The Cranberries wake up and smell the coffee

When Dolores O'Riordan met Noel and Mike Hogan to audition to be the lead singer for their band, she arrived with an attitude. The tiny but tough woman turned the tables on the two guitarists and demanded, "O.K. boys, show your stuff."

The brothers played a few chords. O'Riordan went home and wrote some lyrics about her first boyfriend. She returned with a song called "Linger" and blew the Hogan brothers away.

That's how the Cranberries were born more than 10 years ago. The Irish band, rounded out by the drummer Feargal Lawler, went through hard times before hitting it big with "Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can't We?," its first album, released in 1993. They went on to sell more than 33 million albums worldwide, becoming one of the biggest bands of the '90s.

After the release of last year's "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee," the band's fifth album, the Cranberries have launched an Asian tour.

The group plays Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul on Monday. Concert promoter SJ Entertainment says 2,000 tickets remain for the 7,000-seat venue.

"Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" was produced by Stephen Street, the producer of the group's first two albums. The result is pure Cranberries, but with a more sedate sound.

When the band hit stardom nine years ago, it proved there was more to Ireland than U2, Sinead O'Connor and Chris De Burgh. Its music had elements of the Sundays and the Smiths, but was more poppy and sharp due to O'Riordan's lilting and ethereal voice.

The band released "No Need to Argue" in 1994, selling 1 million copies within three weeks. The hit song "Zombie" is on the album. "The Faithful Departed" followed in 1996. Its fourth album, "Bury The Hatchet," came out in 1999.

In the CD booklet for "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee," O'Riordan wrote that the group's fifth album was "a far cry from 'To the Faithful Departed,' but life is short and meant to be enjoyed." The passage refers to her own life. During the past decade, she has had two children, entered her 30s and overcome a problem with alcohol.

For ticket information, call Ticket Park at 1588-1555, or Ticket Link at 1588-7890. Tickets 40,000-70,000 won ($35-60).

by Joe Yong-hee