My birthday celebrations kicked off last night with The Corrs concert and it was fantastic! I had so much fun. It was cold and wintry, with snow in the forecast, but after a lovely eggnog latte at Starbucks to warm up a bit, I was ready for a night of singing and enjoying myself.
The Corrs were the sound of my twenties and I used to listen to their CDs all the time. A few years later, when I was singing karaoke-anchor in my step-dad's pub in the village, I used to sing their songs a lot because people loved them and they would sing along to the chorus. Those are some very happy memories.
Last night's concert was amazing, as not only did I get to hear The Corrs perform live, but their support act was Natalie Imbruglia! So I feel like I got two for the price of one and she was great - her diction is fantastic and you could understand every word she was singing, which isn't always the case with some singers, particularly if they have strong regional accents. Both Natalie and Andrea sounded clear and precise in their delivery, which made them a real pleasure to listen to.
Of course, there were lots of Celtic reels performed by the band too and I think this was one of my favourite aspects of the show. Its why I was drawn to The Corrs in the first instance, because I like the way they combine traditional Celtic music with pop music, creating something that is unique to them. It's certainly the kind of music to get your feet tapping and people were singing their hearts out and dancing along. Caroline on drums could give Phil Collins a run for his money, while Sharon playing the fiddle stirs up the crowd with her rousing Celtic melodies. Then of course there's Jim, playing guitar and piano and keeping everything together.
Although the tour was called Talk On Corners after their second breakthrough album, the show was really a retrospective of their entire career to date and more of a greatest hits tour, so all their best known songs were performed and all my own favourites including Give Me A Reason, Breathless, What Can I Do, Radio and I Never Really Loved You Anyway. It was such a fun, happy show and I had the best time. I'll be sharing some clips on my Twitter over the next few days.
I got some nice souvenirs of the concert with birthday money and I bought a program, a Corrs bag, a couple of CDs including Andrea's solo Christmas album and Natalie Imbruglia's new album which is released on my birthday later this week. I'll be listening to those on repeat.
When we left the arena I was delighted to see that the promised snow had arrived, our first snowfall this winter, which just felt like an extra birthday present! I love snow, its so pretty. It was nice to be able to walk through the Narnian winter, back to the car, with a bag of birthday goodies and some wonderful memories to cherish forever - not least of which was my 71 year old mother jigging around to one of the Celtic reels! I think its fair to say she enjoyed the show too!
All in all its been a fantastic beginning to my birthday week and I do think that concert tickets make the best presents. Its the gift of a memory, of a shared experience with loved ones and of spending time with your idols. Now that the show is over, I can listen to their music with new memories attached and remember their concert and the pretty snow that was silently falling as we all sang our hearts out.
I've decided that on my actual birthday later this week, I'm going to have a nice cosy day at home. For the past few years I've been out on my birthday, to London, Pendle and Edinburgh, so I think this year I just want to have a relaxing birthday at home for a nice change. I never work on my birthday, so I'll just spend the day reading, relaxing, pampering eating cake and watching nice films. That sounds like a good birthday plan.
For now, I'm going to watch my Corrs DVDs and prolong the joy of last night's concert. It was so much fun and I had the best time. What a festive start to my birthday week!
The Corrs are coming to the end of their tour now, but I think they still have dates in London, if you fancy a trip to see them. They've definitely put me in the Celtic mood and I feel ready to celebrate my birthday and the festive season!
Bright Blessings
Marie x