Culture, Music

Live Review: The Script Steal Hearts at Manchester Arena, With Help From Becky Hill

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Manchester Arena was full of excitement and mischief as The Script displayed their love for their fans on the 22nd February, supported by Becky Hill, on the last night of their 2020 European arena tour.

Becky justified her lucrative support slot by putting everything into her performance. The young artist has paved her way to success by appearing on The Voice and collaborating with big stars like Jessie J, as well as being supported by BBC Introducing, like many other young performers.

It took a while to notice Becky’s flare as her appearance was masked by generic trap beats and autotuned vocals, which made Becky seem like a typical party animal, but as soon as the spotlight brought her forward and she started speaking, the artist’s individuality was instantly apparent.

Dressed in white denim with mesh chains, Becky brought a young and energetic feeling to the Arena. The combination of distinct rhythms and familiar, melodic vocals of track ‘Stranger’ really made Becky stand out from much of today’s music scene.

Piano licks and subtle beats added a distinctive feeling of indulgence and relaxation which erased the generic intro to the song, almost hinting at Lorde’s style – creating an orchestral hymn more than just a song. The heavenly lighting certainly highlighted the angelic atmosphere.

Even with soft touches and beats, Becky still managed to emphasise the effort and passion in her music.

A sudden change in atmosphere to Becky’s multi-talented vocals was clear during her ecstatic trance-like music such as ‘Gecko’, a collaboration between Becky and Oliver Heldens. Her movement was rebellious just like her music videos, reflected through twirls, stomps and hair whips.

The audience came together with ‘Lose Control’, another popular collaboration between Becky with Meduza and Goodboys. It sounded even more energetic in the Arena, especially as Becky manages to really project her resonating vocals. Becky never failed to revive her energy after each breath.

Becky left a sweet and passionate echo behind her as she left the stage, proof of how her natural and confident performances and love for the audience has treated her well so far.

It wasn’t long before the atmosphere changed for the highlight of the night with The Script’s entrance.

A setpiece of the sun rose above the stage and a moon dropped as the band came out, in honour of their latest number one album, Sunsets and Full Moons.

Vocalist and keyboardist Danny O’Donoghue, alongside lead guitarist Mark Sheehan and drummer Glen Power thanked the audience for sticking with the band through their hardest times and that the turnout meant everything to them.

The Irish rock band’s performance included popular tracks ‘Superheroes’, ‘If You Don’t Love Yourself’ and ‘If You Could See Me Now’ (which is a tribute to Danny’s late father.) All of their songs included a sense of coming together, support and courage, which was brought to life with their sheer enthusiasm.

Danny’s intense audience interaction was something to behold. At one point during the gig, he confidently asked someone in the crowd to call their ex, who he then sang to while on the phone.

He called it “payback,” and added a cheeky kiss to the ex on the other side.

A highlight from the night was Danny walking into the audience during ‘Run Through Walls’ and ‘Never Seen Anything “Quite Like You”‘, to sing with them as closely as possible.

The band’s love for the crowd didn’t end there, however.

Danny later urged everyone to light up their phones as the Arena descended into darkness, stealing hearts when he announced, “You are the stars in this galaxy.”

The Script’s energy climaxed during ‘Rain’, as confetti rained down on a crowd swaying umbrellas in the air.

The Script advocated for themselves as well as the city of Manchester and brought the two journeys of struggle and courage together in a successful night.

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Pruthvi Khilosia

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