For The Script, the pandemic has proved to be the great restart.
The Irish-pop rock group were in the middle of their biggest run of arena concerts when the plug was pulled as a health and safety measure against Covid-19.
What was thought of as a slight pause in activity proved to be the premature end of their Sunsets and Full Moons tour, four weeks after it began.
"It was understandable but really sad because everything was going great. We were doing this arena tour and then suddenly, after a show in Aberdeen in March, we were basically told go home,” recalls singer Danny O'Donoghue before their Dubai Airshow Gala Dinner at Atlantis, The Palm on Wednesday.
"And then something like that happens and you lose all your momentum it makes you wonder what you want to do as a band. One thing that that became increasingly clear was that we couldn't just return to the stage, two years later, and pretend nothing happened.
“The whole world has changed irreversibly and the phenomenal thing about it is that everyone experienced this together.”
Back to the future
Such insights meant making a hard decision.
Where peers went back on the road to musically pick up where they left off, The Script cancelled their Sunsets and Full Moons tour and went back to their past.
Spending lockdown at home and going through the group’s catalogue, O'Donoghue says the rallying power of their biggest hits, such as Hall of Fame and Superheroes was fit for the times.
"What people need – and what I need – is that sense of familiarity and just going back up and living life again," he says.
"And that's not the energy of the Sunsets and Full Moon album, that's more the energy of The Script as a band and playing our biggest songs. Also, we just wanted to go back and play again without the pressure. We know these songs and want to celebrate that history."
To set the stage, the group released Tales from the Script: Greatest Hits.
Released last month, the band's first compilation features 16 singles taken from six albums, in addition to new song I Want it All.
Their private Dubai show will serve as ample preparation for next year’s nostalgic world tour in more ways than one.
Their November 17 performance is a day short from when the group first played in the UAE a decade ago, also at Atlantis, The Palm.
When The National met the group this week they were at the resort’s swanky Royal Bridges Suite, with its panoramic view of the Dubai skyline.
But the last time we met was a decade ago in that small artist tent behind the stage in Nasimi Beach.
“Well this is progress,” drummer Glen Power remarks with a chuckle.
“But in a way, it does make everything more special because we are trying to recapture the energy that we always had, stretching right back to those days.
“And that has been the hardest part about the pandemic for many musicians and creatives, in that they are used to living with a certain level of adrenalin from constant performances it’s hard to just stop.
“As soon as we hit that stage in Dubai again, it’s going to feel exciting and natural.”
Following The Script
As the group embarks on their first official greatest hits tour, the audience will also get a chance to hear how many anthems the trio have accumulated since forming in Dublin in 2007.
Their self-titled debut album, released a year later, was a dream start after it topped the UK charts and they landed a US number one with the single Breakeven.
While the group has gone on to notch up more success with hits such as For the First Time and Hall of Fame, the international music press had a hard time making sense of their deft blending of pop, rock, crooning and rapping.
"We were viewed as rock band but I swear to God I thought I was part of an alternative hip-hop band," O'Donoghue says.
"We were, singing, there was rap and [guitarist Mark Sheehan] would do spoken word. We were playing piano with hard hip-hop beats and each record had so many different styles. I think we were one of the first groups from that time just doing these genre-less, multi-format albums"
It was only through preparing Tales from the Script: Greatest Hits that O‘Donoghue began to see some of the effects of their work.
While not taking complete credit, he does see the connection between The Script’s eclectic sound and some of today’s biggest artists such as UK superstar Ed Sheeran and US bands Imagine Dragons and OneRepublic, all of which celebrate their hip-hop influences.
“We were one of the only European bands doing that fast tempo vocals and melodic raps," he says. "And this was even before Ed Sheeran.
“Now I am not saying that we spawned him and others but there is a definite tip of the hat, in the same way we tip our hat to others.
“Instead of being the ball that smashes everything, we liked being a link in the chain.”
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winners: Sharkh, Pat Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep - Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
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7pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Gold Cup - Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nibras Passion, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ismail Mohammed
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')
Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
