Ballads and biscuits – that’s what pop-rockers The Script will bring to the UAE when their world tour arrives at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre on Saturday, headlining the Late Late Paddy’s Party by Irish haunt McGettigan's.
Those soaring choruses about love, heartbreak and home? They’re for the fans, says frontman Danny O’Donoghue. As for those packets of Irish soda bread biscuits – those are for mates craving a taste of home.
"The Irish community is the same as many others, as there are many people abroad and missing home, and when you are away you are always missing those little things," he tells The National. "Many people miss those sweets they had as a kid, so it's normal that whenever someone travels from home they are asking for that kind of thing. And after being a band travelling the world for the 17 or 18 years we have been together, we are honoured that people think of us as something they miss from home."
While they welcome the chance to be “completely Irish” for their UAE gig, the chances are that the crowd will reflect The Script’s global appeal. Formed by O’Donoghue and late guitarist Mark Sheehan from the ashes of their earlier group, MyTown, the band found instant success with their 2008 self-titled debut – powered by the US hit Breakeven. They went on to release a string of irresistible radio anthems, including Hall of Fame and For the First Time, blending elements of rock, folk and hip-hop.
Those heady memories are now irrevocably tinged with sadness, after Sheehan died in 2023 following an illness. He was 46. That sense of loss pervades The Script’s latest album Satellites, released last year as the band officially transitioned into a four-piece, with additional members Ben Weaver on guitar and Benjamin Sargeant on bass.
While the album features the group’s signature bright moments – like the Bruno Mars channelling Both Ways – it’s when they match that clubby energy with newfound emotional depth that Satellites soars. The electro groove of Gone and the burbling Inside Out, placed at the heart of the album, is when the band are most candid about the depression and anxiety that sudden loss can bring. “I just wanted to get in the studio and do what I always do – put the pain where it’s supposed to go and try to make sense of life,” O’Donoghue says.
As for Sheehan’s influence, O’Donoghue admits there is now “a gap” in the songwriting process the band are learning to fill. “There are so many times I find myself writing parts that sound like something he would have written – and maybe I’m doing that subconsciously,” he adds.
“These moments often come on certain songs where I remember him saying, ‘No, this needs a little more street vibe.’ He was such a behemoth in the studio. He was always about getting things done.”
That absence feels particularly poignant, O’Donoghue notes, when performing songs Sheehan helped to shape, including 2012’s anthemic If You Could See Me Now, delivered mid-set during the tour as a tribute to their departed bandmate. “That’s a song that deals with the passing of people. I’m singing the second verse that Mark wrote about his mum and dad’s passing,” he says. “Now I’m singing it about him. So that’s how messed up it is – performing that song feels like emotional chess.”
This perhaps explains why the latest tour – with the band already touching down in the US, Europe and Asia – feels like The Script’s most meaningful yet. While their previous greatest hits tour served as a reminder of the communal joy of live music in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, this one has the fans affirming the band's decision to keep going.
"That is exactly what's happening onstage each night, in that I’m reminded of why I’m doing this," O'Donoghue says. "I’m not afraid to show my emotions or open up to the audience. I believe our songs were there for people when they needed them, and now those people are here for us … it’s a beautiful moment.”
That's also some of the benefits of being a travelling Irish musician or part of a much-loved band – every gig feels a little like coming home. "It is a blessing," he adds. "You feel you are always looked after when you’re away."
The Script perform at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre on Saturday. Doors open at noon; ticket prices start at Dh299
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:
- Former first lady Hillary Clinton
- Former US president Barack Obama
- Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
- Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
- Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
- California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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25-MAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze
On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
SUCCESSION%20SEASON%204%20EPISODE%201
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Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
