Dance pop star Becky Hill kicked off this summer’s season of gigs in Cork’s Virgin Media Park on Friday night with the British performer and her fans knowing they would be ‘Better Off’ without the rain.
And the unbeatable standout moment of the night was when adorable young rappers, the Kabin Crew from Cork and The Lisdoonvarna Crew from Clare — a group of ridiculously cool school kids — were brought out on stage as surprise guests to perform their viral hit song ‘The Spark’.
After a day of consistent downpours, hordes of fans sporting summery shorts, vests, and dresses — and fake tan galore — arrived at the Tramore Rd site in Cork late on Friday afternoon, ready to see the pop sensation and clearly hoping to defy the odds by bringing good weather into the stadium with them.
Their can-do attitude makes sense: After all, the woman they were all here to see is no stranger to defying the odds herself. Hill found fame as a runner-up on the first season of ; a show that went on to gain a reputation for not bolstering its contestants’ careers all that much, with few of her counterparts achieving chart success.
This unusually lucky streak has seen Hill’s career go from strength to strength over the last decade, and it only continued in Cork on Friday evening.
As the number of fans pouring into the stadium to see her soared, so too did the temperatures. By the time support act Jazzy took to the stage to kick off proceedings, the crowd was feeling just that, with the sun breaking through and shining down upon them.
That electric energy from the crowd was through the roof by the time Hill raced on stage, launching into one of her newest releases, ‘True Colours’, followed by fan favourite ‘Overdrive ’.
Her breakup anthem ‘Wish You Well’ proved to be a particular crowd pleaser, with countless angry fingers being jabbed in the air and sassy hair flips being done.
The majority of Hill’s fanbase are young teenage girls — as you can tell just from looking at the crowd on Friday night — and it’s touching to see just how empowered they are by the feisty star.
By the end of the night, each and every one of them left grinning ear-to-ear, that bit more confident than when they arrived.
It’s impossible to deny that Becky Hill has left a very special glow over Cork on what started as a dreary day where we all desperately needed it.
- Next up in the Virgin Media Park / Musgrave Park series of summer concerts is Picture This, who take to the stage on Saturday night.
- Shania Twain and The Wolfe Tones are among the other acts playing there this month.
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