The Script talk to eFestivals at Isle Of Wight

As Dublin's The Script were ushered in for a press conference before the start of their blistering set on Sunday 14th June at the Main Stage of the IOW Festival 2009, eFestivals got the amazing opportunity to chat to them. As hoards of female journalists swooned over the ever so handsome lead vocalist Danny O'Donaghue, here's what he, Mark Sheehan and Glen Power had to say:

What kind of performance should we expect tonight?
Danny: An explosive performance, but also a very honest performance. As much as the crowd can give us we're going to give back!

Is this your first IOW?
Danny: Yes it is!

What was your first impression when you arrived in the Isle of Wight?
Danny: I almost wanted to buy a house here – seriously! It's very idyllic and beautiful. I had no idea we had such a beautiful island in our country. All the yachts and stuff – it's very posh!

Are you going to hang around and watch anyone tonight?
Danny: I think someone's going to put us in our bunk beds very fast tonight! We've got four nights in a row at Shepherds Bush after this so we need to get back and do the preparations for that, so no we won't get to see anyone tonight.

What's your earliest memory of festivals?
Danny: My earliest memory is actually when my brother was in a band back home in Ireland. He was playing at an Irish festival so he gave me a hat and a badge and I was almost like a little roadie. I was only about nine or ten at the time – I thought I was working there but really I was just sitting there drinking pop and eating chocolate all day. But that was what really gave me the bug for festivals.

What's the final thing that you do before you go on stage?
Danny: We just basically stay by ourselves so we can get ourselves in order. We can't have anyone come near us for about an hour.
Mark: We have what we call 'Cheeky Hour', but we can’t tell you what cheeky hour is!

What are you expecting the crowd to be like here tonight?
Mark: I think at the IOW festival everyone appreciates it and the crowd are more genuine. The crowd are really here to enjoy themselves. I'm expecting to see a little bit of mentalness going on!

Do you think you'll be at the centre of that?
Danny: I think we're going to be the cause of it – we're always in the middle of it! If there’s a bit of madness going on we're always in the middle of it!

It's been a busy year for you. What does the next six months hold?
Danny: We go out with U2 and we go out with Paul McCartney very soon as well. It's just getting bigger and bigger for us. We've taken on the thing of releasing our music around the world and are visiting every country in the world. We're number one in Australia right now and we're doing really well in America. We're trying to chase the music around the world more and try and keep up with that.

Performing with U2, that's a big thing for an Irish band!
It's kind of a dream come true for us. Only eighteen months ago we were paying in a Dublin club called the Sugar Cube to only thirty or forty people, mainly friends. But now it's such a wonderful experience to support the biggest band in the world. Another great thing is being support to Paul McCartney. He's actually reopening the Shea Stadium and being the first act there, but we're actually really the first act to play as we are there supporting him, so that's going to be fantastic!

What would your ultimate festival line up be, both past and present acts?
Danny: Bob Marley head line, David Bowie.
Glen: Elvis straight away!
Mark: Genesis – oh you've really got us going now!

How do you feel about being the following act to Goldie Lookin' Chain at the IOW Festival? Is that a hard act to follow?
Mark: I think that's the great thing about festivals and the iPod and internet generation, no one gives a sh*t about genres anymore, so I think that people that are coming to watch those may walk out and another load will walk in to see a different thing. The audience just constantly regenerates itself all the time.

Okay guys, thank you!
Thanks so much!

The Script will also be appearing at Glastonbury Festival, T in the Park and V festival this year – so catch them there!

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