THE CRANBERRIES

DOLORES O’Riordan has apparently given up on trying to look ugly and decided to go for the dead/other worldly look that’s just so hip these days. Sporting a long flowing white dress and bleached white hair, O’Riordan appeared quite the pixie, at times waving her arms limply as if trying feebly to take flight.

But like Tinkerbell wielding a Strat, this other-worldly Cranberry has developed an uncanny knack for rock ’n’ roll cliché. “Hello, New York,” “Thank you New York,” “Goodnight New York,” “Sing it with me New York” (as if anyone can sing those damn yodelly bits). “Maybe you’ve heard this one before . . .” All surprisingly successful tactics for keeping the crowd riveted on this cool and vaguely drizzly evening in New York’s Central Park.

One of the only non-free concerts of the SummerStage season, this gig sought to raise money for next year’s SummerStage and drew a sizeable twenty-something crowd. While O’Riordan’s constant referral to Everybody Else Is Doing It . . . as their “first album” confused everyone (“You mean there’s another one?”), several new songs went down well. Competent crowd participation during ‘Dreams’, ‘Not Sorry’ and other tracks from the band’s debut album evidenced the solidity of the Cranberries following here.

O’Riordan’s quirkiness may sometimes be annoying, but boy can that girl sing! The sound wasn’t near loud enough (some kind of agreement with neighbouring apartment buildings), but at this feel-good, all around enjoyable evening out, the Cranberries resonated.

• Tara McCarthy