This Irish band’s concert was incredible, inspirational and ‘out
of this world’; with a feelingly, deeply spiritual effect. It became evident
that one can indeed transcend the mere reality of the concert and encounter
something bigger, or larger than life. We were no longer in the everyday,
mundane world. We had transcended, being hypnotized by the sheer beauty
of the lyrics and overall performance. The crowd became one, bounded by the
love for The Script, merging with one another in the ‘mosh pit,’ seemingly
fitting together like a puzzle. The girl beside me closed her eyes and tilted
her head back. The effect the music had on her foregrounded to me just how
powerful and spirit-like the worship of a band can be. It forced me to question;
can this music really be a form of religion?
According to Emile Durheim, “effervescence” is “a state in
which [m]an is carried outside of himself, pulled away from his ordinary
occupations and preoccupations;” an “emotional response to a ritual gathering”
causing “the individual to identify with
the larger group through an encounter with something that is larger than
himself or herself” (Ward, 2011, p.63). Therefore, the concert could somewhat
be likened to a spiritual, ritual gathering. Adherents in the crowd are transcended
from reality, experiencing something beyond the normal. Through the action of audiences and fans, a religion starts to emerge (Ward, 2011).
As I turned around from where I stood at the front of the
crowd, I was blown away from the hundreds of people bowing down to this band. They
screamed when Danny simply raised his hand, ritually sang along to every lyric
and lined up just to purchase merchandise. The performance really transcended
reality when everyone was asked to lit up their phones and wave them around in
the darkness (as in the image above), as well as when the thousands of pieces
of confetti was dropped upon the crowd in the finale. Again, I questioned; is
this religion? Does it transcend reality?
I was also taken aback by the religious symbology within the
entire performance. Not only were the lyrics deeply spiritual, but the branding
symbol of the Christian cross was subtly depicted. I was utterly drawn to two
metal crosses that had been attached to the guitar of the lead singer, Danny;
again privileging transcendent emotions. Other cross symbology was privileged
on Danny’s necklace and even on the shirt of the support act, Sinead Burgess.
This subtle Christian symbology provided a spiritual sense or atmosphere in
itself. This branding of Christianity, along with lyrics relevant to the
Christian religion, thus added to the sacredness of the concert,
differentiating it from the profane.
Lyrics relating to Christian religious ideologies:
“You could talk to God, go banging on his door. You could walk straight
through hell with a smile.” (Hall of Fame)
“And there are days when I’m losing my faith. I hope you’re up there
with God saying that’s my kid.” (If You Could See Me Now)
“Would you call me a
saint or a sinner?” (If You Could See Me
Now)
“Now I’m looking up the bible tryna find a loophole. Yeah I’m living
for revival, dying for a new soul.” (Rusty Halo)
“Having heavy
conversations about the furthest constellations of our souls. We’re just trying
to find some meaning in the things that we believe in.” (Science and Faith)
“You won’t find faith or hope down a telescope. You won’t find heart
and soul in the stars.” (Science and
Faith)
The crowd pushed and dove towards Danny as he walked through
the crowd, hoping to simply touch him. This reminded me of a story of Jesus,
where he heals a sick woman in the crowd. Both crowds pushed to simply get a glimpse
of the men, reaching out for them, believing they were more than an ordinary being,
as if touching them will alter their future lives. Although Danny cannot
exactly be likened to Christ, the simple belief and popularity of both men,
whether in Christianity or a pop religious movement, is remarkable.
“As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman
was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could
heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and
immediately her bleeding stopped.” (Luke 8: 42-48)
Originally being sceptical about how the worship of a band
or singer can be classed as religious, after witnessing this spiritual concert
my view has changed and developed. I now believe that pop religious movements,
such as The Script, do in fact transcend the everyday profane world, having experienced
it myself. In this case, music is a pop religion.
References:
Ward, P. 2011. Gods Behaving Badly: Media Religion and Celebrity Culture. London: SCM Press. Ch 3. 57 on. (RL)
Image Source:
My own image from the concert.
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