1980's - The End of the World....As We Knew It

I added the tag "as we knew it" to this section because although the 80's saw the final years of the ballroom circuit that had exploded in response to the popularity of the showbands, but sagged in the declining decade of the 1970's, the world didn't end for all the bands. Those that could morph into another form did so, some successfully, but others to no avail. The industry underwent another major makeover, finally ending the 30 year reign of the "showbands" that had started in the mid to late 1950's and lasted until the early 1980's. 

With the 80's came a new phenomenon that had been quietly, but steadily growing during the later 70's--the Bar Extension (also called a Bar Exemption). As the crowds continued to dwindled in the major ballrooms, Ireland's hoteliers and publicans were looking for ways to make ends meet during the weak tourist months of the winter (and sometimes the summer as well).

Also, back in those days, weddings were afternoons affairs, with the bride and groom usually departing the hotel, with balloons and tin cans trailing behind around 5 or 6 pm. Plenty of time to clean up the ballroom and get ready for the "dance" which would start around 10 pm until 2 am. It appears there was a "loophole" in the law concerning the serving of alcoholic beverages after normal hours (Irish pubs closed at 11:00 during the week and 10 p.m. on Sundays). However, if they were serving a "meal," the law allowed hotels to continue serving drinks until 1 a.m. 

Traditionally, extensions had been reserved for special occasions, or festivals (carnivals) usually held throughout the Spring and Summer months. Rural communities would pitch a massive tent and hold a 10-14 day long "carnival" during which time the pubs would be allowed to serve later and the population for miles around would come to enjoy tugs of war, costume contests and all manner of family entertainment. Hotels realized they could extend their drinking hours by serving a meal--a law that I personally feel was designed to allow annual dinner dances to serve alcohol later than normal. When nobody complained, the hoteliers went to town.

Hotel ballrooms across the country started serving up greasy plates of chicken and chips and a new form of entertainment was born. The first to feel the brunt of this impact were the ballrooms and the smaller bands. Because ballrooms had no license to serve alcohol (having never seen the need for it), they were shunned by dance goers. Additionally, most of the ballrooms had been built with a minimum of creature comforts, making them even less appealing than a smaller, cozy hotel ballroom.

Smaller venues also meant smaller money which caused many bands to downsize from 7 or 8 members to five or six piece outfits in an effort to preserve their incomes. The technology that created the synthesizer also had the effect of making brass less of a necessity and many trombone and trumpet players found they were no longer needed. For some reason sax players seemed to hold their own in the age of synths. It also totally destroyed the traditional Farfisa organ which had been a staple of the 60's  sound.

As a result, for a time the bands were able to continue on with as few as five members, a good synth player and a great dance programme.   

As the big ballroom dates dried up, the most successful bands were forced to move to the smaller hotel venues, forcing out the lesser known bands almost entirely. Many band managers started promoting dances themselves in order to have something to exchange with other managers. Successful managers took on smaller bands, and were able to use the promise of a date with their more popular act as an incentive for promoters to book their lesser known band(s). The strategy was a successful, but only for a time.

All the news wasn't bad.....

At around this same time in the late seventies and early 1980's, other factors had a direct influence on the showband scene. In November, 1978, RTE2 television went on the air with a flourish and the promise of more exposure for Ireland's home grown talent. A few months later, in May, 1979, RTE2 radio hit the airways. The doubling of programming over a six month period created a great demand for all types of "product." TV shows like SBB Ina Shui and Non-Stop Pop provided regular outlets for Irish bands in addition to the all important "Late Late Show" spot with legendary host, Gay Byrne. 

At the same time, the recording industry in Ireland was also changing. Making records had always been limited to the most successful bands (or those with heavy financial backing). The only "real" recording studios were in Dublin and their hourly rates were beyond the reach of most new bands. However, by the end of the 1970's, less expensive alternative studios (first offering 8 track recording, but soon expanding to 16 track) started opening around the country. At rates like £10 an hour, even the smallest bands could afford to make their own record for the cost of a good night's pay. 

In much the same way that the Royal Showband opened the floodgates for showbands making records in the early 60's, another band did the same for Irish pop in 1978. Bagatelle, a little known Dublin "pop" group released a song penned by lead singer Liam Reilly called Summer In Dublin and the rest, as they say, is history! Not only was the record a bona fide smash hit in Ireland, it was possibly the first time an Irish based "pop" band had been so successful in Ireland, and then chose to remain in the country. Years earlier, Thin Lizzy had established itself with Whiskey In The Jar, while still based in Ireland, but immediately went to London.

