Palm, served as an ample warm up gig in the lead up to their 2022 world tour.
So, what should fans expect?
While described as a greatest hits tour, what The Script offered in Dubai was something more stirring than back-to-back favourites.
Affable front-man and pianist Danny O'Donoghue didn’t want the group and crowd to merely go through the motions.
“It’s time for us to re-connect,” he said midway. “Haven’t we all missed this, being here together and sharing this moment?”
Indeed, while the Dubai crowd was not full of the dedicated fans that pack their arena shows, The Script have the charisma – and more importantly – the songs to appeal to everyone.
From the stirring balladry of The Man who Can’t Be Moved to the euphoric release of Superheroes and Hall of Fame, the group boast the material to summon the communal feeling we all need from a live performance.
And when will the UAE public come to the party?
Drummer Glen Power confirmed a plan is in the works. “There has been conversations about Dubai being part of the tour,” he told The National before the show.
“We first came here in 2011 and we've came back twice since. The crowds are great and we love the energy, so we hope we can make it happen.”
