Natasha Bedingfield review: Fans of all ages treated to memorable gig in Cork Marquee
Natasha Bedingfield playing at Live at the Marquee at Centre Park Road, Cork city. Picture: Larry Cummins
While singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield may be older than she was at the release of her career-defining anthem , her fanbase, as reflected in tonight’s crowd, appears ageless.
“The average person streaming my songs on Spotify is between 17 and 35,” the now 44-year-old performer told the last week in the run-up to her much-anticipated Cork show.
Following a shock cancellation on Tuesday involving X-Factor star James Arthur, who postponed his gig just hours before he was set to perform, Live at the Marquee is back in full swing on Thursday night with the evening sunshine reflecting off the glitz and glam of tonight’s female-dominated crowd.
Fan favourite found a new generation of listeners through TikTok before receiving an even bigger boost from the box-office hit Anyone But You, in which lead actor Glen Powell repeatedly sings the anthem as his anxiety-soothing “serenity song”.
Its cyclical popularity comes at the perfect time for the singer-songwriter, who has maintained a busy touring schedule since 2023.
Following back-to-back gigs in Germany, Bedingfield played in Cork tonight before travelling to Blessington Co Wicklow, where she will headline family music festival Kaleidoscope.
Marking her first performance since giving birth to her second child is Cork’s own Stephanie Rainey, who begins the evening with a set full of heart and soul.
Uplifting lyricism empowers the crowd, with her refined vocal talent delivering the perfect precursor to tonight’s main event.
turns the tent into a dance floor before Rainey's power ballad elevates the set to a spiritual experience.
Following a crowd-warming performance from the Glanmire native and her energetic four-person band, the woman of the hour struts confidently onto the Marquee stage to a roar of anticipation.
London-born Bedingfield stuns in a chic polka-dot co-ord as her three-piece musical backup kicks off with her hit , originally recorded with Sean Kingston.
The crowd may be smaller than usual, but its quality is unparalleled, with Bedingfield's raw energy filling the tent.
After taking one lucky woman’s phone for an incredible group selfie, the musician breaks into her ethereal classic , eliciting an almost gospel-like rendition from the crowd in the first of many big singalongs.
A similar reaction follows her soulful performance of , with the nostalgia-filled atmosphere once again uniting an attentive crowd.
It beggars belief that more have not shown up to witness a true musical genius in her element, but it's all the more intimate for the diehard fans.
Now a seasoned performer, Bedingfield exerts an unparalleled confidence on stage, composed and at ease throughout tonight’s set as she delivers seamless transitions between pop, R&B, and soulful tunes with her jaw-dropping voice. She also wrestled with a few microphone issues like a true pro.
Closing tonight with the one and only brings her show to an end, with Bedingfield's experimental vocal runs and flawless key changes offering a new take on her timeless classic.
Tonight’s performance will be remembered for years to come by the lucky group who knew this was a concert not to be missed. Providing an absolute masterclass in entertainment, Bedingfield has truly set a new Marquee standard.
Read More
