On Saturday my husband and I headed into the city to catch The Script at Newtown’s Enmore Theatre. With reigning Australian Idol champ Wes Carr on supporting duties and a lovely intimate venue, this was one gig we were really looking forward to.
From the first moment the night didn’t disappoint. Clearly solid touring duties since winning the Idol crown haven’t taken their toll on Wes. He was every bit as energetic as I remembered, and he could sustain it for much longer than we saw on the Idol stage. This guy is a firecracker who knows how to rock. The set drew from his original material rather than his Idol covers, and it was all the richer for it. The Way The World Looks has spawned enough singles to keep the crowds happy, a good thing when you’re playing for a largely teenage audience.
They loved Wes, but they went nuts for The Script. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like this since I followed Human Nature in the late ‘90s. There’s that same boy band hysteria surrounding them, even though their songs have more cred than a Backstreet Boys smash. The Script might be unashamedly pop, but the heart which underpins their songs separates them from the rest. Their debut album is one of those discs I’ve played to death this year.
Experiencing the songs in the live arena took them to the next level. The band had so much energy, and the crowd really responded to that. Or perhaps it was Danny O’Donoghue and his sexy black T-shirt whipping them into a frenzy. Either way, there was a lot of love in the room.
One of the great things about seeing a band promoting their debut album is that you know all the songs. It encourages the kind of sing-alongs we enjoyed in “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.” I’ve never been a fan of “I’m Yours,” believing it to be a bit of romantic fluff, but stripping it back in the live arena with a lone acoustic guitar brought out its true beauty.
The Script closed the night with a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Danny sang it out, jumping around and waving an Irish flag with the word Sydney scribbled on it. The band thanked us so much for coming out and assured us that we were the best crowd of the tour. They probably say that every night, but it felt genuine. Clearly we left an impression on The Script, but it may not be as big as the one they left on us.
Image sources: own photo; Total Assault
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