The Great Irish Line Dancing Craze.

Manic Moran

One of those short-lived fads.

I do recall, many moons ago*, it was the 'in' thing on a Wed or Thu evening for lads and lasses to put on their denims, cowboy boots, big belts and sometimes even a hat, then down to the pub they'd go, to dance to Garth Brooks, and anyone else whose name they might have heard of.

As near as I can recall, this only lasted about six to eight months. Thankfully. Kilkenny just looked wrong with the Village People walking down the street.

But I'm curious...

What caused it to kick off in the first place, and why did it stop as suddenly as it appeared?

And who still has their gear?

NTM

*About 1994

Stephen

I remember this. I was only a kid in school at the time but the terror is still burned into my mind. Then I moved to New Mexico and saw it all over again :eek:

anniehoo

Oh yeh haha....i loved it. I was brilliant at the oul "tush push"

Think Garth Brooks kicked it all off.

furiousox

If the Nazis had won WW2 we would all be dancing like that.

happyoutscan

Deleted User wrote: »

Think Garth Brooks kicked it all off.

Correct. Every Saturday night for the few months of the 'phase' you had a bunch of muppets out doing their twinkle steps. Very ghey.

Cheap Thrills!

It was Cotton Eyed Joe.

El Weirdo

Deleted User wrote: »

Think Garth Brooks kicked it all off.

Was it not Billy Ray Cyrus?

Either way, a pastime for fucking morons.

rossie1977

what caused it, this

Garth Brooks.
Billy-Ray Cyrus.
Rednex.

The Triumvirate is complete.

PanchoVilla

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

It was Cotton Eyed Joe.

And...

Yeehaw!! I actually liked line dancing when we did it in gym class back in the early 90s.

PanchoVilla

El Weirdo wrote: »

Was it not Billy Ray Cyrus?

Either way, a pastime for fucking morons.

It's actually a lot of fun. Everyone is doing the same thing so you don't have to worry about looking like a spaz on the dancefloor. Plus chicks in tight jeans, cowboy boots and hats are smokin' hot.

furiousox

at least they're all in a line...easier to machine gun the b@stards....

MazG

Wasn't Colin Farrell a line-dancing 'pro' in his early days?

El Weirdo

PanchoVilla wrote: »

It's actually a lot of fun. Everyone is doing the same thing so you don't have to worry about looking like a spaz on the dancefloor. Plus chicks in tight jeans, cowboy boots and hats are smokin' hot.

You keep telling yourself that.

Manic Moran

PanchoVilla wrote: »

It's actually a lot of fun. Everyone is doing the same thing so you don't have to worry about looking like a spaz on the dancefloor.

Logic flaw. You could just all be looking like spazs in harmony.

Plus chicks in tight jeans, cowboy boots and hats are smokin' hot.

True, that. Still not sure they need to be line-dancing for that though.

Speaking of, did any pubs get a mechanical bull?

NTM

tinkerbell

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

It was Cotton Eyed Joe.

It was defo Cotton Eyed Joe that started that off!

*cringe* I was just in primary school when that craze all kicked off but I remember my parents going to line dancing every week!!! Oh the shame! lol, they cringe every time I mention it

Dudess

Oh Jesus, I had to do it in school as part of PE - ****ing hated it and had my "period" every week to get out of it. Yeah 1994/95 direction.

amazingemmet

Strictly S.O.L.D myself :pac:

rossie1977

cotton eyed joe??

the only people line dancing or trying to dance to cotton eyed joe were those after 15 pints at 1.30am in a bar, club where-ever

littlefriend

MazG wrote: »

Wasn't Colin Farrell a line-dancing 'pro' in his early days?

Yep he was.

flyton5

Didn't some Irish kid from the arse end of nowhere win the world linedancing championships a year or two ago? Think along the lines of the Mulkerrin Brothers from Irelands Got Talent...except in denim. It was cringey stuff seeing him on the news with his ever so proud parents. He'll die a virgin*...


*unless his dad is riding him

PanchoVilla

flyton5 wrote: »

Didn't some Irish kid from the arse end of nowhere win the world linedancing championships a year or two ago? Think along the lines of the Mulkerrin Brothers from Irelands Got Talent...except in denim. It was cringey stuff seeing him on the news with his ever so proud parents. He'll die a virgin*...


*unless his dad is riding him

Yeah, because we all know girls really hate guys who can dance well and can actually get up on the dance floor without 10 pints in them.

123balltv

line dancing great way to keep fit
I learned it in school they played Nutbush by Tina Turner had a ball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH0YgEbZu7Y

PanchoVilla

Manic Moran wrote: »

Logic flaw. You could just all be looking like spazs in harmony.

Double logic flaw. If everyone looks like a spaz then what's there to worry about? You can just relax and actually enjoy yourself without being shítfaced. That's probably why it never took off in this country. Line dancing requires memory and coordination which is severely lacking after 5 pints, and we all know the Irish just can't have fun without being pissed. Sad really.

galwayrush

It was pure evil.

hmmm

It stopped when daughters began to bring their mothers along to nightclubs to take part.

i-digress

Cotton Eyed Joe definitely started it...

Does anybody else remember Ray Darcy and Dustin on The Den having an Anti-Line Dancing Campaign?

Maybe we should vote Dustin for president...

sh1tstirrer

furiousox wrote: »

at least they're all in a line...easier to machine gun the b@stards....

I suppose you are a ballet dancer:rolleyes:

alwaysadub

Looked kinda interesting on TV, but wasn't interested in it, thankfully neither was anyone i knew. Well no one admitted it if they were!

flyton5

PanchoVilla wrote: »

Yeah, because we all know girls really hate guys who can dance well and can actually get up on the dance floor without 10 pints in them.

Dance well? Obviously someone didn't read the name of the thre....oh I've just realised you're a woman. Have you been told about keeping your opinions to yourself? tut tut..:rolleyes:

Orando Broom

It was always the pushy families who did it. The people who liked to be out in front at everything.

It was very, how do you say, common.

The guy

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

It was Cotton Eyed Joe.

But where did he come from?

flyton5

The guy wrote: »

But where did he come from?

Better still, where did he go?

Michealloch

OK, I think I can answer this one. While other posters refer to Cotton Eyed Joe & Achy Breaky heart, they were round 1993/4
They were the songs people danced to at the height of the craze.
What kicked off the craze was a brief scene from the movie "Thelma & Louise" where Geena Davis danced the Texas two step in a bar.

My prediction is that Line Dancing is coming back with a vengeance.
The announcement that Garth Brooks is coming back to Ireland has middle aged tea dancers everywhere searching for their Stetsons and their cowboy boots. Yee Hah

Stavros Murphy

It kept a lot of country people fit for a bit. The munter quotient was affected for at least a year afterwards too. I say bring it back.

ronjo

Michealloch wrote: »

OK, I think I can answer this one. While other posters refer to Cotton Eyed Joe & Achy Breaky heart, they were round 1993/4
They were the songs people danced to at the height of the craze.
What kicked off the craze was a brief scene from the movie "Thelma & Louise" where Geena Davis danced the Texas two step in a bar.

My prediction is that Line Dancing is coming back with a vengeance.
The announcement that Garth Brooks is coming back to Ireland has middle aged tea dancers everywhere searching for their Stetsons and their cowboy boots. Yee Hah

You have been waiting over 3 years to post this havent you?!