For Irish rockers, The Script, Australia is one of their happiest hunting grounds. 

“Coming back, it feels strangely like home,” said frontman Danny O’Donoghue as he remarked that the guest list when the band returns to Australia only seems to get longer and longer. 

Yet, for this particular tour, it is necessary to confront the fact that this simply is not the same band that we have seen on Australian shores in past decades. In the past few years, unspeakable tragedy has hit the band with guitarist Mark Sheehan passing away in 2023 after a brief illness. 

The band has attempted to move forward, releasing their “Satellites” album in memory of Sheehan, but both O’Donoghue and drummer Glen Power have opened up about their struggles in the wake of Sheehan’s untimely passing. With Power not making the trip down to Australia for this tour, the band had a new look with Benjamin Sargeant and Ben Weaver joining the band on bass and lead guitar respectively while Curtis Stansfield replaced Power on drums. 

Despite a new look, the band still played a number of favourites with “Superheroes” and “Rain” featuring early in the set. O’Donoghue is still a top performer, entering the venue through the mosh-pit decked out in a sparkly red jacket before working the stage to the delight of the crowd. 

However, even from the early parts of the set, two noticeable things became apparent. First, despite all his enthusiastic stagecraft, O’Donoghue’s voice does not quite stand up in the same way that it has in previous tours. He noticeably faltered through most of the set, struggling to reach the high notes and failing to exert power into his vocals. Second, Weaver and Sargeant are both superb instrumentalists but lack the presence and the vocals of Sheehan, resulting in a slightly barer sound on songs like “Superheroes” and “Six Degrees of Separation”.

Both of these issues would have been resolved by having some back-up singers to help manage some of the trickier numbers in the set, particularly from the band’s early discography. While this has not always been something that the band has done, as their sound evolves, it may be something that they need to consider. 

With that said, the crowd still rode every moment with the band, with a heartfelt tribute to Sheehan on “If You Could See Me Now” being one of the highlights of the set. 

“He loved coming down here,” said O’Donoghue. “He especially loved your wine.” 

The beauty of the band’s songwriting was also on full show, with the lyrics of “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” and “Before the Worst” still having the same poignancy in 2025 as they did upon their first release. 

O’Donoghue also excelled on piano throughout the set, with some virtuosic jazz-style improvisation to wow the crowd, which provided a nice balance to the rest of the set. The anthemic “Paint the Town Green” and “For the First Time” closed out the main set and had the capacity crowd on their feet, with O’Donoghue calling out to the many Irish in the room to lift the energy to which they happily obliged. 

For the encore, the band closed with two of their biggest songs, “Breakeven” and “Hall of Fame”. It was a great way to close out the night as both songs invited the crowd to sing along, creating a joyous and celebratory atmosphere for the band as they wrapped up an emotional night. 

“It won’t be four years until we are back again,” said O’Donoghue. “We are living proof that dreams are possible.”

Ultimately, this was a solid show that showcased the band in its new era and with all the showmanship that O’Donoghue possesses. Having seen the band at least four times in the past, their sound has evolved every time and this was no different, but the crowd still loved every moment as the band approached some of their older numbers through a new lens. The vocals were not perfect but the same heart and soul that brought the band up through the ranks was still there. Given the extent of their hardships, it is a privilege to still see the band performing, and it was certainly clear that those in the room recognised this and were grateful to see such a wonderful band in the flesh. 

Rating: ★★★1/2

The Script – ICC Sydney Theatre – 30^th January, 2025

All photo credits: Diana Nguyen