Irish indie band, The Coronas, returned to Nottingham last week to promote their fourth album, The Long Way. Opening their UK tour, an intimate audience at Rescue Rooms were treated to a powerful performance of songs from previous albums such as Heroes and Ghosts and Closer to You.
Following their much anticipated arrival on stage, lead singer Danny O’Reilly identified a series of ‘friendly faces’ within the audience. It was clear that The Coronas were surrounded by friends, family and fans who had travelled from Ireland and around the UK to show their support, something that created a welcoming atmosphere that lasted the entire evening. The long established band, who formed back in 2003, had an attending fan base that spanned across a variety of ages, young and old.
“It was clear that The Coronas were surrounded by friends, family and fans”
The night got started with the upbeat track, ‘At the Same Time’, from their most recent album. This catchy song captured the audience’s attention from the offset, partly achieved by O’Reilly incorporating interactive moments into the song by, at various points, asking the crowd to sing along. Even at this early stage of the evening, most did not think twice about participating, with many belting out the lyrics as if they were the fifth member the band. Yet, even those who weren’t as familiar with the track were swept up in everyone else’s enjoyment: the atmosphere was undeniably infectious. Following on from this successful start, the band played one of their most popular tracks, ‘How it Goes’, which was similarly well received. Another track on The Long Way album, ‘Get Loose’, followed shortly after, a song that has melodic similarities to tracks produced by indie band, The 1975.
Predictable performances are traps that upbeat, indie bands can sometimes fall into; when we are provided a constant stream of cheerful music, at times it can be hard to distinguish one song from the next. However, this is a trap that The Coronas avoided with ease. One way in which this was achieved was having lead guitarist, Dave McPhillips, temporarily take the position of lead vocals by singing ‘Tell Me Again’, a track that was written and sung by himself. This track provided a gentle acoustic sound, and stands out as one of the best songs of their performance.
“Predictable performances are traps that indie bands can fall into, but The Coronas avoid this with ease”
Towards the end of the show, ‘Make a Change’ – a track from the 2007 album, Heroes and Ghosts – was played to a very appreciative audience. This track took a step back from their most recent releases and reminded us of a time when their songs fell mainly into the indie rock genre. Then, after a brief departure from stage and an eagerly awaited encore, O’Reilly returned, jumping into the audience – accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. The Irish vocalist went on to perform an acoustic rendition of ‘Heroes and Ghosts’, which was undoubtedly a highlight of the evening. A circle formed around the musician as he performed a heartfelt version of the track, and his solo performance swiftly became a group production as there was barely an audience member not singing along.
One of the best qualities of The Coronas is their humble nature. Throughout the gig they repeatedly expressed their gratitude towards the audience, and O’Reilly’s disbelief of how many people came to see their ‘little band’ suggests that they’ve stayed grounded over the years in spite of their increasing success. On top of this endearing quality, the atmosphere at The Coronas performances is incredibly infectious, something that will ensure that their UK, Australian and New Zealand tours will be a huge success.
Katy Clifton
Katy’s interview with The Coronas is available to read now on IMPACT Music
