Clubsound were one of the more successful showband groups from Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 during the 1960s and 1970s. The original line-up of the band featured George Jones and drummer Tommy Thomas who wrote all the comedy material. They started as a backing band and played skiffle

Skiffle

Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...

 before evolving into a comedy cabaret, with a few locally successful singles, including Belfast, Belfast and Shankill

Shankill Road, Belfast

The Shankill Road is the arterial road leading through a predominantly loyalist working-class area of Belfast, Northern Ireland, known as the Shankill. The road stretches westwards for approximately from central Belfast and is lined, to an extent, by shops. The residents live in the many streets...

 Airways.

Line up

The original line up featured George Jones

George Jones (radio presenter)

George Jones is a radio and TV personality from Belfast, Northern Ireland.Born and brought up in the east of Belfast, Jones started entertaining in the showbands era in Northern Ireland.-Music career:...

, Barry Woods, Alan McCartney and Dave McKnight.
The later line up featured Dave McKnight, Barry Woods and Alan McCartney.

Practice sessions would take place outside Jones' house and Van Morrison

Van Morrison

Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...

, then a part-time saxophone player, would often join these sessions. Indeed a band called The Monarchs was formed prior to Clubsound that included Van Morrison. After the Monarchs disbanded, and Morrison went on to lead the band Them

Them (band)

Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...

, the other members of the Monarchs formed the band Clubsound.

Reunions

Though no longer a permanent band, Clubsound have had intermittent reunion tours, sometimes writing new material.

External links

• Clubsound brief information from a showband fansite