- Music
- 19 Jun 15
It's almost a year since Danny O'Donoghue teased Hot Press about a massive Irish show; now, it's less than 24 hours until The Script take to Croke Park for the biggest night in the band's history
HP snapper Kathrin Baumbach was on hand to capture the action this afternoon - check out her photo gallery here.
In Croke Park parlance, we should probably describe it as 'right on the 65'. But whatever way you wish to put it, there's a second stage in the middle of the stadium.
The Script arrived in GAA HQ this afternoon, ahead of the biggest show of their lives. Full of chat, and understandably excited, matters from early Sugar Club gigs to revitalising dips in the Irish Sea were on the agenda, but Hot Press couldn't be distracted from the midfield construction.
"Being honest," said frontman Danny O'Donoghue, "that's the furthest we were allowed to put it! We wanted to push it all the way to the other end, but this is the limit. We’re trying to make this one of the most interactive shows ever. You’ll see from our intro – and I’m not going to give it away – but it gets the audience involved; there’s points where we pop up in the audience. It’s our way of trying to make Croke Park feel smaller, and giving the people at the very back a show as well."
Mark grins: "There's a lot of things tomorrow that will be a first for Croker. The Gardaí have been sweating over some of our ideas!"
Of course, it goes even further than Row Z, as the gig will be beamed across the globe through a livestream; the band are urging fans all around the world to badger the barkeeps of Irish pubs to screen the concert.
And, if they do, they're in for a treat.
"We’re shit hot right now," Danny reports, with ne'er a hint of tongue anywhere near cheek. "We've toured around the globe, and we're killing it - and we're dying to let you see a band from Dublin killing it in Croke Park."
Of course, it's difficult to know how to ready oneself for a show of this magnitude; while Danny confessed to feeling the effects of jetlag, drummer Glen revealed he'd taken a traditional approach to energising himself.
"I went down to the Forty Foot and swam last night," he laughed. "You’ll feel different about life – anything that was in your head goes straight out!"
After the group finished the requisite flesh-pressing and smiles for the camera, we got a quiet moment with Danny. A long time friend of Hot Press, we wished him well on the eve of a once-in-a-lifetime show.
"Hopefully, it won't be," he earnestly replied. "We want this to be the first of many."
Tomorrow can't arrive soon enough.