Club Country 18-30 Keepin 'er Country

In Ireland, country music is more popular than ever.

A host of new country music stars

have tempted a generation to turn their back on the nightclub,

don their Stetsons and jive the night away

from Ballymena to Ballydehob.

This week, we're jetting off to the sun...

We are going to the beautiful... Viva la Espana.

..with the fans who just can't get enough country music in Ireland.

I love Robert Mizzell!

You can dance like hell to Robert Mizzell!

With Fermanagh farmers packing their best dancing shoes...

They won't all fit in there.

Them's me children. We're all going on holidays.

..and Roscommon glamour girls adding some sparkle...

We're getting our nails done and our toes done,

just to have the bling-bling on the dance floor when we're jiving.

..Spain is turning country.

With the mercury hitting 30,

these dedicated fans are sweating it out

to see their favourite country stars.

The big thing about coming here is they're getting a full week

of some of the top names,

and then old boys like myself, as well.

And there's not only jiving on the dance floor,

it's by the pool...

Go on you boy, you.

..and in the pool!

Now we're doing a bit of skinny-dipping.

I don't know about the skinny bit, but we're dipping!

But when you're jiving 24 hours a day...

I want everyone to know that jiving is not dangerous to your health.

..there can be some serious consequences.

Yes, my feet are in a very bad way, as you can see,

they're pretty ugly looking.

Welcome to the sunny world of Irish country music.

A week in Spain is a rite of passage for generations of people.

Sun, sangria and siesta.

But some tourists are swapping the siesta for a Stetson

and they're not coming for a suntan, they're coming to jive!

# It's good to see you, I must go

# I know I look a fright... #

Jiving in the heat, the sweat's running off you

and you don't smell really good and you don't look very good,

but the craic's brilliant.

Every year, thousands of fans are swapping rainy Saturdays in the Moy

for the heat of the Costa del Sol,

dancing to their favourite Irish country music stars.

You've got a lot of rain in Ireland and, over here,

sure, you've got the sunshine

and then you've got the good country music,

what more can you get? If you haven't lived country,

you haven't lived, at all.

# I got stripes

# Stripes around my shoulders... #

Looking forward to packing their speedos

is one of Ireland's best loved acts.

The Three Amigos - Jimmy Buckley, Robert Mizzell and Patrick Feeney -

are a country tour de force.

# And them chains, them chains... #

For the first time ever,

they're inviting hundreds of their fans to join them

on a week-long holiday in Spain.

We're going to Spain, honest to God,

but we're lucky if we won't be sent back after the second day

because it's just... The fun and the craic will be unbelievable.

# Now, I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when... #

We're going to bring the whole show to Spain and anything can happen,

and I mean anything.

But whatever happens, the fans are assured of a good dance floor.

# That train keeps on moving... #

Usually the floors over there are lovely, beautiful marble

so we've had to purpose-build a dance floor,

to make sure that they're comfortable.

# I never could fill Willie's shoes, oh... #

One of those looking forward to hitting the dance floor in Spain

is 20-year-old Fermanagh farmer, Peter.

Brown shoes, that's one pair.

He needs plenty of room when he's jiving.

He's got size 15 feet.

I'm wearing me fifth pair.

He's a man who likes to look good on his nights out.

And sure, you have to have your brown shoes, your brown belt,

your jeans and your double-collared shirts maybe.

Stick that there and a good tidy pair of socks on you!

And there's a reason why Peter likes to scrub up well.

You have to look good. You'll not get a woman looking scruffy,

you know, unless she's a farmer.

You never know, you might get her number

and get acres of ground with road frontage, you know?

Maybe, hopefully, she has no brothers to interfere with things.

MUSIC PLAYS

Peter and his best mate Declan usually spend their weekends

dancing in the Abbey Hotel in Donegal.

INDISTINCT

Jimmy Buckley is their main man

and the boys are looking forward to spending some quality time with him,

as part of The Three Amigos, in Spain.

Jimmy Buckley is first class.

Hopefully we'll get to interact a wee bit better with him in Spain.

-Hopefully.

-Wee drinks together with him, eh?

-Wee brandies, maybe.

Maybe a wee cocktail, even better.

When you think about it, Peter, this is it.

The next time we'll be dancing is over in Spain

-and it's under the sun.

