The Stunning
Paradise in the Picture House
90's rock. This is an album by one of Ireland's best loved bands has really stood the test of time.
THE STUNNING formed in 1987 and broke up in 1994, but despite the passing of time, their popularity has never waned. Songs such as “Half Past Two”, “Romeo’s on Fire”, and “Everything that Rises” are still to be heard on the radio. “Brewing Up A Storm” has become an anthem of sorts and is to be heard everywhere from football stadiums to clubs around the country where it is still a guaranteed floor-filler.
In September 2003, 9 years after breaking up, they re-released their first album, ‘Paradise in the Picture House’. It went straight into the top ten once again, and the accompanying tour was a huge success. They played 14 sold-out shows to over 20,000 people all over the country, making a dream come true for older fans who probably never thought the day would come and converting a new generation who missed the band first time round. When they walked on stage for the first gig of the tour and struck the first chords of ‘Everything that Rises’, the roar of the crowd was deafening.
In the seven years the band were together they toured relentlessly around Ireland building up a following that would make them one of the most successful acts on the live circuit throughout the early nineties. In 1990 their debut album “Paradise in the Picturehouse” spent a record-breaking 5 weeks at number one. Their second album “Once around the World” went straight in at number one and went on to be another multi-platinum seller. The Stunning have sold in excess of 100,000 albums in Ireland alone and the band scooped every music prize and award going.
It seemed that international fame and stardom would naturally follow. But this was not to be. After a series of business dissappointments and a lack of progress internationally the band became frustrated and decided to split up. They played an emotional farewell tour in 1994 and then went their separate ways.
Guitarist Derek Murray joined the Sawdoctors; percussionist and trumpet player Jim Higgins spent a number of years playing all over the world with Riverdance and since then has played with the Sawdoctors, Altan and numerous other acts. And Cormac Dunne has become one of the most in-demand session drummers in the country.
Steve and Joe Wall now front one of Irelands best bands, The Walls; In the year 2000, they had set up their own record label, Dirtbird Records (formerly known as Earshot Records) on which they released THE WALLS albums Hi-Lo and New Dawn Breaking and numerous singles.
Rock: 90's Rock