The Script wants us to feel the comfort of the familiar, and judging by their Dubai Airshow Gala Dinner concert on Wednesday, it’s an uplifting place to be.
Their Sunsets & Full Moons Tour was put on hold in March 2020 owing to the pandemic, which left the Irish three-piece charting a course back to live performances.
It began last month with the release of Tales from The Script: Greatest Hits, a compilation encompassing their 14-year career thus far.
The private Dubai concert, held within the grounds of Atlantis, The Palm, served as an ample warm up gig in the lead up to their 2022 world tour.
So, what should fans expect?
While described as a greatest hits tour, what The Script offered in Dubai was something more stirring than back-to-back favourites.
Affable front-man and pianist Danny O'Donoghue didn’t want the group and crowd to merely go through the motions.
“It’s time for us to re-connect,” he said midway. “Haven’t we all missed this, being here together and sharing this moment?”
Indeed, while the Dubai crowd was not full of the dedicated fans that pack their arena shows, The Script have the charisma – and more importantly – the songs to appeal to everyone.
From the stirring balladry of The Man who Can’t Be Moved to the euphoric release of Superheroes and Hall of Fame, the group boast the material to summon the communal feeling we all need from a live performance.
And when will the UAE public come to the party?
Drummer Glen Power confirmed a plan is in the works. “There has been conversations about Dubai being part of the tour,” he told The National before the show.
“We first came here in 2011 and we've came back twice since. The crowds are great and we love the energy, so we hope we can make it happen.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
