Music News Australia: Ronan Keating And Sharon Corr At State Theatre, Sydney, Australia

Saturday 28 January 2012

Ronan Keating And Sharon Corr At State Theatre, Sydney, Australia - Australia Day Review

The State Theatre in the heart of Sydney presented Ronan Keating and Sharon Corr on the evening of Australia Day.

Keating came out to a packed house at the beautiful and elegant State Theatre and received a strong ovation.

He was all smiles and genuinely looked pleased to be there. You could also see him charming the females in the audience, but that's all part of working the crowd.

The fashion conscious Keating, also looking to break into acting, came out in a very stylish grey suit.

My favourite song was the popular 'Life Is A Rollercoaster".

Keating, who most recently has been a judge on the television series The X Factor, was accompanied by a seven-piece band and a string quartet.

The Irish artist is enjoying success with his latest album 'When Ronan Met Burt', with the top-three album approaching platinum status. The album celebrates Keating's teaming with legendary composer Burt Bacharach.

The "When You Say Nothing At All" singer is heading back to the studio to work on solo material following an overseas tour with his group Boyzone last year.

"It's not folk. It's a mix! It's a pop album. Gregg Alexander and I are working together again. It's got that 'Life is a Rollercoaster' feel again. I'm having fun with it again, it's been five years since I've done a studio album. I'm a little bit nervous," the 34-year-old told media.

The theatrical lighting was another highlight of the impressive show.

The concert was great value for money.

Support Act: Sharon Corr

Sharon was brilliant on her first solo tour and was certainly the calibre of talent worthy of opening a show for Ronan Keating.

The Irish sensation wore a green elegant dress and her eyes were highlighted by glittery green eye shadow.

It seems that the artist and her violin are one, and that's not totally surprising since she's been playing since age 7.

She performed 'So Young', 'Joy Of Life' and 'Radio'.

Over the course of their 15-year career, The Corrs sold more than 40 millions albums worldwide, featuring massive singles such as ‘Runaway’, ‘Radio’, ‘Forgiven Not Forgotten’, ‘So Young’ and ‘Breathless’.

Her name, Sharon, means a princess of exotic beauty, and from what I witnessed that seems a fair assessment.

Sharon Corr will be the special guest support on all of the Australian shows.

Bio of Sharon Corr

Grammy Nominee/Brit Award Winner, singer/songwriter and violinist – hugely successful both as a member of legendary Irish group The Corrs and now as a solo artist.

Much has been written about the incredible talent for melodies The Corrs exhibited throughout their 15 year long career. Their unique blend of Celtic/Pop/Rock sold over 40 million albums.

They toured arenas and stadiums across the globe. With a string of massively successful albums and singles played to this day like Runaway, So Young, Radio, Breathless - The Corrs have been a household name on every continent. “Music is what makes me tick“ says Sharon and true to that when The Corrs took time off to focus on their growing families, Sharon – while having her own 2 children - began to write and record her debut solo album ”Dream Of You“ released in 2010.

“Dream Of You“ is a collection of beautifully crafted, melodic pop gems, a remarkable debut that demands to be listened to in full – each story and melody flowing seamlessly into the next. Album features a stunning version of Mna na hEireann with legend Jeff Beck. If the hits Sharon wrote for The Corrs were her songs of innocence her solo album can be described as her songs of experience.

Sharon has relished her new role as a solo artist: playing festivals such as Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight and touring extensively. Music remains Sharon’s great passion and it is simply who she is and what she does.

Sharon continues to support the causes she believes in. The Corrs were ambassadors of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Campaign, they took part in Live 8, Pavarotti and Friends for The Children of Liberia and The Prince’s Trust 2004. They also supported the families and victims of the Omagh bombing. In recognition of their work the band members were awarded MBEs.

Today Sharon is the face of OXFAM Ireland with their recently launched campaign Make Space for OXFAM, she is also a patron of Console – who help prevent suicide and council the suicide bereaved.

Bio of Ronan Keating

With those dazzling poster-boy looks, Ronan Keating became one of Europe's most endearing stars as the leader of the Irish boy band Boyzone. The five Irish lads in Boyzone, who made their debut in 1993, built their charismatic style into one of the biggest European pop/rock acts of the '90s. But before he was winning over the world, Keating was a middle-class kid living in Dublin. Born Ronan Patrick John Keating on March 3, 1977, he was the last of four children in the Keating household. His father, Gerry, was a pub owner and his mother, Marie, was a hairdresser, so financially the Keating family was trying to make ends meet.

The working trudge instilled the desire to work in the youngest Keating. While working in a local shoe store, he noticed a search advertisement for an Irish Take That. The 14-year-old beat out 300 hopefuls with his own rendition of the Cat Stevens song "Father and Son" and was headed toward becoming a celebrity. Boyzone released four albums, every one debuting at number one in the U.K. They released 16 singles, each one charting in the Top Three on the U.K. charts. Most notably, Americans will recognize this five-piece as the dashing young men singing behind U2's Bono in "The Sweetest Thing" video.

Six years into being part of one of the U.K.'s brightest and biggest-selling pop bands, Keating searched for an alternate creative outlet. He began managing another male pop group called Westlife. He married Irish model Yvonne Connelly in April 1998 and the following year they had a son, Jack. Musically, however, Keating's intentions stayed in tune with his internal spirit. He couldn't possibly steer clear of the media spotlight for long and something positive was bound to come of it. He recorded his debut solo effort in early 2000 under the craftsmanship of artists such as Bryan Adams and Barry Gibb. His sensual and childlike persona was full-fledged. He is a working songsmith with the utmost class, and counterparts like Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow might be considered a bit shy of such inborn grace. Ronan was issued overseas in mid-2000, and a U.S. version followed in October.

For 2002's Destination, Keating collaborated with songwriter and ex-New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. This album was another smash overseas with hit singles such as "I Love It When We Do" and "I've Got My Heart on You," yet it failed to see a release in the States. Two years later, Keating issued Turn It On. His rendition of Terence Trent D'Arby's "Let Her Down Easy" and songs co-written with Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross were featured in another mature set from the former boy band singer. 10 Years of Hits followed in 2005, and a year later Keating released the studio album Bring You Home. In 2009 Keating released the heartfelt tribute album Songs for My Mother, which was dedicated to his late mother, Marie, who had passed away from breast cancer in 1998. Keating released a collection of duets, appropriately titled Duet, in 2010. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi