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As many of you have been able to appreciate, “The Cranberries – 5 Classic Albums” has been published under the signature of Spectrum Music (a division of Universal Music), and scheduled for October 7. After four long years without a new release by The Cranberries, we could not miss the opportunity to get this gem and see what it offers. In this article we will tell you the five reasons why 5 Classic Albums is a MUST HAVE.

1) The perfect solution for new fans. 5 Classic Albums offers the easiest and most practical way to own The Cranberries’ complete discography(except for Roses, that does not belong to Universal). Without the b-sides, this new compilation gives us every album in its classic version, taking us back to the naivety, illusions and mysticism of Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We?; the wrath, nonconformity and disappointment No Need To Argue; the preoccupation with death, pain and depression of To The Faithful Departed; the feelings of rebirth and liberation of Bury The Hatchet and the maturity and wisdom of Wake Up And Smell The Coffee.

2) A treasure for collectors. Because our beloved Treasure Box not included Wake Up And Smell The Coffee, and, we really needed the icing on the cake to complete our collections and thus, to crown which has been a glorious decade for such a legendary and worldwide acclaimed band as The Cranberries are.

3) The meaning and creativity of its layout. 5 Classic Albums rescues that mythic couch that accompanied The Cranberries in their first two studio albums, and that became an icon for their fans. Now, that couch is empty, abandoned in a road in the middle of nowhere, thus evoking the desire of liberation from Bury The Hatchet and Wake Up And Smell The Coffee and a nod to the cover of Stars: A road that takes us to new places, new stories… because the end of an era is only the prelude to a new beginning, and we have promised The Cranberries that we would accompany them all along their journey.

4) An irresistible price. For only 13.99 euro, you can get all albums by The Cranberries for the price of one. Because music is meant to be enjoyed, felt, loved… and, why not, also shared. Maybe it is the right time to thank the friend who did not know the band much, but decided to go to the concert with you, or to share, with that special someone, the magic of those four Irish people who changed your life and helped you learn more about the world and about yourself.

5) And, if after all of this, the simple satisfaction of going to your music store like in the old times and ask for “the newest by The Cranberries’ can’t convince you, I don’t know what will! The Cranberries opened its website announcing that 2017 promised to be a year full of music, concerts and new projects, and, in the meantime, 5 Classic Albums is now available to remind us why we think of red berries when we talk about music, dreams and memories of a lifetime accompanied by the best of soundtracks.

Just three days ago there came the news through Noel Hogan himself: He and Dolores O’Riordan had received an invitation to attend BMI Music Awards, held at the Dorchester Hotel in London, on October 10^th, 2016.

The BMI London Awards recognizes the U.K. and European songwriters and publishers of 2015’s most-performed songs on radio and TV in the United States. Noel Hogan has received a Special Citation of Achievement in recognition for the over 3 million broadcast performances attained by Dreams.

As we all know, “Dreams” was the first single from the debut album by The Cranberries Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we? Written by Dolores O’Riordan, it was the first hit of four young The Cranberries with their heads full of dreams and illusions, who had just started to make their way in the music world. Youth, divine treasure! Little could they imagine that one day this song would become one of his greatest hits, crowning them forever as worldwide acclaimed musicians. Currently, Dreams is chosen as the closing song at their concerts.  Already in the early morning Noel did not want to lose the opportunity to share a photo of the award with his followers in his social networks. To all of us, their fans, we are immensely proud to see that The Cranberries get the recognition they so richly deserve, for a brilliant career full of success and, more important, full of effort, work, sacrifice, sleepless nights and a huge will to improve themselves. Because they already told us in their presentation: “everybody else was doing it, so why couldn’t they?Dear Noel, we wish you enjoyed the Awards gala, and from this website we want to give our most sincere congratulations; to you, Dolores O’Riordan, Mike Hogan and Fergal to Lawler: Thank you all for being the best example of how much it is worth fighting for one’s dreams.

It’s been months in which we would type that www.cranberries.com in our browsers and all we would get was a big sign saying: COMING SOON.

Now the waiting is over. The Cranberries are back with a brand new website, with a strictly professional layout that promises to be an amazing source of official information! There you will be able to find their upcoming tour dates, have a listen to the singles from each of their studio albums, a complete gallery from rehearsals in their studio in Limerick or a collection of very useful links to their social networks (make sure you’re following The Cranberries in every of them!).

But our favourite part is the final lines of their BIOGRAPHY section: “2017 promises to be a very, very special year for The Cranberries in terms of touring and recording.”

For those who could not follow their activity recently, The Cranberries are to play three gigs in Cancun, Mexico, in February 10^th, 11^th and 12^th. There have also been rumours of their participation in the eighth edition of Vivo X El Rock Festival in Lima, Peru, and some unofficial sources have ventured to talk about a possible whole tour in Latin America. Apart from this, The Cranberries are working on a Greatest Hits album with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, which promises to be a very interesting new twist to all these songs that have marked our lives and have brightened our world in so many occasions.

The website has not gone unnoticed to The Cranberries’ passionate fans: soon after it was launched, its service went down briefly due to the huge amount of people who were trying to enter the site; a problem that is now solved, as you can all check and as The Cranberries explained themselves on their facebook account.

September 21^st, This Is The Day we have been dreaming with for years… ‘Cause they’re a Dream to us.

September 6^th 2016

What an amazing day Dolores’ birthday has been!! Just a few days after we had to communicate the sad news about the cancellation of their European tour, D.A.R.K. have decided to put a smile on fans’ faces by sharing two brand new tracks from Science Agrees: “High Fashion” and “The Moon”. Curiously enough, according to our polls and discussions on social networks, these are fans’ favourite songs from Science Agrees.

We started with the podcast of the interview D.A.R.K. conceded The Talkhouse last April, where the band shared “High Fashion”. You can listen to the interview in the link below:

http://thetalkhouse.com/andy-rourke-smiths-talks/

The introduction starts presenting the career of both bands The Smiths and The Cranberries –with a nice mention to Dolores’ solo albums – and the premier listening of “High Fashion”, a song about drug addiction and love. Andy Rourke and Dolores O’Riordan procede with a lovely interview to each other:

They discuss how they met through their manager and Dolores poses the first question to Andy: how old he was when he started playing the guitar. Andy answers he was seven or eight when he started playing the guitar, and twelve when he started playing the bass. Dolores keeps interviewing Andy as he talks about how he is familiar with several instruments and left school when he was 15 to start working; he explains how he met and started working with Olé seven years ago and Dolores tells Andy how she was a fan herself of The Smiths in her teen years.

They carry on with the interview and Dolores admits it is easier working with The Cranberries because fans have the music and they sing along with the band, while in D.A.R.K. the band have to be aware of every detail. However, since Olé is the lead singer of D.A.R.K., she feels like a backing singer, and she concludes she enjoys both the pressure of being a lead singer as much as being “in the shadow”.

As an anecdote, Andy Rourke comments on how Morrissey got knocked once by a packet of sausages during a festival and Dolores got thrown a bitten apple on stage.

Andy and Dolores continue commenting on their favourite tracks from Science Agrees: Dolores likes “The Moon” but both of them are also fond of “Loosen The Noose” and “Underwater”. They also talk about how it is when their families come to see them on stage and they comment in laughter that they feel like they cannot make any mistakes.

Dolores is not worried about people liking D.A.R.K. or not; she hasn’t got great expectations about it and feels it is an experiment, and she is enjoying the process of doing new things. She is aware of the different reactions D.A.R.K. has caused on the internet since it is very different from what they have done before (The Smiths and The Cranberries). Dolores thinks it’s important to challenge oneself and try different things. She explains how she was in Ontario when she had a first contact with D.A.R.K.’s music and she hadn’t been given any instructions about it; how they moved to Electric Lady in New York and everything regarding what would come out of the project was unpredictable at the time.

The lovely interview ends with “Loosen The Noose”, another enchanting track you will find in Science Agrees.

Just when we thought the day was over, another excellent piece of news came our way: D.A.R.K. have shared and talked about “The Moon” to Consequence of Sound:

Cranberries/Smiths supergroup D.A.R.K. share gothic club track “The Moon” — listen

In Olé Koretsky’s words about “The Moon” in Consequence of Sound: “It was just a vague disco sketch that Andy [Rourke] and I kept pushing… ‘Think Angelo Badalamenti, think Twin Peaks,’ we would say to the mix engineer. That’s what we were going for and we really wanted to feature those guitars. I advocated for a cleaner mixdown and wanted to restructure it into a proper song format but Dolores didn’t want to change a thing. She put her vocals on and now it’s probably my favorite track on the album.”

As you may remember, “The Moon” has often been described as the band’s favourite track from Science Agrees, since it captures the different personalities of the three members and, although its structure may seem chaotic, its mad guitar riffs and the enchanting vocals of Dolores’ solo at the end have made it one of fans’ favourite tracks from the album.

Source: The Talkhouse: http://thetalkhouse.com/andy-rourke-smiths-talks/ Consequence of Sound:  http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/09/cranberriessmiths-supergroup-d-a-r-k-share-gothic-club-track-the-moon-listen/

As we announced in our social networks, D.A.R.K.’s European Tour is cancelled due to the bulging disc Dolores is suffering, which already forced her to cancel The Cranberries’ concert in Landerneau, France ( August 13^th ) and the three concerts Cancun, rescheduled for February 10^th, 11^th and 12^th 2017 .

From this site, we are deeply sorry about what has happened; First and foremost, because seeing our girl suffer breaks our hearts, and secondly, because we are fans too. We have lost our money and, even worse, many dreams too. We were very much looking forward to this tour. Therefore, we know and understand that the situation may be lamented, but it could also be endured… We propose a little game for you:

 1) Choose your favorite song from “Science Agrees”.

2) Imagine that song was the next single and design a cover for it.

Covers can be drawings, photographs, paintings, digital illustrations, compositions… You can use any kind of materials, Photoshop and other programs or applications, even leaves of trees or seashells as our beloved Dolores does! Originality is rewarded. All designs will be uploaded to our social networks and other fans can vote on their favourites. The designer of the best cover will be able to choose between a CD of “Science Agrees” signed by Dolores, Olé and Andy, or the vinyl edition of “Science Agrees”. The creator of the second best design will receive the second prize. You have the entire month of September to design and submit your covers. “Science Agrees” is a masterpiece, a commitment to creativity and originality where styles as varied as electronica, new wave and indie rock intertwine with the masterly bass tracks of Andy Rourke and the unique voice of Dolores O’Riordan; an album in which love and rebirth find their way across dark and stormy memories. An ode to the celebration of happiness integrated into that Romantic vision of tempus fugit and other human concerns. A project which is too beautiful not to be enjoyed. Dear Dolores, from Dolores O’Riordan Spain, we wish you a speedy recovery. Do not feel guilty; No tour is worth more than your health. We love you and your wellbeing is our priority.

If there’s something Science should agree is on the fact that we are facing one of the most interesting music proposals that have appeared in recent years. D.A.R.K., the musical group formed by Dolores O’Riordan with Andy Rourke (The Smiths) and Olé Koretsky, has proven to be up to the expectations of a music industry that appears to be increasingly demanding and more and more dehumanized.

As D.A.R.K. members would discuss on previous interviews, “Science Agrees” offers a chaotic harmony that finds the perfect balance between styles as varied as electronica, new wave, alternative rock and the shoegaze of the 80s, and influences such as Joy Division, New Order or David Bowie, perfectly mixed with the demands of the musical trends of the century. This originality is one of the most remarkable features of the extraordinary creativity of D.A.R.K.’s members:

“Science Agrees” mainly meets a wide variety of electronic-based rhythms in which synthesizers, electronic drums and vocal distortion acquire a remarkable relevance. Examples of this are the psychedelic “Miles Away” (which may remind us of Crystal Castles) or the chilling “Underwater”. Other tracks, such as “Chynamite” show a more indie-like influence, folk rock and a Celtic touch, Dolores’ unmistakable hallmarks. At an intermediate point between electronic rhythms and indie rock, one can find other tunes in which, in addition to the electronic bases, melodic guitars and drums take on greater prominence, such as “Curvy”, “Steal You Away” the chaotic “The Moon” or “Gunfight”, which introduces an interesting touch of the 80’s punk.

Lyrics deal mostly with the process of finding light in the dark: the theme of death and its equalizing power, present in the bleak “Underwater” or the melancholic “Steal You Away” contrasts with the rebirth of ” Curvy “; the disillusionment and loss of faith in “Gunfight” opposes the oneiric delirium of “Miles Away” or that understanding we can only find in true love, as in “Loosen The Noose” and “High Fashion”.

It should be noted the outstanding quality and vocal versatility of Dolores, who adapts her voice to the style and personality of each of the songs of “Science Agrees”: from the wrath and nonconformity of “Gunfight” to the soothing whispers of “Curvy” or an almost childlike sweetness in “Steal You Away”; introducing treble and unusual techniques such as vocal hiccus, without leaving behind her so distinctive Celtic Yodels as can be seen in the bewitching “Watch out”. Koretsky also makes an excellent display of vocal quality, especially in “Loosen The Noose” or “Steal You Away”, where his technique may share some reminiscences with the singers from those bands of the 80 that have influenced him.

“Science Agrees” is D.A.R.K.’s commitment to innovation in a demanding music industry where creativity and talent are constantly tested; an album in which duality plays an essential role: electronic beats and melodic guitars create the perfect atmosphere to dance and celebrate happiness while its melancholic lyrics invite to reflection in solitude; an ode to life and rebirth that does not prevent concerns about the transience of time and the arrival of death; the sense of liberation after the oppression of a stormy situation; a small halo of light that makes its way in the dark.

On September 9 we will be able to enjoy what promises to be one of the most interesting music proposals in recent times. Pre-order is now available at Pledge Music: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/dark-science-agrees

Amazing news come to all of us who believe in, admire, support and LOVE Dolores. Excited, inspired, and in good health, Dolores talked to Classic Pop about her long journey, her admirable strength and her projects.

IT IS OFFICIAL! Many people may have doubted about it, but Dolores O’Riordan is working on two parallel projects in the shape of two brand new albums, and we couldn’t be any prouder of our girl! Get yourselves ready for D.A.R.K.’s debut album “Science Agrees” and a “Greatest Hits” album with The Cranberries and the Irish Chamber Orchestra! YES, The Cranberries are back with a new album too!
Dolores admits when “Roses” came out, she thought that would be The Cranberries’ last album, “But the years go by, things happen in your life and you end up back together” Dolores said. Back in June this year, Noel and Fergal gave some interviews in which they talked about the possibility of coming back together, a project that would not happen “soon” but for which a door had always been opened. After a successful summer tour in Europe and Mexico in which they have hung the SOLD OUT sign several times, The Cranberries are back, and all of us, their faithful fans, hope this is just the beginning of a long journey together.

But the best part of this article is getting to know Dolores’ health is much better now. Her honesty and strength when talking about her bipolar disorder is admirable, and we find ourselves crying while writing these words: She tells Classic Pop that she was once going through really hard times; she had to spend three weeks in a psychiatric hospital, her hair was falling off and she got no sleep for two months. Fortunately, she always had good people around, her mother and brother took good care of her and provided an essential help in her recovery. She is still on medication for her bipolar disorder but she is in control of it and feeling much better now and, when you always believed in Dolores and were right by her side through thick and thin; when you cried in your bed cause you could not do anything for person who once saved you; when you love her –when you really love her – this is really the best news you can get. The best one EVER.

