The Talk on Corners Tour was the second concert tour by Irish folk-rock band The Corrs (siblings Andrea, Corr, Jim and Sharon), launched in support of the band's sophomore studio album of the same name (1997). To date, it was the band's most extensive and longest-running tour, with over 150 dates performed across Eurasia, North America and Oceania.
The world tour began modestly, primarily performing in theatres, concert halls and clubs as the band's notoriety increased; by the tour's conclusion, The Corrs had progressed to filling indoor arenas and amphitheatres, and even some outdoor stadiums; their homecoming concert on 17 July 1999 at Dublin's Lansdowne Road accommodated roughly 40,000 people. Additionally, the band headlined an array of international music festivals and other events throughout 1997–1999, and opened for the Rolling Stones on several dates in the US and Europe during their No Security Tour.
Background Following a late 1997 press tour for their sophomore studio album, Talk on Corners, the band began concert rehearsals in October of that year at The Factory, Dublin. Over several weeks of rehearsals, the band continued promoting their album and the upcoming tour through various radio stations and other media outlets throughout Europe and the UK. In February 1998, the Corrs kicked-off the Oceania leg of their tour, with multiple dates in Australia and New Zealand; while in the latter country, they recorded the music video for the album's third single, "What Can I Do?". At the time, The Corrs had stated in interviews that they were feeling somewhat homesick for Ireland, and that filming a music video in the New Zealand countryside reminded them of home.
In spring 1998, The Corrs began a tour of concert halls in Great Britain. On Saint Patrick's Day, the band performed a special gig at London's Royal Albert Hall, with the performance being broadcast on television and eventually released on home video/DVD as The Corrs: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. The concert featured famed percussionist/drummer Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac) joining the on their cover of his band's 1976 hit "Dreams", as well as the traditional Irish tunes "Haste to the Wedding", and the finale, "Toss the Feathers". The live broadcast helped push "Dreams" to the No. 6 spot on the British singles chart, swiftly propelling their overall fame. By the end of 1998, The Corrs had become one of the most famous Irish bands besides U2 and The Cranberries. The group's success continued throughout that year, with their follow-up singles, "Runaway (Tin Tin Out Remix)", a remixed version of their debut 1995 single, and "So Young (K-Klass Remix)", peaking within the top five of the British singles chart, respectively.
After breaking into the British and European music scenes, the band set-out to continue that same momentum in North America, where their tour commenced in October 1998. During their stop in Chicago, the band shot the music video for "So Young".
In December 1998, the band set off on a more ambitious UK/European tour, selling out a five-night run at Wembley Arena, as well as selling out a majority of the other dates on the tour. In March 1999, the band toured North America as supporting act for The Rolling Stones as part of their No Security Tour. In July 1999, the band set off on a summer festival tour as they did the previous July (1998). On 17 July 1999, the band played for one of their biggest audience to date, at that point, in front of 45,000 people at Lansdowne Road football stadium. They were the second Irish band ever to headline a stadium gig (U2 were the first). This concert was recorded and would eventually be released onto VHS and DVD. Many consider this to be one of the band's greatest live performances. The tour concluded two weeks later, on 31 July 1999, in Spain, A Coruña, Playa de Santa Cristina, during the Lloret del Mar music festival, where Andrea announced this concert would be the final gig of the tour.
