Photo Credit: Isobel Greenhalgh
Words: Jenna Laband
Continuing the run of sold out shows at Halifax’s Piece Hall, The Script, with support from Tom Walker, took the stage on Sunday 6th of July with an electric atmosphere that had fans jumping, dancing and singing along to a series of iconic tracks from the beloved Irish band.
No rain could dampen the energy of this night, despite the adverse weather forecasts, the concert went ahead and the atmosphere was incredible. Kicking off the night with the insanely talented Tom Walker. With over 4 million listeners on Spotify, having Tom as a support act just set the tone for what was going to be one of the best lineups of the Piece Hall summer series and he certainly did not disappoint.
One of the most notable parts of Tom‘s set, and presence in general, was his interaction with fans- even meeting some of the fans in the courtyard before the show! His humility and appreciation certainly adds to the incredible music, creating an experience fans were not going to forget. Playing hits such as ‘Leave a Light On’ and ‘Head Underwater’ which got everyone dancing and singing – the perfect way to hype up the crowd before The Script took the stage.
The main show started with the smoke filling the stage, adding to the ambiance created by the misty rain which fell over the open air venue. Welcoming the band members to the stage with a bouncy lead guitar intro, the fans were ecstatic as lead band member, Danny, took the stage waving and interacting with fans throughout the first few minutes of the set. The iconic ‘Superheroes’ followed by the aptly chosen ‘Rain’ opened the set with an abundance of energy. It’s safe to say the band performing their hit song ‘Rain’ in the pouring rain this evening had fans absolutely in awe, singing and dancing along without a care for the weather, sharing their love for the band whose tracks span generations.
The venue then rippled with anticipation before the slow strums of ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’ began to play out. As the crowd roared at the sound, the sensation of a song which, despite being released back in 2008, has recently resurfaced on TikTok. An emotional song which brought together fans of all ages who yelled back the words in unison. Before performing, Danny remarked himself as ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’ whilst telling a humorous story of his ex watching him on TV.
The set then took us to the emotive ‘If You Could See Me Now’, which ever since the passing of band member, Mark Sheehan, has now been dedicated to him at every show, a very honourable dedication which moves the crowd every time, without fail. The band’s story and their grief of their former band member being something close to the hearts of their loyal fanbase who have shared in these same emotions after the announcement in 2023.
Arguably the star of the show was following the bands performance of one of their latest songs, ‘Inside Out’ where a member of the crowd was brought onto stage after her boyfriend had told the band this next song was her favourite. The band then began to play ‘Never Seen Anything “Quite Like You”’ where the crowd member, who we now knew to be called Claire, sang the chorus lyrics and slow-danced with her then boyfriend. Seconds later, Claire became a fiancee. As the band began to replay the chorus, Claire’s boyfriend proposed to her live on stage in front of the sold out venue, a magical, once in a lifetime moment. As Danny began to congratulate the happy couple, it was then revealed that Claires now fiance had contacted the band and arranged the whole setup!
Following this surreal moment, the rain slightly faded and Danny then performed in the middle of the crowd. Staying out there for most of the song, Danny interacted with fans and allowed crowd members to sing down the microphone. All throughout the performance, Danny continued to mention the rain and check up on the crowd, a detail which certainly didn’t go unnoticed. The band then performed their iconic ‘Paint The Town Green’ in dedication to their Irish roots – with a marching beat and lots of clapping and dancing from the band and crowd, the energy this sing brought to the venue was undeniably contagious and you just couldn’t help but dance along.
Before exiting the stage, the band performed a few more of their hits as well as a cover of Nile Rodgers ‘Let’s Dance’, which certainly brought the disco atmosphere and left the crowd on such a high. However, as the crowd began to realise fan favourites ‘Breakeven’ and ‘Hall of Fame’ missing from the set, they were quick to begin chanting for the band’s return to the stage. For the encore, the band then returned to the stage to play the top hits of their discography to a sold out crowd of adoring fans. With lots of singing at the choruses and bridge and streams of loud screams, fans then welcomed the bands most streamed track ‘Hall of Fame’. Before performing, the band asked everyone to turn on their phone torches and encouraged them to live in the moment for this final song.
With a venue full of torch lights and joyous fans, the singing crowd could certainly be heard for miles around- this was certainly the way to end a banger of a night, bringing the vibes of a stadium into the Yorkshire town.
Taped Magazine 