Waterford showband era to be celebrated on Culture Night this month
The late Brendan Bowyer pictured at City Hall Waterford prior to receiving the freedom of the city. Photo: John Power
The Waterford greats of the showband era will be celebrated in the Déise at an event being organised to coincide with Culture Night.
The event will take place in Ardkeen Library and the night promises to be one of the music highlights of the year.
The showband era was an iconic period in Irish music history that saw legendary venues around the country packed to capacity as headline names regularly toured the Irish and UK circuit.
The upcoming event will provide a great opportunity for people to relive their memories of a golden era in Irish showbusiness. However, for all discerning music fans it will also be a chance to discover what was a very important time for Irish music, for the first time.
The organisers said it will be an evening filled with fun, laughter, music, dance, and lively chat.
A significant aspect of the night will also be the chance for people to bring along their own photos and memorabilia of that classic time and recall stories and events of the showband scene.
In many ways it will be about making music history come alive.
John Keane from WLR will be in the DJ booth and the music on the night will play a big part in creating and re-experiencing the classic sounds of the showband's finest artists.
Waterford played a major role in the showband scene and in particular, the Déise's own Royal Showband was without doubt the leader of the showband phenomenon in Ireland during the 1960s. The story of the band dated back to the 1950s and its origins in the Fisherman's Hall in Dunmore East. While many musicians were household names at the time, the one name synonymous with the showband scene was Brendan Bowyer - without doubt the biggest star to emerge from the scene.
It will be a Culture Night to remember on Friday, September 20, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. This will be a free event and no booking is required.