This is somehow the essence of D.A.R.K: one’s own searching for happiness after getting over darkness. “Science Agrees” offers an interesting mixture of trends going from electronic and pop-disco to hip hop and some reminiscences of Depeche Mode, The Cure and David Bowie. Lyrics talk about desolation, disconnection and rebirth.  Some of the vocals from “Science Agrees” were recorded during those hard times Dolores had to go through, and Dolores confesses she was manic while recording “Gunfight”. Thus, working with D.A.R.K. was like a therapy to her.

Olé Koretsky explains Classic Pop about the origins of D.A.R.K., how they were originally formed as Jetlag back in 2012, how much Dolores liked the tracks she was first sent by email two years later and the difficult process of working together from different continents. He insists that Dolores is the light that their project needed. D.A.R.K. is described by its members as something different from everything else they have done before… “a different vibe, unique”.

There is no doubt that D.A.R.K. is bound to be one of the most interesting promises happening to the music in a long time. Don’t miss out the opportunity to see them display their art in their live shows in Limerick, Cork, Dublin, London, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Madrid in September, and get their magnificent “Science Agrees”, available at Pledge Music: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/dark-science-agrees

Source: Classic Pop Magazine https://www.facebook.com/ClassicPopMag/
Special thanks to Kike Rivas who found the article from Classic Pop.

New Wave, electronica and the theme of loneliness are key concepts when talking about D.A.R.K. Formed by Dolores O’Riordan, Andy Rourke, (The Smiths) and the DJ and producer Olé Koretsky, they are publishing their debut album, “Science Agrees”, on August 19^th. Unconcerned by the mainstream norms imposed by the music industry, they rely on their own criteria and experience as musicians, although Depeche Mode, Joy Division and New Order remain a probable influence.

Christopher Friedmann has talked to Andy Rourke for ARTISTdirect about D.A.R.K. and its origins as Jetlag, their plans to *hopefully* tour United States in the winter and his expectations about “Science Agrees” and the band’s near future. This is a summary with the most relevant points in the interview, which you can find at ArtistDirect: http://www.artistdirectinterviews.com/indie/dark-andy-rourke-science-matters-interview

Christopher Friedmann: You and Ole have been collaborating as DJs for awhile now, but you decided to include Dolores in D.A.R.K. due to a chance meeting. Could you describe how you two stumbled upon one another and why you thought she was the right fit for this project?

Andy Rourke: I’ll correct you on the me and Ole thing. We started off as DJs called Jetleg and then we started doing remixes for a couple of bands. All the way through that we were making our own music, we just didn’t know really what to do with it. We probably had 40 or 50 songs that were piling up. Then through my manager, Melissa, and Dolores’ then manager, we found out that she was looking for something new to get her teeth into. We sent her along the Jetlag tapes, so to speak, initially with no vocals, just instrumental, and she said, “No, no, I wanna hear the full song.” Then we sent them again and she really liked it, so then we got together, did a few recordings, it went really well – we did them all over the place, but mainly in Canada, New York, a couple in L.A., but the actual music was mainly recorded in Ole’s basement, his home studio.

CF: When you started collaborating with Dolores, you did so over email. How does it feel to submit your creations to someone else with no control over what they will do with them after they leave your finger tips?

AR: You get a bit nervous about how it’s gonna be received, but luckily there wasn’t an issue. She likes it, but it was a bit strange sending stuff via email before we even met the person. Now we’ve gone on to become very close friends, we see each other a lot, speak a lot.

CF: New Wave and electronica have a clear influence on the album and there are some similarities to Depeche Mode and New Order. Do you have a sense of tradition, in that you can now concentrate on emotional content of music, rather than meet demands to represent the genre itself?

