“The Stunning were the biggest band in the country; tracks such as Brewing up a Storm, Heads are Gonna Roll and Half Past Two are still alternative anthems.”
— Irish Times
“The Stunning pretty much did it all first time around, in this country at least. Paradise In The Picturehouse, their debut, was the first Irish debut album to go to number one and stayed there for five weeks.”
— Hot Press
The legendary live performers, who have had a series of top ten hits and number one albums, have amassed a cult following nationally and internationally. They provided the soundtrack to a generation of people brought up in Ireland during the late 80’s and 90’s and with another number one Irish album in 2018 and two new singles, they have attracted a whole new audience with their timeless tunes.
The band formed in 1987 in Galway, Ireland and had their first Top 20 single just a year later followed by two more Top 10 hits before their debut album 'Paradise in the Picturehouse' hit the number one spot in 1990 staying there for 5 weeks. Over the next year or so, there were more hit singles, followed by another number one album. ‘Once Around the World’. They released a live album ‘Tightrope’ in '93 before splitting up a year later.
After an absence of almost ten years, the band reformed in 2003 to find that their audience had in fact grown during the time they spent away. In 2012 around 30,000 people turned out to see them play a free concert in their old hometown of Galway city. In March 2018 the band released 'Twice Around the World', a re-recorded, re-vamped version of their second number one album 'Once Around the World'. It topped the charts once again and was the biggest-selling album in Ireland that week. The band then embarked on a sold-out tour of Ireland and headlined festivals over the summer of 2018.
In September 2023 their song 'Brewing up a Storm' was licensed to promote the Heineken Rugby World Cup on TV, radio and online commercials. It is a fitting soundtrack as many international rugby, gaelic football and soccer teams have walked out onto the pitch to its rousing chorus.
The band shot an hour-long film ‘We Come Alive’ during the pandemic, featuring a host of guest artists including Mundy, Faye O’Rourke (Soda Blonde), Camille O’Sullivan, button accordion player Máirtín O’Connor and more. It is due to be screened on Ireland’s main national television station later in 2023.