Showbands

The Irish Showband is a dance band format which was popular in Ireland during the early rock and roll era from the mid 50s to the mid 80s. Some bands such as Eamon Keane's 'dream success band the Indians, who started as the Casino Showband in the early sixties are still on the go. The showband was based on the internationally popular six- or seven-piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and covers of pop music hits. The versatile music ranged from rock and roll and country and western songs to traditional dixieland jazz and even a spot of Irish Céilí dance, a rigorous Newfie stomp, a rousing folk tune, or a beloved waltz. Key to a Showband's popular success was the ability to perform songs currently in the record charts. Some bands also did comedy skits onstage and off.

The line up usually featured a rhythm section of drums, lead, rhythm and bass guitars, a keyboard instrument, and a brass section of trumpet, saxophone and trombone. The band was fronted by one or two lead singers, who were assisted by other band members on backing vocals. Comedy routines were sometimes featured. The Irish Showband, unlike the big band, played standing. It created momentum by playing while stepping, dipping and bopping in the manner of Bill Haley & His Comets or a black soul band.. Initially, the bands' tours were limited to Irish venues. As the scene progressed, the more successful bands toured Irish clubs located in Britain the United States and Canada. Some later rock- and soul-oriented Showbands toured German nightclub circuits and a myriad of US Army base clubs in Europe.

Prior to the showbands you had the "orchestras" in the 1940s and 1950s. These were dance bands usually with ten to fifteen or more musicians. They wore dress suits and dickie bows. Often there would be a brass band based in the town where the orchestra came from and the orchestra members would have learned to play instruments in this Brass Band.They sat down and read sheet music from stands. A lot of them took the format of the American Big Bands from the 1940s, e.g. Glenn Miller style bands, with instrumental music to the fore providing the backdrop to a long night's dancing which could be up to five hours long !!! (9pm to 2am).The more musicians they had the closer they could get to the original sound i.e. to get the true Glenn Miller (Moonlight Serenade) sound a band would need five woodwind, one clarinet and four saxophones plus trumpets and trombones plus rhythm section. Popular orchestras from the time were Maurice Mulcahy and Jimmy Wiley both from Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, Mick Delahunty - Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Brose Walsh - Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Jack Ruane - Ballina, Co. Mayo.

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