The Corrs, Auckland NZ, 2023

The Corrs

9th November 2023
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

It would be fair to say that it has been a wee while since The Corrs last graced the shores of Aotearoa, so it was no surprise that fans turned up enforce to welcome them back. Bringing along with them, not one, not two, but three support acts, Tāmaki Makaurau were certainly in for an evening of musical delight.

Kicking off the night, Australian band Germein, comprising of three sisters brought a set filled to the brim with an energy that only siblings can bring. Hailing from Adelaide, Georgia, Ella and Clara had an almost enviable cohesiveness that only a family bond can bring.

With a short but fun filled set that included tracks such as ‘100 years and the lovely ‘Suitcase’, Germein were the perfect opener. Check out their latest release ‘City Lights’.

Spark Arena was filling up fast, many hurrying to their seats in order to get settled in before the legend that is Toni Childs arrived. Accompanied by a five piece all male band, Toni Childs looked positively ethereal as she casually strolled out in black and white bell-bottom styled pants and black top, long hair cascading down the back of her shoulders.

Now sixty-six, Childs has lost absolutely none of that spectacular intensity. Taking a seat at the edge of the stage, she instantly connected with each and every person in the room. Dropping ‘Stop Your Fussin’ within the first couple of songs, Childs easily had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand.

With a voice that was absolutely on point, that sumptuous husky undertone that she is well known for, moved through the room intoxicating all, Childs by this point barefoot, her band seamlessly accompanying her as she took one and all through a musical journey that should have been much longer.

Bringing nostalgia, blues and a vivid sense of self, Childs wowed one and all, especially when she moved into her last track ‘I Believe in You’; leaving the stage, Childs picked her way through the front rows, a young girl in yellow catching her eye. Shy at first, Childs soon had her dancing for joy in front of her, the captivating moment bringing a smile to everyone’s faces. Moving towards a gentleman sitting in the middle of the isle, Childs sat down as she serenaded him, her words sang with such genuine warmth that he visibly melted in his seat.

Returning to the front, Childs invited her band to stand by her side as they took a sweeping bow, many in the audience jumping to their feet to applaud them, before Childs playfully bunny-hopped off behind the curtains. Headline show? Yes please!

Following a short intermission, it was the turn of yet another Australian artist who is rather a well-known face to anyone who is a fan of the television show Neighbours.

Natalie Imbruglia, looking absolutely stunning in a sparkling black and gold ensemble, entered the arena to thunderous applause, her four piece all male band quickly settling in behind her.

Kicking it off with ‘What it Feels Like’ from her latest album Firebird, Imbruglia brought a fiery infused energy as she quickly moved into the ever-popular hit ‘Wishing I was There’ and of course ‘Wrong Impression’.

As she moved through her sixty-minute set, Imbruglia regaled the audience with an amusing anecdote about two local fans who did not realise they were speaking to the very artist they were so excited to see, Imbruglia making a quick getaway before the penny dropped.

She then spoke about how excited she was to have had the opportunity to have worked with Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes, the track ‘Maybe It’s Great’ certainly embodying that vibrant and somewhat urgent feeling that The Strokes bring to their own brand of music.

However, it was in this middle section that her set lost just a touch of lustre, while her diehard fans certainly would have relished the chance to listen to her perform her latest music, at times it came off a little cabaret, and didn’t quite hit the spot enough to keep attendees engaged. ‘Just like Old Times’ a song for “all the romantics out there” had a charm to it, but that may have been due to the fact that the melody was also very reminiscent of the one and only Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m on Fire’.

Throwing in one last new track – ‘Habit’ which Imbruglia and co have been testing the waters with out on the festival circuit – it was of course ‘Torn’ that had fans leap from their seats as if electrified. Despite the song being a cover, it is undoubtedly her biggest hit, and her admirers knew every single word to it and sang it with gusto. Just to round out her set nicely, ‘Big Mistake’ from her album Left of the Middle, finished it all off with a flourish.

By the time The Corrs arrived, Spark Arena was heaving and ready to go. The lights dropped, applause thundered, shaking the very rafters and a spotlight appeared, illuminating the one and only Caroline Corr on drums as she pounded out a rhythm so potent that it actually caught your breath.

Quickly joined by her siblings Sharon on violin, Jim on guitar and keys and of course Andrea on vocals along with fellow band members Keith and Anton and it was safe to say that the audience knew they were in for one hell of a night.

Sauntering up to the microphone in a shimmering silver sequin dress, Andrea Corr was the epitome of a star, the words to ‘Only When I Sleep’ falling from her lips effortlessly and captivating the audience.

Irish genetics must be the most sought after in the world, because looking over at the three sisters as they played it was as if time had stopped, kissed them upon their foreheads and left them to it, their beauty utterly timeless, their Irish accents only amplifying their presence.

Moving swiftly through the first half of their set, there was plenty to be happy about, ‘Summer Sunshine’ followed up by the haunting ‘Forgiven, Not Forgotten; Andrea often breaking out a traditional bodhŕan, which was a pleasure to watch her play with unwavering rhythm.

Having recorded ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac for the covers album Legacy, the Irish sweethearts not only gifted the audience their version of ‘Little Lies’ which was dedicated to the late Christine McVie, but later in the night ‘Dreams’ itself which was frankly stunning. This was following a stupendous cover of ‘No Frontiers’ and a rather moving rendition of ‘Ellis Island’, a song about immigration.

‘Haste to the Wedding’, a traditional Irish song, was performed acoustically by Sharon, Jim and Caroline, those with even a drop of Irish blood in their veins feeling pride well up inside them as the music infused the air with a sound that really is so utterly unique to the Celtic culture.

It seemed as if one had blinked their eyes and the evening was almost over, attendees soon getting even more excited as they knew some of the biggest hits of the evening were about to be dropped. Sure enough the opening notes to ‘So Young’ and ‘I Never Loved You Anyway’ had both men and women alike throw their heads back and sing as if there was no tomorrow. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and nothing brings strangers together like it.

Of course, the encore game had to be played, all who were present gleefully stamping their feet and begging The Corrs to return to the stage, and return they did, with a twinkle in their eyes as they launched straight into ‘Runaway’ which the arena sang for them, Andrea respectfully stepping back from the mic and letting them run with it.

‘Breathless’ was definitely competition for the biggest track of the night as fans screamed in delight and danced till the very end, the traditional ‘Toss the Feathers’ ending the night on a high.

Was it worth the wait? Judging by the smiles on each and every single persons face that poured through the doors and into the night still humming the songs, most definitely!

The Corrs:

Natalie Imbruglia:

Toni Childs:

Germein:

Were you there at Spark Arena for this huge pop gig? Or have you seen The Corrs perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. Only When I Sleep
2. Give Me a Reason
3. Summer Sunshine
4. Erin Shore / Forgiven, Not Forgotten
5. What Can I Do
6. Little Lies [Fleetwood Mac cover]
7. No Frontiers [Jimmy MacCarthy cover]
8. Joy of Life
9. Ellis Island
10. Haste to the Wedding [traditional]
11. Radio
12. Queen of Hollywood
13. Dreams [Fleetwood Mac cover]
14. So Young
15. I Never Loved You Anyway
16. Runaway [encore]
17. Breathless [encore]
18. Toss the Feathers [traditional][encore]

_{Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.}

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