It's All in the Family | The Corrs
Irish Celtic-infused pop icons, The Corrs, will return to Australia this November for an exclusive, one-night-only performance at Hope Estate in the heart of NSW’s Hunter Valley wine country. This is their first concert in five years and the only concert they are performing in the entire world – for now.
Joining them for an incredible evening of wine and song will be one of the most successful acts in British pop history Wet Wet Wet, Australia’s catchiest songwriter, Ben Lee and emerging artist, Gaudion.
The Corrs are a family affair, Andrea (lead vocals), Sharon (violin, piano, vocals), Caroline (drums, piano, vocals) and Jim (guitar, piano, vocals), who produce an enchanting mix of traditional Celtic music with a pop rock twist. They have written some of the biggest songs of the last three decades, having sold over 40 million albums worldwide and in excess of two million albums in Australia since their 1995 debut album Forgiven Not Forgotten crashed into the charts and stole our hearts. And Australia holds a very special place in their hearts too.
“Our memories of Australia are extremely fond,” said Sharon via Zoom from her home in Spain. It’s like having memories of your family – good memories. We first got recognised for our music in Australia. It really did hit the top, and it was quite incredible, quite remarkable. It feels like it’s destined to be – for our first concert back in quite some time, to be in Australia. It just feels like it’s the right thing to do. And the timing was right for all of us.”
The Corrs grew up in Dundalk near the border of Northern Ireland in the 70s and 80s. Born to parents Gerry and Jean Corr, their father was a manager for the payroll department of the Irish Electricity Board. The children attended a local catholic school and were encouraged to learn to play musical instruments, as both parents were also musical. Jim and Sharon formed a duo and would play regularly in their aunt’s pub, but the four siblings didn’t play as a band together until the film The Commitments was being produced in Ireland in 1991. Jim Corr had the idea that establishing a family band would help them win parts in the movie. In the end, only Andrea got a speaking part, with the rest of the band having small parts as musicians.
Their audition for The Commitments brought them to the notice of John Hughes, the music coordinator for the film, and he secured several high-profile appearances that began to open doors for the fledgling band, including a trip to America where they secured a recording contract. It didn’t take long for their first album to start making waves, particularly after they supported Celine Dion on a world tour in 1996. Forgiven Not Forgotten gave us the incredible title track, the exquisite Heaven Knows and, of course, arguably one of the biggest adult contemporary songs of the modern era, Runaway.
Their second album, Talk On Corners, led with I Never Loved You Anyway, So Young and Only When I Sleep and is their biggest selling album to date. After a short break, The Corrs returned with In Blue, which features their highest streaming ever. The enchanting Breathless has received a staggering 132 million plays on Spotify and counting! Returning to their folk roots with Borrowed Heaven and Home, The Corrs went on a decade-long hiatus to raise families and work on solo careers, only to return in 2015 with White Light and their latest release, 2017’s Jupiter Calling, featuring the sublime, Son Of Solomon and SOS (Song of Syria).
Their last concert together was after the release of Jupiter Calling and was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2017. At the time, they didn’t realise it would be their last for quite a long time.
“It’s all about timing,” said Sharon. “Life gets in the way, and we all have families. We spent a long time living in each other’s eyeballs, squeezed onto tiny couches for interviews. Everyone seems to think that as siblings, we are happy to do that, but it’s the opposite, actually. I always say that one of our greatest successes has been that we still all talk to each other!”
“And then, of course, Covid happened. And we really were lucky to have each other during that time. I live in Spain, so we don’t all live near each other. Family facetime during Covid was super important. I had my 50th birthday in lockdown in our apartment, face-timing the family with a birthday cake. Now that we can get together, it’s amazing. We spent Christmas together not so long ago, and we couldn’t believe how many kids there were running about!”
Since the mid-2000s, both Andrea and Sharon have pursued solo careers as performers and recording artists. Jim has become better known as a conspiracy theorist, and Caroline (The Chick with the Stick) has raised three children and “consciously uncoupled” with her property developer husband. There’s a sense that post-Covid is the right time to step forward into new opportunities, reconnecting with their extraordinary talent and the magic combination that is all four of them together.
The concert in Australia came about because the promoter, One World Entertainment, approached the band with the concept already devised. “The promoter came to us, and it was just the right time, especially with Covid now not such an issue. The concert itself looks like a really great gig, with lots of atmosphere. I like those types of concerts because they’re not a big, grey, clinical arenas. It will be a concert with a difference, and what’s not to love about it being at a winery – a few glasses of wine at the end of the concert will be lovely.”
