OFF THE RAILS SKIFFLE. THE WORLD'S OLDEST AND UGLIEST BOY BAND.

Hobo Jones - Tea-chest bass, mandolin, bazouki, banjo, gob iron, vocals

Miser Bill - Guitar, Mississippi saxophone, Vocals

Wino Tyrone - Washboard, Pots & Pans, Kitchen Sink, vocals

"The greatest thing to come out of Barnsley since the A61 to Sheffield"
Jarvis Cocker

"Loved The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican. Great fun"
Jason Manford, comedian
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"Some of the funniest men on the planet... parodists extraordinaire"
Mike Harding, comedian, folk-musician, author & broadcaster

"A ridiculous family of genius, hilarious, irresistible music makers, currently crowd-surfing to the bar all over the great county of Yorkshire and beyond, into the venues and music festivals of the UK. Long may they rock... but gently"
Eliza Carthy MBE - Folk musician

Put on yer finest knitted gladrags, style your barnet, put on your dancing shoes and bring your finest singing voices, as we cordially invite you to witness the Greatest Show On Earth (in tank-tops).

Hailing from Barnsley Rock City in t'North, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are on a mission! Determined to follow in their spiritual father’s immortal footsteps and keep his legacy alive, they have a talent for Bar-Stewardizing other famous people’s songs with new comedy lyrics, on acoustic geetar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, accordion, keyboard, keytar, and the world's first synthesiser ukulele! To complete their squeaky-clean image, brothers-from-other-mothers Scott, Björn and Alan have become instantly recognisable for their immaculate hair and their stylish choice of knitwear.
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Founded in Barnsley Rock City in 2006 by their outspoken and energetic ringleader, Scott Doonican, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are on a mission! Far from being your typical folk ensemble, this cult-like collective of like-minded knit-wear enthusiasts are determined to follow in their spiritual father’s immortal footsteps and keep his legacy alive. Scott and his brothers-from-other-mothers, Alan Doonican, Mo-Jo Doonican, Dave Doonican and Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Rickenbacker Doonican III, have quite the talent for Bar-Stewardizing other famous people’s songs with new satirical comedy lyrics, on folk instruments. To complete their outrageously understated image, the Doonicans have become instantly recognisable in festival fields and venues up and down the country for their immaculate hair and their stylish choice of sexy knitwear, and instantly memorable for their lairy, no-holds-barred, anarchic live shows.
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A group that is both perpetually on the move, ever-evolving and joyously independent, they have played over 1350 side-splitting shows to date, and have brought smiles and belly-laughs to audiences across the UK; from Barnsley to Barnstaple, from Glastonbury to Glasgow. They continue to wow audiences with a fine selection of their greatest hits, including the likes of “Jump Ararnd”, “The Lady In Greggs”, "The Devil Went Darn To Barnsley", "How Deep Is Your Glove?", "Paint 'em Back", "Goat Yoga", and “If I Could Punch A Face… It’d Be Justin Bieber’s”.

Over the last 19 years, The Bar-Steward Sons have written and recorded eleven studio albums, independently released over 40 live recordings, successfully crowd-funded nine separate independent vinyl releases, played on top of mountains, wowed-festival goers across the length and breadth of the UK, had six different beers brewed and named in their honour by four different breweries (one of which, 'Doonicans' is a SIBA Gold and Silver award-winning part of the brewery's core range of ales), they have sold-out seven consecutive shows on a Mississippi paddle-steamer on the Norfolk Broads in less than 20 seconds, hosted their own sell-out music and comedy festivals, written & performed in their own musical, are featured in the Experience Barnsley Museum Music Archives, hold the bar-takings record for at least ten theatres, have been the recipients of six different individual awards as voted for by the public in the Barnsley Music Awards, played to 20,000 people at Fairport's Cropredy Convention (twice!), the Avalon Stage at Glastonbury Festival (twice!), recorded collaborations with the likes of Frank Turner and Eliza Carthy, and even scaled the dizzy heights of a #1 and a #2 single and a #2 album on the iTunes Comedy Charts (plus a National chart position in the Top 100)!  That's not too shabby for a daft little unsigned comedy folk band from Barnsley, who manage themselves, eh?

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The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican can’t wait to bring their shindig to a venue or festival field somewhere near you and they promise that they WILL rock you… but gently!

Obi Holbrook is following