The Script this morning announced that they will headline their first Croke Park gig this June, with none other than Pharrell Williams as support.
At a press conference at the hallowed venue, the trio were palpably excited by the prospect of becoming the third Irish band in history to play the stadium and revealed that the June 20th date marks the 30th anniversary of U2’s debut Croker performance on 1985’s Unforgettable Fire tour.
“I think it’s a leap of faith that you need to take. When we were taking it on, it was a bit like ‘are we ready for this, is this too big for us?’ but with everything you’ve got to progress and develop and with a bit of luck, our fans will be there with us. The energy in the stadium will drive us up to those levels. You’re only as good as your last gig so we want to play this one and make it a special moment and we’ll go from there.”
While they may have sold-out a 55,000 capacity show at The Aviva in 2011, taking on Croke Park is another prospect entirely and the significance of playing such a prestigious venue in their own backyard is not lost on the band.
“We were incredibly nervous doing the Aviva show and now looking back at it, we’re a better band five years down the line. We’ve got two albums down and we didn’t even have songs like Hall Of Fame and Superhero back then so I can just imagine what the Aviva would have been like with that… but I don’t even have to because we have Croke Park!” explained Danny.
“The electricity that we get from performing in front of a crowd and this is not just any crowd, this is our hometown. I called up my mum to tell her that we were playing Croke Park and she was saying ‘Do you know your father used to sell sandwiches behind Croke Park?’ He didn’t have a little trolley so he’d put them in a pram and bring them down to people coming in from the GAA matches. It would be amazing if he was here to hear the news and see this’. So it will be a very special gig, we all have our ties to this place in some way and nothing tastes sweeter than an Irish show.”
So what can fans expect to see from The Script on that Croke Park stage next June?
“Are U2 still using The Claw? Maybe we’ll turn that around or spray it a different colour! We’ve always been a very tactile band and a place this size… I wouldn’t say that it scares me but I get very nervous about the fact that there might be people down the back that I won’t be able to connect with so it will definitely be a structured show where everybody will get to be part of it.
“I’m not saying that we’ll play in the round at all but everyone who has been to a Script show will know that I get into the audience and get into the crowd, I can only imagine what I can do here… maybe I’ll get a zipline in or something! A singalong… anyone who knows The Script knows that we put our heart and soul into these songs and when you come to a Script gig, you’re going to get a band that are very passionate about giving 110% on stage. What a monumental night it’s gonna be to have our whole nation in there! Our gigs around the world seem like the Irish Embassy because there’s so many Irish people that come out of the woodwork to come and see a Script show and feel a sense of home for a minute. They actually bring home with them… they bring teabags!”
The Script, with Pharrell Williams and special guests, play Croke Park on Saturday 20 June. Tickets, priced between €45 and €79.50 including booking fee, go on sale next Thursday 6 June at 9am from www.ticketmaster.ie and Ticketmaster outlets. All under 16s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
