Irish showband

The Irish Showband (Irish: seó-bhanna) was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s, hitting its peak in the 1960s. The showband was based on the internationally popular seven-piece dance band, sometimes they had 8, 9, 10 members, if there was singer who didn't play an instrument, or if they had extra brass/woodwind players. 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, big band music and even Irish Céilí dance, Latin ballroom dances, folk music and waltzes, Foxtrots, Quicksteps, Jiving. 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.

The performer line-up varied, but usually featured a rhythm section of drums, lead guitar, rhythm and bass guitar, a keyboard instrument (in later years), and a brass section of trumpet, saxophone (altor/tenor) and trombone, the most popular combination. Other brass combinations included two tenor saxophones, tenor & baritone saxophone, two tenor saxophones & trombone, trumpet & alto/tennor & baritone saxophone, two trumpets, two trumpets & trombone, two trumpets & saxophone. The saxophone players may have doubled on clarinet or straight soprano saxophone, and some alto/tennor players doubled on baritone saxophone. 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 while standing. Members would often perform choreographed dance steps in the manner of Bill Haley & His Comets or a black soul band, which brought more energy to the performance. Initially, the bands' tours were limited to Irish venues. As the scene progressed, the more successful bands toured Irish clubs in Britain, usually during Lent (Religious event) when most ballrooms in Ireland were closed for seven weeks, and some performed in the United States and Canada. Some later rock- and soul-oriented showbands toured the German nightclub circuit and clubs on U.S. military bases in Europe.