To make this a concert with a difference and a night to remember, The Corrs will embark on a global first with 500 drones lighting up the sky, synced to several of their key songs to make the atmosphere genuinely remarkable.
“The drones will be creating images in the sky,” said Sharon. “It’s super exciting for us, not just the audience. We’ll be getting a big kick out of seeing it too. It’s a big deal. I’m looking forward to that aspect because I haven’t seen it before.”
Joining the Corrs at the Hope Estate concert is Scotland’s Wet Wet Wet, well known for their massive hit, Love Is All Around, from one of the most successful UK movies ever, Four Weddings And A Funeral. Wet Wet Wet are celebrating the 35th anniversary of their first album release this year. With their hit albums and singles, including Sweet Little Mystery, Angel Eyes, Goodnight Girl, Julia Says and, of course, Sweet Surrender, the band have featured in the official UK singles and album charts for over 500 weeks, spending 15 weeks at the top with Love Is All Around - a record for any UK artist that still
stands today.
Having played to more than four million people around the world, including a record-breaking ten sold-out shows in one year at the SEC in Glasgow, the band have built a reputation as one of the best live acts ever produced by the UK. The band’s latest album, 2021’s The Journey, is their first in over a decade and having last toured Australia all the way back in 1995, Wet Wet Wet are thrilled to be finally coming back to reconnect with their old fans and looking forward to making new ones who will experience them for the first time.
Ben Lee has been one of Australia’s most successful singer-songwriters of the new millennium. Cigarette’s Will Kill You and Catch My Disease have been radio staples for years, and his 2006 smash, We’re All In This Together, became an unofficial Aussie anthem during the pandemic. Never one to take himself seriously, Ben is in it for the good times.
A prolific collaborator, Ben has worked with too many artists to mention, runs a podcast network and even directs movies! Ben will have you in a great mood for the evening ahead with his signature happy vibe and message of love and unity.
Emerging artist, Gaudion will impress you with his charisma, energy and zest for life, which are embodied in his music as he continues his mission to spread happiness everywhere. Gaudion is nominated for Breakout Artist of the Year at this year’s Gold Coast Music Awards, and his unique style is influenced by the likes of Van Morrison, Ed Sheeran, James Reyne and Tracy Chapman.
The Corrs are now gearing up for rehearsals in preparation for the concert, with What’s App messages flying back and forth between the siblings to work out the setlist and the arc of the performance.
“The songs that we need are basically the hits – that makes absolute sense, then a couple of interesting things thrown in. I’m off to Dublin for two weeks in November for the rehearsals, return home briefly and then fly out to Australia. I’ll only be in the country for four days because I need to get back for my kids, who are still in school. If I stayed any longer, I’d want to stay for a month and travel around. I love to travel; it’s my happy place, and Australia is an exciting country to be in.”
“I think that the Irish and Australians are very similar; we’re very alike as people. We like having fun and not being too serious. There’s great diversity in Australia, too, which I think is awesome. I remember what a pretty town Newcastle is with its distinct buildings and the proximity to the beach. It has a real old-world feel, and the last time I was in Newcastle, I
did bring my children, but they were much younger!”
Sharon’s children are now 15 and 16 years of age, and school is a big priority for the family, which is why Sharon won’t be staying on after the concert.
“When you mix looking after kids with getting on stage, it’s just not possible – it’s like a bad cocktail. I need quiet time before I go on, and the demands of being a parent don’t fit in with that. It’s just not workable. You end up not doing anything as well as it should be done.”
There are no agreements between the siblings yet regarding what comes after their concert in Australia – either touring more or producing another album.
“The agreement process is quite tentative between us. I’m totally up for more concerts. I really think it will happen if everything goes smoothly. There are no thoughts yet about another album. I think it’s first things first. Although I’ve been touring my solo shows for the last couple of years and I’m a well-oiled machine, as a four-piece, we haven’t played together since 2017. I think it’s super important to focus on the task at hand, and then if, for some reason, we start writing out of that, well, then great. But if you make too many plans ahead, you lose what you’re doing right now. So, in terms of another album – it’s a maybe. A solid maybe!’
If you’re a fan of The Corrs, this concert at Hope Estate is not to be missed. Be among the first ever to see the amazing light show that 500 drones can produce, synced to music that will bring back memories of days gone by, with that incredible sound of chart-topping pop music infused with traditional Celtic folk. The band will be excited to be there, and it is likely to be a night never to be forgotten. There are still tickets available from $95 for general admission.
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