Crowd-surfing Lord of the Marquee Danny O’Reilly has brought the unique relationship that The Coronas enjoy with The Marquee to new heights tonight, writes Joe Dermody.
“We’re in no hurry out of here tonight, we hope that’s OK with you?” Danny asks.
That works for a fair crossover of us Cork folks, those who like value for our coin and those of us who like to rock on past last call.
We got both. They arrived onstage at 8:45pm amid a blaze of light and a shower of confetti. It was full two hours later when they left, and they left us waiting for next year.
Radio hits galore, a kicking live sound and arguably the most vocally gifted, naturally charismatic Irish frontman since Phil Lynott, it’s not hard to see why everyone loves The Coronas.
“It feels so amazing to be back in The Marquee,” says Danny O’Reilly as they stop mid-way through Addicted To Progress to stand silently and soak up the applause.
If you’ve never seen him do that, look it up. Spine-tingling. This time it’s met with a volley of Ole Ole’s.
Then out come the giant balloons. We had confetti early doors.
All a bit Barney for some of us, but the purple rain seems to work a princely treat for the mosh pit.
“We are so glad to be back. This is like an annual party for us.”
They are a party band. And they’re born to play The Marquee. In fact, I’ve a genuine suspicion that their main motivation in releasing a new album every other year has been just to bring something new to their Marquee faithful, like Fr Ted refreshing the sermon.
For this packed mixed-age, mixed-gender congregation, nobody gives a better Mass.
Have they crossed over from being the real deal for the fake tan southern belles, and are they now playing hard enough for greying Cork heads looking out for the next Franks or Sultans to jump along to? Maybe nearly. It’s about 70:30 oompa loompa vs where’s me joompa.
The new songs are great, with We Couldn’t Fake That and Who We Are hitting the nail head-on. They sit well with classic hits, of which we got to hear the lot.
“Ye might sing this one with me,” says Danny. I think he had a fair idea we would. Dreaming Again, Get Loose, Closer To You and all the rest. They know their audience. They should do at this stage, on this stage.
After all, they’re now second only to Christy Moore for annual southern pilgrimages. They’re to the tent born, though so deified down here they might well have taken their first breath in a manger.
A bit of singing as Gaeilge, a few lines of Lakes of Ponchartrain. Sure they’re getting closer and closer to Gods.
A word also to edgy young gunslingers The Academic, the best thing to come out of Mullingar since Joe Dolan.
Does the world have a better warmup band? Yes, as your hit says, we know that you’re different.
Keep it up, lads, the new material deserves its own Marquee headline slot. Oh me, oh my, watch this space.
