I first came across them in 2008 when their first single We Cry was shown every hour on MTV; as they were then the featured new artist of the month. Frankly, I wasn’t that impressed. I mean I didn’t hate it but I didn’t dig it either. Then one afternoon, I stumbled upon a song that aptly described my emotional well-being (or lack thereof) at that moment. Only to discover that it was from the same folks that spawned We Cry.
I bought their debut album by virtue of that song which will eventually be their biggest hit here: The Man Who Can’t Be Moved. And to say that I was wowed with every song thereafter was an understatement. I am not exaggerating when I say their debut CD never left my player all these years; it was one of the few CDs I could listen to in its entirety. I even got to like We Cry because at some point I got its message.
So what’s with The Script? First and foremost, their songs speak the universal language of love and heartbreak. Ergo, everyone that’s ever been in love and had their heart broken can relate to their songs. Cheesy, I know. But try it. As a friend pointed out there is always a couple of lines in their songs that would scrape at your tortured heart until their pain is your pain. Aside from the heartfelt lyrics, their melodies are ear- and radio-friendly. Yes, their sound is more mainstream pop than other bands out there but it’s the kind of pop that you never outgrow. And did I mention that their songs are irresistibly sing-along as well?
So imagine my elation when I learned that they will come to Manila for a concert this April. To think that I almost gave in to a friend’s suggestion to catch them live in Hong Kong. Wanting a music fix, I planned to watch The Script and Switchfoot but my cousin had a brilliant plan to just get higher priced tickets to The Script. Unfortunately and as expected, the tickets sold out fast and we have no choice but to get a higher-than-planned tickets. First time that I would spend this much for two hours of aural pleasure and emo-ness. But I know it will be worth it. I was counting down the days to April 16.
Hats off to the organizers for staging it in Araneta. I missed a lot of good acts just because I hate the chosen venues (MOA concert grounds and The Fort being the ultimate turnoffs). That includes Lifehouse, Daughtry and Mandy Moore...yes, THE Mandy Moore during her Wild Hope tour! So you can see how picky I am when it comes to venue.
Weeks before they came, a friend asked out of the blue: Do you know The Script? It’s like you wrote their songs. Ok, I don’t know if that was a testament to my writing skills or a diss at my tendency to be emo. I’d take that as a complimentary barb.
I was practically invincible the week leading to April 16; it was the proverbial light at the end of the dark tunnel that was my work week. Days before, I had to listen to Science and Faith, their sophomore set. I’ve had it since it was released but my busy schedule prevented me from soaking in it. But if lead singles For The First Time and Nothing were any indication, this CD is far from the dreaded sophomore jinx; it was nothing short of brilliant.
Finally, April 16. We were in Araneta Center with some minutes to burn for dinner and revel in the excitement that is in the air. Last time I was here was 7 years ago I think. To watch Mandy Moore during her Cry and A Walk To Remember heyday.
Araneta, minutes before the concert, was already stoked. I swear the crowd went berserk when they started testing the lights and sounds. And then they went over-the-top when The Script finally took to the stage! Everyone was on their feet.
They started with You Won’t Feel A Thing, the opening track to their second album. Good choice since this U2-esque song is upbeat, uplifting and one of their more romantic songs (as opposed to their slew of tragic hits). Then it was one hit song after the other, interspersed with equally awesome unreleased tracks. The crowd was singing along to every song, but more loudly on their chartbusters.
For me these are their best five concert moments:
The Man Who Can’t Be Moved – of course, this was a given. What surprised us was that we were expecting this for the encore. But we were damn wrong. I thought Araneta would collapse when we heard the all-too-familiar opening strums. Danny challenged the crowd to sing...which we did of course. The experience was magical; like you were really a part of one big thing. Then Danny started over again to nail the song. At the end of it, he said it makes the hairs at the back of his neck rise when the audience sings back “I’m not moving.”
Science And Faith – One of their more affirmative love anthems. I listened to this song only recently and I saw its huge chart potential. I swear this song is even better sung live. And I had a geekgasm when their backdrop showed flying chemical symbols and math formulas a la 3D. I love this song so much this is now my new ringtone.
Nothing – they narrated a story on how this song came to be. Apparently this was written by Danny (a.k.a Master of Drunken Songwriting) in one of his alcohol-laced stupors (or breakdowns, for that matter). They swore that nothing gets their creative juices flowing like alcohol. So I guess I’m on the write track...I mean RIGHT track. Haha!
The unnamed song – of course I know the title of this song. I just can’t say it because it is way too personal...like bulls-eye personal (so please allow me to keep this a mystery). I was pleasantly surprised when they actually sang this as this was unreleased. Yes, I almost died when I heard the first lines.
Breakeven – In likely concert drama, they said their goodbye but it was obvious that they will have an encore... they haven’t performed two big hits! This and For The First Time. We were all chanting Breakeven! Breakeven! Hence, this became their final act and an excellent way to end the already awesome night.
Bonus: In Talk You Down, it was rather charming when Danny changed London to Manila in the lyrics. Also, as expected the audience roared every time Danny will say something in Tagalog. Yes, the token Mabuhay and Mahal ko kayo in that unmistakable Irish twang.
While the audience were captivated by The Script’s performance, trust it to the Manila crowd to turn the tables. The band, too, were overwhelmed by the audience’s response. At one point I saw Danny cover his mouth agape in awe when he heard the audience singing. Also many times he would exclaim “Oh, you should see what I am seeing right now.”
Overall, it was a show that was everything I wished it will be. Props to The Script for the no-frill, no-nonsense performance. They let the sheer power of their music wash over the audience. I was on my feet the entire time and I was singing along at the start of every song but I have to stop myself so I can hear them sing. My body can’t decide if it will jump and sing or be still and take a video. So most of the videos I took ended up shaky and blurred. I won’t post them here as I know there are better videos posted on YouTube.
The stage backdrop was also simply enchanting; the lighting was downplayed but dramatic and the background videos would subtly complement the songs. I totally loved the street corner video shown as they were singing The Man Who Can’t Be Moved and the numbers on Talk You Down.
It was a short two hours but they sang everything you want them to sing...and more. They have 10 songs each in their two albums and judging from the songs I didn’t hear, I think they sang 16 of the 20 songs. If I had one complaint, it will be that they didn’t sing Live Like We’re Dying, their B-side song that was popularized by AI winner Kris Allen.
The Script promised to come back and though the energy and magic of this night will last me a lifetime, I will defy science and faith just to catch them again.
P.S. To cap off this splendid night, I saw my biggest local celebrity crush when we were exiting Araneta. This is the third time I’ve seen her up close but I’m still spellbound. She is just so simple and elegant. Sigh.
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These are some of The Scripts tweets. You can tell they were equally pleased with their Manila visit.
As their Twitter follower, I know they always take a photo of their concert audience. This was their Manila money shot:
