Musgrave Park review: Crowded House (and The Waterboys) bring the weather with them to Cork
Mike Scott and drummer Eamonn Ferris of The Waterboys in concert at Virgin Media Park (Musgrave Park) Cork supporting Crowded House. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
After a day of piping hot sun, it seems only fitting that New Zealand band Crowded House should bring the weather with them to Virgin Media Park / Musgrave Park, the home of Munster rugby.
And while Thomond Park may have been the venue for Munster’s legendary 12-0 victory against the All Blacks back in 1978, these Kiwis brought almost as much joy to this hugely receptive crowd as that legendary win did for fans of the Munster Reds.
The crowd singing ‘Fall at Your Feet’ was really quite moving, and the band were clearly touched by the display.
”Thank you,” said Neil Finn. “You really do have voices. My mum is from Kilmallock, which is Limerick, I know, but it’s nearly Cork. I have lots of family here tonight, cousins from Mallow and Doneraile.
“They’ll be up late like the Doneraile donkeys tonight.”
Crowded House in its current incarnation — Neil Finn, lead singer and guitar, Nick Seymour on bass, Mitchell Froom on keys, and Neil Finn’s sons, drummer Elroy and guitarist Liam (Paul Taylor also plays drums) — is a hugely entertaining outfit. Neil’s brother Tim is no longer in the band.
One standout feature is the band’s easy banter, both with the audience and within the band itself. The clearly unrehearsed exchanges between Neil Finn and bass player Nick Seymour are a real highlight in this show.
“Look at those hills. Well, I can tell you brought your voices tonight. Let’s send your voices out to the sheep and cattle on those hills. What do you think, Nick?”
“It is a beautiful view,” says Nick Seymour, an Australian who is now living in Sligo. “Up the Rebels.”
Just as highly pressurised as the blazing sunshine, the hits went down a storm. ‘Four Seasons in One Day’, ‘Fall at Your Feet’, ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ and, of course, ‘Weather With You’.
The set also features ’The Island’ and ‘Teenage Summer’ from their 2024 album Gravity Stairs, and these are well received by this cheerful crowd.
The new album is the band’s first new release since 2021’s Dreamers Are Waiting, a beauty, and it’s their eighth album overall.
But back to the banter.
Neil says: “That [Munster Rugby] sign up there says ‘Never stop competing’. What does that mean? Come on, Bank of Ireland, aim higher. You can do better. Try to actually win something."
And more rugger references: “There used to be a shop here in Cork called Finn’s Corner. It’s gone now. I think one of the family, Maurice [Mossy Finn] played rugby with Ireland.
"Myself and Tim had our photo taken outside the store. That made our parents very happy.”
A word also to The Waterboys, who played a ripping opening act, featuring ‘How Long Will I Love You?’, ‘This is the Sea’, ‘A Bang on the Ear’ and a cover of Rory Gallagher’s ‘Bullfrog Blues’.
If we thought ‘Whole of the Moon’ was the highlight, they topped that with ‘Fisherman’s Blues’, complete with a guest appearance by violinist Steve Wickham.
Mike Scott pulled out all the stops. You might say he never stopped competing. It’s a real testament to how good Neil Finn’s songs are that the Kiwis were the undisputed champions of the night. Long may they rock.
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