Opening acts Dakota Moon (3–22 December 1998) Picturehouse (14 January–1 February 1999) Babel Fish (3–8 February 1999) Brian Kennedy (20–26 February 1999) An Pierlé (Amsterdam) Catie Curtis (Alexandria, Chicago, West Hollywood and Solana Beach) Michelle Lewis (New York, Roseland Ballroom)
Tour dates + List of 1997 concerts Date City Country Venue17 November 1997GhentBelgiumVooruit18 November 1997AmsterdamNetherlandsMelkweg19 November 1997CopenhagenDenmarkVega Musikkens Hus21 November 1997HamburgGermanyGroße Freiheit 3623 November 1997CologneE-Werk24 November 1997MunichIncognito25 November 1997ZürichSwitzerlandJail26 November 1997MilanItalyMagazzini Generali28 November 1997BarcelonaSpainSala Razzmatazz29 November 1997MadridSala Macumba30 November 1997PamplonaPabellón Anaitasuna2 December 1997LondonEnglandShepherd's Bush Empire3 December 1997ParisFranceL'Olympia6 December 1997BelfastNorthern IrelandWhitla Hall7 December 19978 December 1997DublinIrelandOlympia Theatre9 December 199711 December 1997LondonEnglandThe Forum14 December 1997OsloNorwayOslo Spektrum15 December 1997StockholmSwedenMünchenbryggeriet
+ List of 1998 concerts Date City Country Venue4 February 1998PerthAustraliaPerth Entertainment Centre6 February 1998AdelaideAdelaide Entertainment Centre7 February 1998MelbourneCentre Court9 February 1998BrisbaneBrisbane Entertainment Centre11 February 1998SydneyState Theatre12 February 199813 February 199814 February 199815 February 199816 February 199817 February 199818 February 1998NewcastleNewcastle Entertainment Centre19 February 1998CanberraRoyal Theatre21 February 1998LauncestonSilverdome23 February 1998WellingtonNew ZealandQueens Wharf Events Centre25 February 1998AucklandASB Auditorium26 February 19988 March 1998MadridSpainStage 4012 March 1998CardiffWalesSt David's Hall13 March 1998YorkEnglandBarbican Centre14 March 1998ManchesterManchester Apollo16 March 1998BirminghamSymphony Hall17 March 1998LondonRoyal Albert Hall18 March 1998NottinghamNottingham Royal Concert Hall20 March 1998GlasgowScotlandGlasgow Royal Concert Hall22 March 1998SheffieldEnglandSheffield City Hall23 March 1998NorthamptonDerngate Theatre24 March 1998CroydonFairfield Concert Hall5 April 1998BangkokThailandThailand Cultural Centre6 April 19987 April 19988 April 199811 April 1998Central AreaSingaporeSparks12 April 1998Petaling JayaMalaysiaSunway Lagoon14 April 1998Kuala LumpurConcorde Ballroom15 April 1998MakatiPhilippinesFashion Café16 April 1998MandaluyongSM Megamall17 April 1998MakatiFashion Café25 May 1998StuttgartGermanyKongresshalle27 May 1998FrankfurtHugenottenhalle28 May 1998HamburgCCH Hall 330 May 1998CologneE-Werk5 June 1998PortsmouthEnglandPortsmouth Guildhall6 June 1998LondonFinsbury Park EpsomEpsom Downs Racecourse 13 June 1998New York CityUnited StatesDowning Stadium 17 June 1998AlexandriaThe Birchmere18 June 1998ChicagoHouse of Blues20 June 1998Arlington HeightsArlington International Racecourse28 June 1998San JoseSpartan Stadium29 June 1998West HollywoodThe Troubadour30 June 1998Solana BeachBelly Up Tavern3 July 1998Baden-BadenGermanySWF Studios4 July 1998ÖstersundSwedenStorsjöteatern5 July 1998OdenseDenmarkRoskilde DyrskuepladsLondonEnglandHyde Park 8 July 1998LuxembourgLuxembourgDen Atelier11 July 1998BalingenGermanyBalinger Messegelände12 July 1998EscalarreSpainVall d'Àneu15 July 1998MontreuxSwitzerlandMiles Davis Hall16 July 1998MilanItalyArena Civica 17 July 1998ZeebruggeBelgiumZeebrugge Beach19 July 1998BernSwitzerlandGurten Summit21 July 1998LyonFranceThéâtre antique de Lyon5 August 1998BudapestHungaryÓbuda Island18 August 1998BournemouthEnglandBournemouth Pier21 August 1998SopotPolandForest Opera21 September 1998Kuala LumpurMalaysiaStadium Nasional7 October 1998New York CityUnited StatesMercury Lounge8 October 1998PhiladelphiaTheatre of the Living Arts14 October 1998MontrealCanadaCabaret Music-Hall18 October 1998OttawaBarrymore's Music Hall20 October 1998PontiacUnited States7th House22 October 1998ChicagoPark West23 October 