THE CORRS / THE SHIRES | LIVE REVIEW
Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wed 20 Jan
On the first night of their tour, the Corrs clan looked remarkably sprightly after a very long 10-year sabbatical. Andrea and her sisters looked stunning as ever and token male, brother Jim, donned his signature black – as were the ladies, in very tight leather trousers!
Slick and inoffensive, their two-hour show performing listener’s favourites were belted out to a mainly apathetic audience. It’s always difficult to feel involved at a seated gig, and this was a pretty subdued affair. Their harmonies, however, did provide a pleasant lift to the occasion, and their unmistakable Celt-pop-folk mix was surprisingly crisp. A cover of Islands In The Stream was actually rather beautiful, despite the original being a personal favourite. Elsewhere in the set, The Corrs churned out the oldies and packed in a handful of new songs which did heaps to evoke an encore at the end, even if at least 40% of the applause went to their leather outfits.
Tour support The Shires [pictured] supplied a more than adequate first course; the country-folk-pop duo Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes are regulars on Bob Harris’ Radio 2 country show, as he’s a firm fan. Hence it was a shame they were only given a 30-minute set, but it was a joy, and they’ll be at various festivals throughout the summer if you missed them this time.
words FLICK COLLBY photos JONATHAN HERRON