Suddenly, there was a new opportunity...Irish bands could "make it" with original music, while staying at home. So, although bands like Horslips, Thin Lizzy, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, and others had hits before, this time it seemed different.

These factors: inexpensive recording studios, additional outlets for home grown records, and a new air of acceptance for original Irish based music, had a huge impact on the entertainment scene in Ireland and jump-started a new era of creativity. In fact, U2's lead singer, Bono, has openly commented on the impact Bagatelle's success had on the band in its early years. Along with the influence of British punk and new wave music, Ireland's rock scene enjoyed a period of experimentation and creativity that produced some of the country's finest exports including U2, Stiff Little Fingers, and many more that followed.

But back to the discos.

It didn't take long for hoteliers to realize that it wasn't the bands that were attracting the crowds, but the booze. One by one, hotels redesigned their ballrooms to become "Niteclubs," the final nail in the coffin. Since patrons followed the drink, and a DJ was much cheaper than a five to seven piece band, in a few short years, live music all but disappeared and many bands called it quits in the early to mid 1980's.

This trend seems to hit the pop bands first and hardest. Usually their first move would be to cut the number of musicians down from seven to six to five in an attempt to play the smaller gigs. Eventually though, it became almost impossible for a live band to make a living "on the road" in Ireland and by the late 1980's the live band dancing scene in Ireland was more or less gone. Despite these changes, though, some bands did manage to survive and even flourish.

Keep It Country

As the disco took over the "pop" dance scene, country music was less impacted by the disco trend and many bands were able to keep going. Perhaps the biggest reason was that "jiving" was the form of dancing favoured by country dance goers and the discos shunned this type of music. Additionally, cabaret offered other opportunities for artists that could provide a wide range of entertainment including some comedy and banter from the stage.       

In researching for this article, I came across an interesting webpage. It is taken from a Dail Eireann debate held on April 26, 1988 under the title, "Intoxicating Liquor Bill, 1988: Second Stage."
(Debate) The basic gist of the debate was whether or not restaurants should be allowed special liquor licenses to be able to serve alcohol with meals, given the growing tourism industry in Ireland.

S. Barrett interjected, "Before moving on to deal with the various sections contained in this Bill, I would ask the Minister if he has any proposals to allow for the issue of a limited number of exemptions for ballrooms. Over the past number of years discos appear to have taken over from the traditional type of ballroom. I am told that ballrooms which, after all, are capable of providing a good deal of employment, be it through the staff engaged in the actual running of the ballroom or the bands engaged for the evening, find it extremely difficult to compete with discos. I regret the demise of the traditional type of ballroom which for many years provided a very important amenity, particularly in rural Ireland. I do not think anybody would like to see this trend continue and I would ask the Minister to give this matter serious consideration."

Even though a letter had been received from the Irish Ballroom industry, which they quote as only numbering 21 or 22 ballrooms left in 1988 asking for special consideration, nothing was done. Surely it was too little, too late.

As the 1980's ended, so too did the once proud ballroom and showband industry that had provided a wealth of entertainment to the Irish public for over 30 years. Anyone born between 1930 and 1970 has memories of a first kiss, a stolen moment, a darkened corner or a shared mineral while the music of Ireland's showbands swirled in the background. Unlike many purists who feel the era ended in the early 70's, I suggest that even though it went through many changes from decade to decade, the "era of the Irish showbands" actually extended from about 1955 up until 1985. Maybe it is because I wasn't old enough in the sixties to be part of the "real deal."

However, having played in some of the same ballrooms that enjoyed massive crowds to the likes of Dickie and the Miami, Eileen Reid and the Cadets, The Royal, The Sands, The Clipper Carlton, The Dixies, and so many many more, it gives me great pleasure just to think that I was a part of a very special period in Ireland's musical history. Remembered today more for nostalgia than anything else, the era of The Irish Showbands was unique and will never be seen again!

Today, there are people who would point to a still surviving dance scene for live bands in Ireland. Artists like Mike Denver, Nathan Carter and Robert Mizzell are still able to make a very good living playing the circuit of dances around the country. However, almost all of these dances feature country bands and take place in hotels and most of the dancers themselves have been jiving for years. An entire generation of young people in Ireland have grown up listening to records, then CD's and now mp3 files on their iPods. Although in recent years the idea of live music had almost become a distant memory, it is finally making a comeback in the second decade of the 21st century.  

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