AR: I think we’ve always gone with our gut and definitely our influences and never felt obliged to conform with what’s going on currently in the music business. We are kind of selfish in that respect. We just pull things from our influences and our growing up and just stuff we listen to every day. We soak it up like a sponge and, of course, it’s gonna influence the music we create.

CF: Aside from the musical elements of the album, the lyrical content is pretty shrewd. Themes of isolation and loneliness are touched on. Were those strong, existential elements decided on at the start of the process – or are the themes a product of the chemistry of process?

AR: I would say 75 percent of the lyrics Ole had already recorded for the Jetlag project and that’s always been the nature of his writing. He’s not such a happy-go-lucky guy, you know. He’s one of my best friends, but he’s not happy unless he’s complaining. He’s obviously inspired by bands like Joy Division and New Order. He sings about what is pertinent to him and his life, and yeah, it’s not so happy go lucky. I would say you have to speak to Ole about this. I’m a lowly bass player/songwriter.

CF: When we consider the caliber of the contributors to this collaborative project there is a lot of gravity behind everyone’s ‘traditional’ roles. During process did anyone surprise the group, or themselves, by bringing a new talent that had previously been unexplored?

AR: When Dolores came on board she brought a whole other dimension. It was like the missing link we’d been looking for. I would say that was special, the first time we heard Dolores singing over the songs. I would say Dolores was one of the lights of the recording process because you say “Woah,” and everything starts coming together.

CF: Can you describe, in terms of this project, what ‘success’ would look like?

AR: I don’t know, just for it to be well-received I think. All we’re asking is that people enjoy the record. We’re doing some gigs in Europe in September. The album comes out August the 19th, so we’re doing some gigs to promote that in September and then hopefully we’ll do some U.S. gigs as well. Dolores is busy with the Cranberries at the moment. She’s doing the whole festival thing all summer, so who knows maybe come winter we’ll do some gigs over here.

CF: Given the longevity of your career, and the spectrum of ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ experiences you must have had – can you share something of the most grounding moment you’ve had in your career, a moment that was somewhat humbling?

AR: Every time, going back to the Smiths, it was always a humbling experience just to see the appreciation of our music, the love and adoration in the room. That’s always very humbling. Hopefully we’ll get that, and I think we will because Dolores’ fans are very passionate. I know that much, so I think there are more humbling experiences to come. I’m excited about that. I like grounding.

We would like to remark the fact that Rourke himself insists on the date of publication of “Science Agrees” in August 19^th, despite the rumours of a delay until September 9^th.  You can still get a signed copy of the album and download “Curvy”, “Loosen The Noose” and the recently added “Gunfight” on Pledge Music: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/dark-science-agrees

July 7th 2016.

Six hours on the road, a whole day driving and a new dream come true. We had just arrived to a beautiful outdoors area, with a carefully stepped grass, that would be the scenery to our new adventure. Although from a distance, we could enjoy the soundchecks, where four renewed and already passionate The Cranberries played “Desperate Andy”, “Free To Decide”, and “Just My Imagination”. Noel, Fergal and Mike continued with “Animal Instinct” and a breathtaking instrumental version of “Schizophrenic Playboys”.

Once they had finished, we were lucky enough to meet Fergal. We did not want to interrupt his moment of peace and well earned rest for pictures or autographs, so we just said hi, we reminded him of our meeting in Barcelona, with our whole team, and we congratulated him on the soundcheck we had just enjoyed. Like Mike, Noel and Dolores, Fergal was bursting with friendliness and humbleness. We had never seen other musicians more devoted to their fans than The Cranberries are, and this ennobles their souls.

