Céol

The Rob Strong Band Live

The legendary Rob Strong brings his band to the fabulous Irish Cultural Centre in London on Friday 29thNovember 2024. The Derry native, known as ‘The Godfather of Soul’ is celebrating an amazing 60 years on the road and is one of the very few musicians still performing since the Showband years. Rob Strong is revered in the Irish music business as evident in these quotes taken from his biography ‘STILL GOING STRONG’ written by his manager Paul Holland.

Rob Strong is incredibly talented. In my opinion he is the best Blues or Soul singer to ever come out of Ireland. His innate gift is his voice and his timing is incredible”                  COLM WILKINSON

“The thing about Rob is, he’s a serious package, bass chops, voice and presence”   BARRY DEVLIN(HORSLIPS) who also wrote the foreword for Rob’s biography.

“I think Rob Strong is an incredible singer, an amazing talent. I just don’t understand how he hasn’t become much bigger worldwide!”MARY COUGHLAN

“Rob Strong is one of the true originals” PAUL BRADY

In the 1970’s nobody in Ireland personified the raw energy of rock, blues and soul music like Rob Strong! Rob started out in the Showband era when he fronted the iconic PLATTERMEN SHOWBAND from Omagh in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, packing out huge ballrooms all over Ireland. Rob progressed to play in his own bands,’ Las Vegas’, ‘Rob Strong & The Rockets’ and ‘The Rob Strong Band’ right up to the present day. This year Rob Strong headlined the two biggest Blues Festivals in Ireland, The Howth Blues Festival in Dublin and the 7 Hills Festival in Armagh and sold out four gigs at the Dublin venue ‘Arthur’s Blues n’ Jazz Club’ .

Rob’s son, Andrew Strong, starred as Deco Cuffe(lead singer of the band) in the worldwide smash hit movie ‘The Commitments’ in 1991. Rob was also the vocal coach for both soundtrack albums of the iconic movie and toured with The Commitments band across the UK and Europe. For more info on upcoming concerts please check out our website www.robstrong.ie  

Fri 29 November 2024

Doors 7.30pm, Starts 8.00pm

Tickets: £20/£18

 QUOTES ON ROB STRONG FROM HIS BIOGRAPHY- ‘STILL GOING STRONG’

“Rob Strong is unique. He is incredibly talented. In my opinion he is the best Blues or Soul singer to ever come out of Ireland. His innate gift is his voice and his timing is incredible.

COLM WILKINSON

“Seeing Rob Strong with the Plattermen in the late 60s was big influence on me. To hear a fellow Northerner sing the soul music I loved so well, gave me a lot of confidence that one day I could find my own voice. Rob is one of the true originals!” PAUL BRADY

“To play with someone of the calibre of Rob Strong was a huge honour for me as Rob was one of the best singers I had ever seen in Ireland. JOHNNY LOGAN

“When I first heard Rob Strong sing ‘Living Doll’, I honestly felt that Rob sang it better than Cliff Richard himself! BRIAN COLL

 “Rob Strong would have been a big hero of mine back in the day. I was starting to be a bass player myself but he was on a different level.  The thing about Rob is, he’s a serious package, bass chops, voice and presence BARRY DEVLIN.  

“For me Rob is world class. I’d say he is one of the best Blues/Soul/Rock singers in the world. Rob is also a great bass player. He has a beautiful tone on the bass. It’s like he’s caressing the bass. I’ve played with lots of bass players- Rob is the best! DON BAKER 

“With that mane of hair, the shades, the mic way up high so he had to lean the head back and sing right up into it… He really did look and sound like he’d just been beamed down from the Whiskey in LA or the Fillmore in San Francisco. Not only would he have fitted right in there, he’d have blown them away. “JIM LOCKHART (HORSLIPS)

“When I think of Rob Strong I think of a big voice doing Bluesy stuff with a raw edge. Rob Strong has a big engine and a great vocal range. PHIL COULTER

“There is no doubt in my mind that Rob Strong is world class. There’s so much passion in his voice, which is really unique. He’s got that big soulful voice which you can see etched all over his face when he’s singing. PAT SHORTT

“I always regarded Rob Strong as the best Pop singer in the country. He has an incredible voice. He can sing anything from Tom Jones to The Four Tops. He interprets each song in an amazing unique manner.FR. BRIAN D’ARCY

The first time I saw Rob Strong was in The Coconut Grove in the mid-80s.He was really professional and powerful sounding. I could see that he was The Boss! His show was well rehearsed and well- delivered.I was very impressed. LIAM Ó MAONLAÍ (HOTHOUSE FLOWERS)

“When Rob Strong started singing in the Las Vegas Showband, I thought that he was a real superstar. Everybody that played with him knew that he was something really special. KELLEY 

 “I think Rob is an incredible singer, an amazing talent. I just don’t understand how he hasn’t become much bigger worldwide!” MARY COUGHLAN

 “I always thought that Rob Strong and Colm Wilkinson were the two best singers in Ireland” BRUSH SHIELS

  “Rob Strong is a fabulous musician- a great bass player and one hell of a singer”

ERIC BELL

I was always a great admirer of Rob’s. He deserved to get more rewards for the amazing talent that he still has. He should definitely have been big in places like England and America.

PADDY COLE

 

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