The Script at Manchester Arena

I’ve been a fan of The Script for years and wanted to see them live for a long time but haven’t been able to for one reason or another, so when they announced their Sunsets and Full Moons Tour I was desperate to go.

I looked at the tour dates and decided that I was going to try and get tickets for the Manchester show. Manchester Arena is one of my favourite venues in terms of accessibility, which is a very important factor for me, so I had my heart set on attending that one.

 

Booking tickets

Luckily, Manchester Arena have a booking line dedicated to accessible tickets which I think makes things a lot easier.

The arena already had my access information and proof of disability as I went there to see Shawn Mendes in 2017 and again last year, so all I needed to do was call the accessible booking line when the tickets went on sale. You have to leave a message and then a member of the Accessibility Team calls you back to book your tickets and take payment.

After calling at exactly 10am, I anxiously waited to hear back.

I didn’t have to wait long for a call back and my tickets were booked! The member of the Accessibility Team discussed various seating options with me, and described everything in great detail.

I’ve always found the Accessibility Team to be very friendly and they try to accommodate your needs every single time which is very reassuring. The process of booking tickets is straight forward and it also means that you aren’t stuck in a queue on the phone for ages.

 

The Manchester Arena has an accessibility section on their website which gives all of the accessibility information including how to book accessible tickets, it is very easy to find.

 

Now that my tickets were booked, I just had to count down to the show.

 

The concert

Saturday 22nd February 2020 was here before we knew it which was the day of the concert.

My Mum very kindly said that she would come with me. I’d booked our train tickets a few days prior to the gig so we were all set.

We made our way to the train station late afternoon, grabbed something to eat and got on the train to Manchester. We’d given ourselves plenty of time so that we didn’t have to rush.

We got the train to Manchester Victoria Station which is adjacent to the arena and then made our way through the ticket barriers and to the arena.

I’d contacted someone from the venue a few days before the concert to double check where we needed to go when we arrived, I was given clear and precise instructions which we followed when we got there.

 

We spoke to a steward who directed us through the enhanced security checks, our tickets were scanned and it was then time for us to find our seats inside the arena.

We were met by a lovely member of staff near the doors who called a member of the team to assist us to our seats. The steward took us straight to our seats which was a huge help.

Every member of staff we met was very friendly and extremely helpful.

 

Our seats were in the accessible section in block 115, we were on one of the accessible platforms. No one else was on the platform, it was like we had a little box to ourselves, a bit like one of the VIP boxes that celebrities have. With us being the only ones, we could choose where to sit, so we placed our chairs right at the very front. My Mum excitedly told me that we had a perfect view of the stage and that the seating couldn’t have been better.

 

I’ve been in the accessible section before at other venues, but this was by far the best that I’ve ever experienced. They usually don’t have a great view of the stage and are too far back, but that is the exact opposite at Manchester Arena. I would most definitely sit in the accessible section again if I had the chance.

When choosing the right accessible seating, it was clear that the member of staff who booked my tickets had really thought about my requirements and which would be the best seating for me.

 

Once we were seated, we waited for the concert to start.

Becky Hill was the support act and came on stage at around 7:35pm, I really like her music, so I was pleased that she was supporting the band. Becky was on the first series of The Voice (on team Jessie of course) so it was wonderful to see how far she’s come.

 

She has some brilliant tunes, so it was great to hear some of those live. She performed well-known tracks including False Alarm, Lose Control, I Could Get Used To This, Better Off Without You and Wish You Well, as well as a couple of tracks from her album.

I knew that Becky had impressive vocals, but they really are even more powerful live.

She kept thanking the audience for watching her set, and you could tell that she was grateful to be able to have the opportunity to perform to thousands of people. Becky knows how to put on a good set as she well and truly got the crowd ready for The Script!

 

We didn’t have to wait too long for the trio to come on stage, they came on at around 8:35pm.

The lights went down, the music started and the audience erupted…I knew it was going to be a fantastic gig right from that very moment!

The Script opened the show with the track Something Unreal which was taken from their latest album Sunsets and Full Moons, it was the perfect way to start the show.

They then transitioned into the well-known song Superheroes.

Here is a video of The Script singing Superheroes:

 

One of my favourite songs from their latest album is If You Don’t Love Yourself, I can really relate to the lyrics, I instantly fell in love with it the first time I heard it so it was quite an emotional moment hearing that song being performed live.

