Brimful of energy, masters of the art of cramming every human emotion into 90 minutes of compacted pure joy — no wonder The Coronas are adored by their Cork fans. This is the third time that I’ve seen this powerful band in the Marquee and somehow they manage to bring a different shade of brilliance with every new sold-out visit. Tonight they start with a stage-sized pre-roll video of the band backstage walking out to rapturous applause.
Having seven Irish chart-topping albums to choose from, of course, allows for significant changes to the setlist each time. But that only goes part of the way to explaining what sets them apart. Is it their tuneful blend of rock and pop sat proudly atop a bedrock of trad-influenced dance beats? More than the sum of their parts? The showmanship of Danny O’Reilly on guitar, keys and vocals is undeniable.
This crowd understandably loves him. Danny says: “How are you all doing, you beautiful people of Cork? Let’s all do this together. Let me see your hands in the air.
” A sea of hands, competing to bounce giant coloured balloons skyward. Party time. “Wave your phones,” he says.
A sea of light. “Sing with us,” he says. They know every word.
Uniquely bonded to their Irish fans, The Coronas are also adored globally. They go straight from this Marquee show to dates in Vancouver, Canada, and on to US dates in Seattle, San Diego, and San Francisco over the next two weeks. They’re due to release their eighth album in the autumn, incl.