And eventually the so long awaited moment arrived and we got into the open area to enjoy another magical evening by the hand of those who, in our opinions, are and will always be the best band in the music scene. The stage was quite reduced, what made them all share the same space, creating a more intimate, familiar atmosphere than in previous gigs. The setlist did not present great differences, we only missed “Dreaming My Dreams”, but The Cranberries knew how to compensate this absence:

Dolores noticed the host of emotions, feelings, energy and euphoria they were making us feel, and she would go down the stage several times, getting on the acoustic box, so she could be closer to us. It was almost unreal having her just in front, singing to us, dedicating us those so pure smiles of hers, pointing at us, stretching her arms almost touching ours. The Cranberries were committed and happy, the enjoyed playing passionately, there was true interpretation and dramatization… there were the typical fun and games between Noel and Dolores, the knowing smiles between all band members and of course, the interaction with the audience. You could notice their nearness, their understanding and improvisation… it was as if none of us wanted that evening to be over.

                                                                               Picture by: Christophe Rennes

We are sorry we can’t offer pictures (but for the one from soundchecks) or videos, due to the fact that cameras were not allowed as a security measure. From this web, we would like to congratulate the security at Cognac Blues Passions Festival, who made controls at the entrance, with metal detectors included, that guaranteed our security and the band’s. We will share the pictures and videos we find on the net, like those of friends of ours like Christophe or of ours fellow friends at Cranberries World, to whom we would like to thank for all the help provided in France.

Festival Jardins de Pedralbes, June 11th 2016
After four years of silence, this was undoubtedly the most long-awaited concert that Pedralbes Festival had to offer. The “sold out” sign which had been hanging for weeks was the best evidence.

The Cranberries opened the concert with the sound of drums in Analyse. Dressed in sequined blouse, denim skirt and shiny silver shoes, Dolores O’Riordan looked brilliant in every sense, matching the gleam in her eyes and her smile. Even though protocol at the venue didn’t allow fans to approach Dolores, she stretched her hand to her Greek fans as soon as she stepped on stage. The second song was Animal Instinct, or the expression of pure love, during which Dolores showed her sensitivity again when she greeted one of our administrators at Dolores O’Riordan Spain.
The concert continued with their classics from the 90’s, which have been part of our lives, and Wanted, which delighted the audience. People swayed their arms while listening to ballads such as Linger or When You’re Gone until Noel’s acoustic guitar intro in Just My Imagination made the audience definitely jump from their seats.

The band was committed and happy; you could feel the empathy and mutual understanding between the members whose eyes met from time to time, showing smiles and making some funny comments.

Dolores’ distinctive voice still showed her characteristic strength, adapting perfectly to the style of each song: sounding torn in Zombie, almost whispering in Dreaming My Dreams or yodelling in Desperate Andy. Noel took a childlike pleasure, radiating the passion he feels for his work, Mike was always smiling shyly and Fergal played so enthusiastically that he even broke a drumhead. The back-up singer Johanna Cranitch is also worth mentioning, as she synchronized her voice perfectly with Dolores’.

The concert went on with some greatest hits and a couple of songs from their last album,“Roses”: Conduct, a beautiful ballad in which the Hogan brothers played an improvised intro, and Schizophrenic Playboys, a rock song with a touch from the 90’s. Madness broke out in Salvation, which made the audience jump from the chair again – literally – to follow the rhythm and dance to its energetic riffs. And finally, Dolores started playing the hit that made the Cranberries achieve international success, Zombie, whose chorus was sung enthusiastically by everybody in the audience.
The Cranberries reappeared on stage playing the first notes of Empty.

Some people were expecting Dolores’ famous change of outfit, but this time it was Fergal who came back to stage putting on a T-shirt (which he had taken off during the show) just in time to play the bongos. Then we could listen to You And Me. And finally, that energy and connection with the audience became evident again with Promises and Dreams. This last song was special as Dolores received the affection and love of her fans, who gave her a bunch of flowers, paper daffodils and showed her banners while she greeted them again.

The Cranberries gave a grand finale to a night that will be written in stone for all the people who had the pleasure of attending such a show, full of passion for music and commitment to their audience. It was a magical night, because The Cranberries really make magic. Although they have just come back, it seems likely that the door to a future new album is open; in fact, it might have never been closed. Meanwhile, we will continue dreaming our dreams with them.