Irish showband

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The Irish showband (Irish: seó-bhanna)^[1] was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the 1950s to the 1980s, with its peak in the 1960s. These bands typically had seven to ten members, including a rhythm section and a brass section with various combinations of trumpet, saxophone, and trombone, and were fronted by lead singers. Some included comedy skits in their shows. Their repertoire included rock and roll, country and western, Dixieland jazz, big band tunes, Irish Céilí dances, Latin, folk, and more. Showbands were noted for the energy they brought to live performances, their chart-topping covers, and sometimes choreographed performances. Many such bands toured in Ireland, and some of the successful ones later performed in Britain, the US, Canada, on the German nightclub circuit, and on U.S. military bases in Europe.