The ScriptYoung, old and about 90% of Australia’s Irish population poured into Perth Arena to see Dublin locals The Script on the first leg of their Australian tour.
But first, Colton Avery was there to ease folks into the night. This smooth-talking Arizonan knew how to work the crowd, giving a shout-out to both Australia and the headlining act that brought him there. His side-swept hair and soulful voice certainly did a number on the audience, and a cover of Michael Jackson’s Human Nature piqued the interest of the room. Weather Man was particularly infectious, causing this reviewer’s plus-one to jauntily slap their thigh along to the beat.
A billowing black curtain was lowered over the stage during intermission, injecting intrigue and anticipation within an already amped crowd. And then, the curtain dropped.
The Script frontman Danny O’Donoghue led a parade of neon green flags through a sea of fans, each one clamouring to get their hands on any part of him they could. The flags spread out around the GA section as the band took their places on stage and launched into the aptly titled Paint The Town Green. O’Donoghue didn’t hold back, immersing himself into the crowd within the minute – and the fans resumed their clamouring. He even one-upped Avery, mentioning Perth by name before stirring up a frenzy with favourites Breakeven and Superheroes.
The boys were naturals on stage, constantly cracking jokes and swearing like… well, Irishmen. O’Donoghue grabbed a phone from a fan and called her ex, scaring the absolute shit out of one Ben Richardson with uproarious screams, unexplained guitar riffs and a parting cry of “bye, asshole” from thousands of people.
A smaller stage at the back of the GA section saw the trio melt hearts with The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, their soft harmonies prompting sighs from all over the arena. Before long, O’Donoghue was up in the stalls to greet more willing fans. One woman managed to sneak in a cheeky kiss before scurrying away, clearly chuffed with herself.
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They didn’t play favourites with their fans, dedicating their final song of the night, Hall Of Fame, to both day one-ers and new admirers. The boys had managed to make an arena concert remarkably intimate, spreading the love to every corner of the room. And needless to say, every fan left feeling like they had the best seat in the house.
