The Corrs – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By Steve Crabtree, June 2025
The week is drawing to its close, and its Thursday night at The Piece Hall. The summer gig season is already serving up some brilliant nights, and for this one, we got a warm, dry evening – despite the threat of cloud earlier in the day. We also had another packed courtyard full of music fans ready to soak it all up.
This time, it was The Corrs on headline duties, and my wife Alex – a fan from back in the late 90s/early noughties – was particularly excited for this one.
I’ll admit, with her being way more familiar with The Corrs material than me, it felt like I was going in more as her plus one. But with that familiar excitement building and a big crowd filtering in, it was going to be another memorable night…
“Great reception”
We got in to The Piece Hall just as Natalie Imbruglia was into her support slot – around 7.40pm. And I have to say, she was great. There was already a packed house with lot of hustle and bustle, but she had all the attention on her. She looked great, sounded strong, and moved around the stage with total confidence as she delighted us with ‘Big Mistake’, ‘Torn’ and other numbers. I’d seen her supporting Simply Red a few years back where it didn’t really click – the folky, quirkier vibe she went for that night didn’t land with the crowd. But this time, she was doing what she does best and it worked a treat.
Alex and I found a decent spot around 8.30pm. With the slight shift in layout this year – particularly where the sound and light desk is concerned – it feels like there was a bit more breathing room in the courtyard. I found this was the case when I saw James last week too. It helps the atmosphere to be that bit more relaxed, adding to an already upbeat and happy vibe.
And then, The Corrs came on just after 8.45pm. And what a great reception! They kicked things off with ‘Only When I Sleep’ – one I didn’t realise I even knew – and quickly followed it with ‘Give Me A Reason’. It set the tone for the night. A hit-filled set, full of Celtic energy, Irish fiddle breakdowns, flutes and those songs you forgot were there in your memory bank.
“Dancing, moving and belting out the words”
As you’d expect, the music had that Irish heartbeat to it, and the vibe was fantastic. The crowd were up for it too, people around us were trying their best Riverdance impressions – plus the odd misguided Highland fling for good measure. It was all part of the fun.
The band themselves were brilliant. ‘Summer Sunshine’ was perfect for the weather, and ‘What Can I Do’ was one of those big crowd singalongs that everyone loved. I think it was my song of the evening, and Alex and I enjoyed joining in with that one.
What’s great is that The Corrs still contain the original line-up. Andrea Corr was front and centre, still sounding pitch perfect, dancing, chatting to the crowd and clearly loving it. Her sisters Sharon (on violin) and Caroline (on drums – and seriously, what a drummer!) were just as strong, and older brother Jim looked cool as ever on guitar, keeping everything tight.
Back in the day, I think I’d always had The Corrs down as a mellow band. Something soft, smiley and nice. But tonight reminded me they’ve got real depth. A proper collection of upbeat tunes that had people dancing, moving, and belting out the words.
“Beautiful”
I was surprised at just how many songs I knew. ‘I Never Loved You Anyway’ went down a treat later in the night, as did ‘So Young’. Then their brilliant cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ was very well received. They do a good job that as well.
When you enjoy a gig as much as this one, the only thing you don’t like is how quickly it all comes to an end. Their main set closed with the brilliant ‘Runaway’, with the crowd taking over the final chorus while Andrea smiled and told us we sounded “beautiful”.
But they weren’t finished. And after a brief hiatus from the stage, they returned with an encore that featured a lively ‘Breathless’ and, finally, the traditional instrumental ‘Toss The Feathers’. The latter got a few group of girls near us dancing round in a circle, Riverdancing (again) in the middle, and got everyone nearby smiling. And wishing we could join in! That in itself summed up what tonight had given us, and it was a stunning finish that made sure we went home smiling and in the highest of spirits.
I thought I’d come away from this one thinking it was “nice”. A bit of nostalgia, a bit of a tick on the live music list. But it was way more than that, it was brilliant. And it was even better seeing Alex in her element, dancing and singing along to a band she’s loved for years – especially after she’s stood through far too many gigs that I’ve dragged her to!
The Corrs were tight, polished, and genuinely joyful to watch. A reminder of just how good they were – and still are.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor and The Piece Hall
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
