By BRUCE DENNILL
The Corrs: Talk On Corners Summer 2025 Tour / SunBet Arena, Time Square, Pretoria
What is immediately evident just a handful of songs into the Corrs’ Pretoria set is that, although it’s been a while since the Irish band made any serious industry noise, they have a long list of big hits, rather than just a solid catalogue with the occasional peak. As singer Andrea Corr – quick with a quip, it turns out – admits with a smile after a strong opening pair in Only When I Sleep and Give Me A Reason, the band were pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction to their South African dates given that, “we’re, erm, not from recent…” but their hooky songwriting, unfussy charm and substantial collective musicality make them an ongoing concern with plenty of miles left in the tank.
All their experience – they’re celebrating 30 years since the release of debut album Forgiven, Not Forgotten in 2025 – means there is no dip in confidence when switching from mainstream pop hits (What Can I Do?, Radio, So Young, Runaway, I Never Loved You Anyway) to not only instrumentals, but pieces that are, for audiences outside of Ireland, niche traditional music (Joy Of Life, Haste To The Wedding and others). What makes those work is the combination of energy and freshness, particularly to foreign ears, of instruments such as Andrea’s tin whistle or Caroline Corr’s bodhran (a hand-held frame drum) alongside Sharon Corr’s more full-time violin playing and the guitar work of both Jim Corr and Anthony Drennan (who has a lovely touch with extended lead breaks). The band also bridges these two stylistic ends of the spectrum with a cover by Irish musical icon Phil Lynott, Old Town, which is interesting, storytelling pop. Their well-liked cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams also goes over well, with the Corrs’ slightly different harmonies just as effective as those in the original.
For the most part, the Corrs are a stand-and-deliver band, happy to play their instruments and stick around near their microphones. Andrea is the exception, moving around with a sort of coquettish, hiccoughing half-skip between leading the line admirably with her vocals – particularly so when it sounds like she’s possibly singing through a cold or some other challenge that’s added a little roughness to her voice. Caroline is unflashy but metronomically solid behind the kit; Sharon’s backing vocals and violin are a huge part of the overall sound; and Jim adds colour with some beautiful piano work in addition to his rhythm guitar playing.
Over all of this is a sense of fame and pedigree not being overly important, as Andrea alludes the siblings’ current ages after they play So Young, saying that song came out “…when Sharon was already 40 and I was one”; mentioning the Springboks-Ireland game that is being played at the same time as the concert and even hilariously quoting Steve Carell’s character Brick from Anchor Man after a male fan makes a weirdly loud, abrupt noise at one point. This joke lands to general bemusement, but the singer’s not put out, simply shrugging and getting back to business.
The Talk On Corners Tour is like a visit from friends you don’t see often but really enjoy having around. It’s cosy, it’s comfortable and you’re a little surprised by the strength of feeling that surfaces when they’re in the room.