Wedding Bands Ireland

The Miami Showband
 Based in Ireland
  Category:  Wedding / Corporate
  Fee: On application.
  Location availability:  Ireland /International.

 

Profile:

The late Jim Aiken described the now legendary “Miami Show band Memorial Concert” at Vicar Street, Dublin, on August 1st 2005 as “the greatest show band concert ever staged”. On that occasion, the reception given to the three surviving Miami Show band members Des Lee, Stephen Travers and Ray Millar by the capacity audience was unprecedented. Nobody could forget that magical summer night in Dublin and it was that very concert that started the ball rolling toward a full blown countrywide reunion tour. It took three years to organise but on September 16th 2008 The Miami Show band returned to Vicar Street for a very special concert to say “thank you” to The Irish people for their love and support for over three decades. The three legendary figures of the show band era were accompanied by three of the greatest musicians this country has ever produced, Johnny Fean (Horslips), Gerry Brown (Dana) and Barry Woods (The Real McCoy).

Meet the Miami Show band

Des Lee (Vocals, Saxophone and Keyboards)

A native of Belfast, Des joined The Miami Show band with Fran O'Toole and Brian McCoy in 1967. Like his young colleagues, Des was head-hunted by the management of Ireland's most popular Show band because of his musical ability, image and charisma. Following the events of 1975, Des fronted The Miami Show band for some years prior to leaving for South Africa where he forged a successful live and recording music career. Des Lee is a name synonymous with the halcyon years of Irish Show bands. He still personifies the very best of those exciting times.

Stephen Travers (Bass Guitar and Vocals)

From Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Stephen completed The Miami Show band's most famous line-up in the summer of 1975. As bass guitarist, Stephen was the final piece of the jigsaw prior to what should have been their full-frontal assault on the American music market. With Des and Ray, Stephen helped to rebuild The Miami Show band following the events of 1975. He left the band in late 1976 to pursue a career in original music composition and studio production. Collaborating with Celtic-Rock guitar legend Johnny Fean, Stephen has been on the cutting edge of “World Music” fusion for over two decades.

Gerry Brown (Vocals and Keyboards)

From Derry City, Gerry is a respected vocalist, musician, arranger and producer on both sides of The Atlantic. He has toured the world as musical director to his Eurovision-winning sister Dana and, over the years, has produced a vast array of original music. His voice is constantly compared to the best in the world. He has also collaborated on many projects, live and in the recording studios, with his long-time friend and co-writer Stephen Travers.

Johnny Fean (Vocals and Lead Guitar)

Shannon's legendary guitarist Johnny Fean needs no introduction to music fans the world over. His unique style and sound was immensely important in the development of the "Celtic Rock" genre. As lead guitarist and vocalist with Horslips, Johnny influenced countless musicians, not least among them, U2 guitarist "The Edge". Johnny and Stephen have been playing together for many years and they share a great love of the rock and pop classics of the sixties and seventies.

Ray Millar (Drums)

A son of Antrim, Ray became a member of The Miami Show band on his return from Canada in 1973. Together with Des and Stephen, Ray played a vital part in reconstructing The Miami Show band after 1975. Because of his rock-solid style, Ray is universally credited with being "The Miami Beat for Dancing Feet" and has influenced countless drummers across the world. He has been a valued endorsee of some of the world's finest drum and percussion manufacturers such as Sonor.

Barry Woods (Vocals, Keyboards, Sax, Trumpet and Guitar   

Multi-instrumentalist Barry Woods from Bangor, County Down, plays no fewer than thirteen instruments. He has a show band pedigree too long to list here, suffice to say it includes The Real McCoy, The Newmen, Tweed and Lyttle People. He also wrote the winning song to represent Ireland in The Eurovision Song Contest in 1995. Barry was a good friend of Fran O’Toole and is a long standing pal of Ray Millar.