Ten years is a few lifetimes in pop music, so its with equal amounts courage and foolishness that The Would Be's (above) re-enter…

Ten years is a few lifetimes in pop music, so its with equal amounts courage and foolishness that The Would Be's (above) re-enter the fray. In the late 1980s, Kingscourt's Would Be's were possibly the freshest band in Ireland: smart, ironic lyrics and great vocals.

To top it all, John Peel championed the group and Morrissey asked them to support him. It all went pear-shaped, of course, but with a new single (Show Off), a new singer, the time just might be right for that most unforeseen of things: a Would Be's revival. They play Dublin's Whelans on Thursday.

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Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea is a contributor to The Irish Times specialising in popular culture