Imelda May review: Marquee mayhem as May invites Cork fans into her living room
Imelda May brought everyone into her sitting room at Live at the Marquee, Cork. Picture: David Creedon
Fans of Imelda May were perhaps treated to the most intimate Live at the Marquee gig yet as the Dublin singer performed from her living room — but transplanted to a Leeside stage.
The effect of seeing a stage full of domestic knick-knacks and worn-in furniture under warm lighting made the venue feel surprisingly homely, so when May welcomed the Cork audience, it truly felt like being ushered into her own abode.
It wasn’t just the furniture adding to the effect, either: Family photos adorned papered walls, cushions were scattered about, and May strolled out nonchalantly, without fanfare, almost sneaking into view amidst her band.
Dressed in a dark floral flowing robe, even her outfit hinted at ‘slipping into something more comfortable’, much like the setlist of old favourites.
At one point, she produced a comically overfilled glass of red wine, like one you’d pour at home.
“This is not a good glass of wine, but there’s a lot of it,” she laughed.
“I came to Cork twice on the Raised on Songs and Stories Tour, and it was more intimate than this,” she said, though it’s hard to imagine as she addressed the crowd, which was hooked on each word.
“I thought I’d give yis an easy time. On this tour, I wanted to be intimate and connected. I wanted to bring everyone into my sitting room, but I couldn’t, so I brought my sitting room to you.”
She encouraged the crowd to keep old traditions around music alive and to include children in them.
Her quip that kids should be invited to family events like weddings got an appreciative chuckle.
Above all, May made a passionate plea to support live music, paying tribute to her support act, Cork singer James Keegan, who warmed up the crowd and encouraged those who were enjoying the surprising heat of the evening to venture inside with his powerful vocals.
“Fuck this AI shite, we need real experiences with real people,” she said.
She began her set with , apologising for bringing such a Dublin song to Cork, naturally, before evoking communal nights spent around a fire, friends, family and neighbours sharing traditional songs and stories together.
The sing-song picks up immediately, with the crowd joining in nostalgically.
This isn’t so much a gig of many thousands as a close-knit affair, each voice making an impact, each feeling part of a bigger song.
“Yis were gorgeous,” she praised, before singing a self-penned tune inspired by a passionate visit to Paris with a French beau.
“He still texts me when he’s drunk,” she laughed, before singing , a sulty, jazzy number.
“My great-granny was from Cork,” she said to big cheers, before waving to some Buckley cousins in the audience while sharing family stories.
Within a few numbers, she quickly reminded the Cork audience about her variety and talent; her singing history ranges from rockabilly to trad, and everything in between, and that was on display in the Rebel County in a night of summer songs and stories.
Here’s to more nights at Imelda’s.
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