 

The band always seem to get the crowd fully involved and that happened at various points during the show.

They added a little twist and somehow mixed their song Good Old Days with a House of Pain track Jump Around which got the crowd jumping away.

 

Before performing their song Nothing, Danny asked someone on the front row to call their ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, he got one ladies’ phone and spoke to the guy on the other end at various points during the song.

 

If You Could See Me Now has always been one of my favourite songs by The Script due to the meaning behind the song and the lyrics, that was definitely a memorable part of the show for me. The emotion that the band put into their performances is sensational.

 

They really appreciate their fans; this was clear to see as they went into the audience to perform a couple of tracks. They performed two of their more stripped back songs – Run Through Walls and Never Seen Anything Quite Like You, these performances gave me goosebumps, they were breath-taking and extremely moving. Whilst performing Run Through Walls, a montage of photos appeared on a screen which fans had sent in of people that mean a lot to them or had helped them through a tough time, Danny explained, referring to these people as ‘heroes’. It was a beautiful way of capturing the essence of the song.

Danny, Glen and Mark seem so genuine and this was clear to see when they performed amongst the audience and interacted with the crowd.

They performed songs from stages on tiers further up in the arena, giving everyone a chance to witness their magic up close.

 

One of their most well-known tracks (if not their most famous song) The Man Who Can’t Be Moved was the song that drew me to the band and I’ve been a fan ever since so to hear that song live was a special moment for me. It was also a crowd favourite as the vocals of the audience echoed around the arena. It was definitely the biggest sing-along moment. It was clear to see that they felt so much love for every single fan and member of The Script family, you could tell that they felt rather overwhelmed by it all.

 

I have no idea how they pick the setlist due to the fact that they have now released 6 albums and have so many good tunes, but they picked a wonderful range of songs. They had a perfect balance of new songs, older tunes and fan favourites. I think it was around 20 songs which is very impressive.

 

They returned to the main stage for the final part of the show, giving some electric performances. Before performing Hall Of Fame, Danny reminded the audience that ‘Manchester is strong’ which is a reminder that love will always win no matter what.

Here is a video of The Script performing Hall Of Fame:

 

They ended the show by performing three encores, finishing the show with their hit single For The First Time.

 

The show also included empowering and encouraging messages, reminding us to love ourselves, to always be kind to others and to stay strong.

It also really showed how powerful music is, and how it can literally change lives. Music is one of the things that helped me to love and accept my disability over the years, and it still helps me today. It really made me reflect on the impact that music has had on my life.

 

I was in absolute awe of every performance; The Script really know how to put on a memorable show!

If I had to pick some highlights, my favourite performances were Superheroes, If You Don’t Love Yourself, If You Could See Me Now, Run Through Walls, Never Seen Anything Quite Like You, The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, Hall Of Fame and Breakeven. I loved every song though so it’s difficult to pick my favourites.

 

 

As a blind person, it is all about the music for me, rather than the visual aspects, but I really felt like the music is the band’s world, it is at the heart of everything they do. They recognise the power of music. There were pyrotechnics, lasers and confetti cannons, but this added to the show, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out in any way. My Mum gave a bit of audio description at various points, informing me of the visual aspects.

 

I left the arena with such a huge smile on my face, their energy is infectious, and I was buzzing. I couldn’t quite believe that I had just seen one of my favourite bands live!

 

We left the arena and made our way to the train station, where we got the train home.

 

My Mum had never been to Manchester Arena before, she was very impressed with the accessibility and loved our seats in the accessible section. She thoroughly enjoyed the concert, I think she might have enjoyed it just as much as I did.

 

It is definitely one of my favourite concerts that I’ve ever been to, the energy and passion the band have is something else!

 

Seeing one of my favourite bands, having brilliant seats and the fantastic disabled access made it an unforgettable evening.

 

It was a show that I’ll remember for years to come. I loved every second, it was absolutely unreal from start to finish!

It also reminded me why Manchester Arena is my favourite venue in terms of disabled access, they go above and beyond to accommodate disabled customers. Booking accessible tickets is very easy, the disabled access is great, the staff are very friendly and disability aware.

 

A huge thank you and well done to The Script for putting on an amazing show, and a special thank you to my Mum for going with me.

 

If you’re going to any of the remaining dates of the Sunsets And Full Moons Tour then you’re in for a treat.

Have you seen The Script live? If so, what were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments.

 

Holly x