1940s–1950s: Big Band Era In the 1940s and 1950s, popular dance bands in Ireland usually had ten to fifteen musicians, sometimes more, and were known as dance bands or dance orchestras. They customarily wore dress suits and
dickey bows. Often the orchestra members had learned to play their instruments in their community's brass band. Orchestras sat down to play and read their parts from sheet music on music stands. Instrumental dance music was their main focus, providing the backdrop to a night of dancing that might be five hours long (e.g., 9 PM to 2 AM). Amplification was limited at first; most dance bands made use of just one microphone to allow a vocalist to be heard above the large band. As technology improved and became more available, orchestras started using microphones for each section, more powerful amplifiers, and larger loudspeakers.
Big bands turn into showbands As singing and singers became more popular and instrumental tunes less popular, the orchestras downsized and morphed into showbands, going from eight or ten brass down to three or four brass. The Maurice Mulcahy Orchestra went from fifteen members in the early sixties (five saxophones, four trumpets, one trombone, rhythm section and a singer) to ten members in the early seventies, which included two singers but still held four saxophones and one trumpet, a large brass section for the seventies. There were a few bands that changed their name from dance bands and orchestras to 'Bandshow' before calling themselves 'Showbands'. For example, The Jimmy Wiley Orchestra changed its name to The Jimmy Wiley Bandshow and then to The Jimmy Wiley Showband. Dave Glover renamed his group to the Dave Glover Showband in 1955, pioneering the use of the word "showband"; he chose the name because he wanted to indicate that their act incorporated both music and skits. Strabane's Clipper Carlton are credited with being the first to incorporate a 'show' in the middle of their act, 'Duke Box Saturday Night', where they imitated the hits and singers of the day. Fronted by Fergus O'Hagan, they were originally a touring dance orchestra. They later became popular in Britain and on the U.S. and Canadian circuit of Irish clubs.
Showbands Brendan Bowyer, Tom Dunphy and the Royal Showband from
Waterford toured professionally around 1958, and became a crowd-drawing success. They were managed by promoter T. J. Byrne, and were the first such band to have a record enter the Irish charts, "Katie Daly", sung by Dunphy. Soon after, Brendan Bowyer had a hit with "Kiss Me Quick", a song taken from an Elvis Presley album. Many would consider Brendan Bowyer the "king" of the showband era, for his powerful and attractive voice, his handsome good looks, and his energetic dance moves on stage. The Capitol Showband released the first showband L.P. record in 1962, 'Presenting Ireland's Premier Showband', Envoy Records, VOY 9144.
The Freshmen from Ballymena, Antrim, led by
Billy Brown and Derek Dean, covered hits by
The Beach Boys and
Jan and Dean.
Dickie Rock performed mainly big ballads. First singing with Dublin's Strykers, Blackbirds, Echoes and Melochords, he became a star with
The Miami Showband, and in 1966 represented Ireland in the
Eurovision Song Contest. At the height of the showband period in the mid-1960s, there were as many as 800 full- and part-time bands travelling the country. == Ballrooms and dance halls ==