PHILIP KEY'S
Arts/diary - Daily Post 3/1/99
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| WHEN they first appeared in the North West
they were support band to Celine Dion and few in the packed audience had paid to hear them
sing. Last night, 14,000 fans packed into the MEN Arena and The Corrs were undisputed top of the bill. Their unmistakeable brand of Irish pop and Celtic music has provided them with a top selling album - their performance last night proved why they are one of the biggest names in live performances at the moment. The concert had been sold out for months so there was little likelihood the reception would be anything less than rapturous. They even played with the audience, showing the outrageous French and Saunders' Corrs spoof before the gang set foot on stage. When they did appear even the Corrs were surprised by the welcome. They were straight into their stride with When He's Not Around and it was plain sailing from then on - they knew their audience and their audience knew exactly what they had come to hear. One or two of the tracks lacked the studio clarity, particularly on What Can I Do but it was good to see a rough edge to what is undoubtedly a very polished performance.  Top of the bill: Andrea of The Corrs at the Apollo, Manchester The songs are full of Celtic love and despair, the instrumentals have a powerful energy which whips the evening along. Andrea belies her slim frame with a voice that is powerful and solid and Sharon is no mean fiddler with a superb voice. Drummer Caroline proved she too was in fine voice on the groups excellent harmonies. When she came from behind the drum kit to sing a duet with Sharon, the audience left the Corrs in no doubt who their favourite of the night was. Yet it is unfair to pick on individual performances - the show is the thing with the Corrs. The girls know that a slice of their popularity is their looks and their extremely talented brother Jim knows he can play the feckless male without fear of failure. In short, the Corrs are the best looking band around and their fans were in no doubt they are one of the best sounds around. Excellent. Malcolm Handley |