Second Opera House gig to be postponed as Covid restrictions put The Coronas tour in doubt

Lead singer of The Coronas Danny O'Reilly (centre) with his bandmates

For The Coronas, this week is a tale of two gigs. 

The band will play to a sell-out capacity crowd in Cork's Opera House on Monday night, but are postponing the Tuesday night show at the same venue due to the latest public health restrictions.

Singer Danny O'Reilly told the Irish Examiner that the introduction of the new regulations, which mean just 50% of the seated capacity of a venue can be allowed, means Tuesday's show and much of the rest of the band's planned tour is "just not viable".

"The Monday gig is sold out at full capacity and it seems strange that, overnight, one is allowed and one isn't, but that's the situation we are in," he said.

"It looks like we are going to have the postpone the whole tour, it is really not workable."

The band is due to play a string of gigs in Dublin's Olympia Theatre and O'Reilly said they were looking at trying to come up with some alternative plan so some concerts might be able to go ahead, but for other venues around the country, given seating configuration and other issues, there is little option but to reschedule.

To highlight the different regulations currently operating north and south, he said the band will play a capacity show this Thursday in Belfast - two days after the second Cork show has had to be postponed.

'Disheartening'

"I wish the gigs could go ahead, with the Covid cert entry and everything it seems safe and we have heard nothing but great things from people [about the concerts that have gone on]," he said.

"They went amazingly, it gave me hope that people still have a desire, that they want to go to gigs and sing along."

"It is a bit disheartening when vaccine levels are so high and this is happening again.

"The pessimist in me is asking what is going to change in the new year?

"I don't really have the answers - maybe boosters will make a difference, maybe things will settle."

He said the band and crew were in a state of "misery" when the announcement of the latest restrictions was made on Friday, particularly as the crew who work with the band had a busy month planned after almost two years in which live music has been massively affected by the pandemic.

Danny O'Reilly highlighted how The Coronas will play a capacity show this Thursday in Belfast - two days after the second Cork show has had to be postponed. Picture: Mark Nixon

He said the band's experience of shows had been hugely positive, with many people wearing masks and staying in their own groups - "personally, I think you have to leave responsibility up to people if they are going out".

The latest restrictions also mean any audience attendance capped at half the seated capacity - not the overall or standing capacity, so for ticket holders for a sold-out show to attend would nearly need three concerts to replace the one original date.

"It's a tough time but what can you do," O'Reilly said.

"We felt a bit like our industry is the first to close and the last to re-open and it is very difficult."

Government supports may arrive but for some, it will be too late in terms of this festive period.

"This Christmas was meant to be making up for lost time," he said.