1998ColumbusSouthern Theatre25 October 1998AlexandriaThe Birchmere26 October 1998BostonParadise Rock Club27 October 1998PhiladelphiaTheatre of the Living Arts27 October 1998New York CityIrving Plaza30 October 1998HalifaxCanadaRebecca Cohn Auditorium31 October 1998St. John'sSt. John's Arts and Culture Centre27 November 1998BarcelonaSpainPalau Sant Jordi28 November 1998LeganésPlaza de Toros La Cubierta3 December 1998NottinghamEnglandNottingham Royal Concert Hall4 December 19986 December 1998LiverpoolLiverpool Empire Theatre7 December 1998ManchesterManchester Apollo8 December 199810 December 1998GlasgowScotlandClyde Auditorium11 December 199813 December 1998BirminghamEnglandNEC Arena14 December 1998LondonWembley Arena15 December 1998BrightonBrighton Centre17 December 1998BournemouthWindsor Hall18 December 1998CardiffWalesCardiff International Arena20 December 1998ManchesterEnglandManchester Apollo21 December 1998BirminghamNEC Arena22 December 1998
+ List of 1999 concerts Date City Country Venue14 January 1999BelfastNorthern IrelandKings Hall15 January 1999DublinIrelandPoint Theatre16 January 199918 January 1999CardiffWalesCardiff International Arena19 January 199921 January 1999LondonEnglandWembley Arena22 January 199923 January 1999BirminghamNational Exhibition Centre25 January 1999Clyst St MaryWestpoint Arena26 January 199927 January 1999LondonWembley Arena29 January 1999Sheffield Sheffield Arena30 January 1999NewcastleTelewest Arena31 January 1999EdinburghScotlandRoyal Highland Centre1 February 1999ManchesterEnglandManchester Evening News Arena3 February 1999ParisFranceZénith de Paris4 February 1999UtrechtNetherlandsMuziekcentrum Vredenburg6 February 1999StockholmSwedenStockholm Globe Arena8 February 1999HamburgGermanyAlsterdorfer Sporthalle20 February 1999LondonEnglandLondon Arena21 February 1999BirminghamNEC Arena22 February 1999LondonWembley Arena24 February 1999BirminghamNEC Arena25 February 1999Sheffield Sheffield Arena26 February 1999GlasgowScotlandScottish Exhibition and Conference Centre9 March 1999Washington, D.C.United States9:30 Club17 March 1999New York CityRoseland Ballroom19 March 1999BostonAvalon Ballroom21 March 1999ChicagoPark West25 March 1999San FranciscoThe Fillmore28 March 1999West HollywoodHouse of Blues19 May 1999MadridSpainCírculo de Bellas Artes30 May 1999Nottingham EnglandWollaton Park27 June 1999PiltonWorthy Farm2 July 1999Skellefteå SwedenMöjligheternas torg4 July 1999London EnglandHyde Park10 July 1999Paris FranceHippodrome de Longchamps17 July 1999DublinIrelandLansdowne Road31 July 1999A Coruña SpainPlaya de Santa Cristina
Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
Concierto Básico 40 Fleadh Festival Derby Day Picnic Guinness Fleadh Music Festival Ohne Filter Storsjöyran Midtfyns Festival Party in the Park Balinger Open Air Doctor Music Festival Montreux Jazz Festival Axion Beach Rock Gurtenfestival Nuits de Fourvière Sziget Festival Radio 1 Roadshow Sopot International Song Festival XVI Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony City in the Park Glastonbury Festival Xacobeo '99 Stadsfesten Skellefteå Solidays
Cancellations and rescheduled shows 22 February 1998Hobart, AustraliaDerwent Entertainment CentreCancelled7 February 1999Copenhagen, DenmarkForum CopenhagenCancelled1 July 1999A Coruña, SpainPlaya de Santa CristinaRescheduled to 31 July 1999
Personnel
Band Andrea Corr (lead vocals, tin whistle) Sharon Corr (violin, keyboards, vocals) Caroline Corr (drums, bodhran, piano, vocals) Jim Corr (guitars, keyboards, vocals) Keith Duffy (bass) Anthony Drennan (lead guitar) Conor Brady (lead guitar) (replaced Anto during the Genesis tour; 1997–1998)
Management & Agents John Hughes (manager) Emma Hill (management assistant) John Giddings at Solo (international agent) Barry Gaster (Irish agent) Dominic Kelly (accountant)
The Crew Henry McGroggan (tour manager) Aiden Lee (production manager) Brian Osmond (stage manager) Max Bisgrove (sound engineer) Paul 'Mini' Moore (monitor engineer)