Live Review: Andrea Corr – Thursday 2nd June 2011 – Union Chapel, London, UK
4 min read
Four years have passed since Andrea Corr, the youngest of four siblings who together conquered the international charts as Irish pop quartet The Corrs, released a record. 2007’s debut Ten Feet High provided Andrea with her first venture into solo stardom and a project away from a band that she had been emerged so deeply within for over ten years.
With her siblings all branching out into lives that involved more child upbringing than hit making, Andrea was given the platform and freedom to do things on her own.
Though the 2007 release wasn’t considered a commercially successful project for the singer in comparison to her extensive Corr’s catalogue, the time away from the family band also allowed the singer to dive into various acting roles as well as an opportunity to recoup and take some overdue time out from the glare of the worldwide spotlight. The wait however is finally over as the singer has this week offered us the follow up to her 2007 debut in the tightly woven package that is Lifelines.
Combining classic tracks from an array of the singers childhood inspirations, Lifelines is a selection of beautifully covered pop tracks given the kiss of life by one of music’s most elegant and gifted vocalists.
With promotion for the record now fully underway, Andrea has taken to the road for a mini tour of the UK to showcase her latest work. With gigs completed at Birmingham’s Glee Club, Glasgow’s Oran Moor and the Salford Lowry, Renowned For Sound’s Brendon headed over to London’s Union Chapel to catch the singers London Lifelines debut.
Though the singer has the experience of easily filling some of the worlds largest stadiums and arenas as part of her famous family set up, it is some of the country’s smallest and most intimate spots that Andrea has decided to take to for her sophomore solo records unveiling.
After a 45 minute support set from Celtic/Folk female duo Lumiere, Andrea emerged on stage at just after 9pm and over the space of 90 minutes, covered a lot of ground of old and new numbers. A set that was led predominantly by her new record with a few surprises thrown into the mix.
Opening the night with No 9 Dream Andrea stood centre stage, lapping up the love from the adorning crowd as she gave her signature seductive kiss of life to the classic Lennon number.
Her beautifully delivered version of Velvet Underground’s Pale Blue Eyes stood out in the first half of the set and gave Andrea one of the biggest and loudest standing ovations of the night, as did the Kirsty Maccoll penned They Don’t Know.
As promises earlier in the day via her Facebook page suggested, the night gave a special surprise to her London fans as sibling and Corr’s drummer, Caroline, joined her spritely little sister on stage for the bands signature hit, Runaway. With Caroline adding a piano accompaniment to the Corr’s international breakthrough number it was a defining moment that could easily have been the first hint of a Corr’s reunion.
Filling in the centre of the set Andrea took to the keyboard for a three track collection of Shame On You (To Keep My Love From Me), Hello Boys and Ten Feet High from her 2007 debut solo release.
Dreams, a Corr’s cover of the famous Fleetwood Mac track, was added to the later half of the set with the anthemic closing of State Of Independence getting members of the crowd on their feet and waving their arms to salute their Irish idol.
After a brief 3 minute stage salute the band returned to a raptous standing ovation before offering us a three track encore of Some Things Last A Long Time in which Andrea clearly looked emotional as she put her heart and soul into the track, the new albums lead single, the uptempo Tinsletown In The Rain and the closing Corr’s Grammy nominated single, Breathless which Andrea ran to pull her sister back on stage for.
Among the set Andrea involved the crowd wherever she could and made it a very intimate affair regularly sharing anecdotes and giving her thoughts on the various covers that were performed throughout the set.
The venue choice was also superb. Union Chapel has always had a magical feel that allows artists like Andrea to bask in its dim candle lit atmosphere.
Andrea may have taken time out of the limelight over the past four years to rediscover her passion for music but her voice was as untainted and sweetly crisp as her early Corr’s days. She continues to deliver well executed uptempo pop delights as well as gorgeously melancholic Irish sweetened balladry with ease and enthusiasm. We here at Renowned For Sound are couldn’t have asked for a better evening of nostalgic pop numbers offered by one of the genres leading ladies.
Set list:
No 9 Dream
They Don’t Know
Blue Boyou
Pale Blue Eyes
I’ll Be Seeing You
Runaway
From The Morning
Shame On You (To Keep My Love From Me)
Hello Boys
Ten Feet High
Crystal Ships
Dreams
Tomorrow In Your Eyes
State Of Independence
Some Things Last A Long Time
Tinsletown In The Rain
Breathless
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