-A lot different here. 24 degrees!

Or the pool beside us, maybe.

There may be drink, sun and sea on offer,

but this holiday is all about one thing.

At the end of the day, it's all about the jive.

Up the jive. Come on, Costa del Sol.

# Liberate I can't wait

# While you decide what to wear this evening... #

In Roscommon, best friends Lisa and Monica are all about the jive, too,

and they're also packing their bags for a week in the sun.

We're getting our nails done and our toes done,

just to have the sparkle and the bling-bling

on the dance floor when we're jiving.

I suppose, to stand out on the floor

and when there's lads looking for a dance,

they'll know to come to us.

And you never know, maybe even a little holiday romance.

Get yourself a Spanish man.

No, I only want an Irish man.

The girls travel the length and breadth of Ireland,

following their favourite country stars

and, sure, Spain's only a wee flight away!

Different scenery, as well.

You can be jiving on a beach,

whereas here you're in a ballroom or whatever.

We're hoping to meet a few Spanish fellas,

as well as Irish fellas, like, bring them out for a jive.

It's not hard to figure out why country fans

might prefer the heat of the Costa to a soft day in Fermanagh.

-I'm away for a bale of hay.

-Right, that will do.

But before they can jet off,

best friends Peter and Declan have to redd up the farm.

Get that bale off quick, so we get away.

Just think, Meehan, there'll be none of this when we head away.

I don't think they deal in bales of silage about Costa del Sol, do they?

-No.

-I wonder will you be as mad for the jive when we're in Spain, eh?

Well, sure, not long now until we find out.

Do you want to jivo or to hucklebucko

or whatever way you say it in Spanish?

For the lads, it's their first trip to the sun.

This is me first time away to a hot country.

Best of all now, it's a country one, so everything matches.

If I can get a wee bit of a tan and show off me hairy legs,

white legs with the tracks of the wellies in them.

And they're already thinking about how to impress the local women.

# Gonna party hard, lads Till all this money's gone... #

The first time away, it'll be good.

We might try and get a lock of bits of Spanish into the vocabulary.

But we'll see if we can pull a lock of Spanish senoritas

maybe with a bit of Spanish

or maybe with a wee bit of culchie talk, you know?

# Porch swing swingin' on a rusty chain

# Midnight kisses, and summer rain... #

More than anything, what's driving these young country fans to Spain

is their love of dancing.

# Living life, loving you... #

In Belleek, Peter is packing the essentials for the trip.

One Stetson, check.

Ten double-collared shirts, check.

Eh...five pairs of size 15 brown shoes, check.

Here, boy, where are you going with all them shoes?

And they won't all fit in there.

-I'm going to make them fit.

-You're only going for a week.

I know, but look, it's like a family holiday.

Them's me children. We're all going on holidays.

Peter's mum Ann is hoping the boys get more than a suntan in Spain.

Dance all day and dance all night.

And sure youse might get a couple of women.

You never know what could happen.

-We could land back with one, Ann.

-Well, I hope she can iron.

PETER LAUGHS

With the shoes packed, Peter is brushing up on the lingo.

Dance. There now, I've found it here. Look.

-Bay-lar.

-Bay-lar?

-B-A-I-L-A-R. Ba... Bay-lar.

Would you like a bailar?

Are you coming for an old bailar around the floor?

-DECLAN LAUGHS

-And then country.

-Country...

El campo.

-Let me see it!

-El campo?

-Campo.

So, we're going on an el campo week to Spain to do a bit of bay-ling!

The boys aren't the only ones heading to Spain.

All across Ireland, flights are departing

for The Three Amigos' Spectacular on the Costa del Sol.

It's less Club 18-30,

more like Club 18-80,

as country fans of all ages touch down in Spain.

-ALL:

-Whoo!

Torremolinos, not known as a country music heartland,

is being taken over by The Three Amigos and their fans.

# I'll fly away

# To our home on God's celestial shore

# I'll fly away

# Oh, I'll fly away Oh, glory

# I'll fly away. #

That was total surprise. Unexpected.

Generally, you arrive, you don't...

-To be serenaded by The Three Amigos...

-To be serenaded.

..and to get a little dance in beforehand, great.

# I'll fly away. #

People got off the bus and they were shouting and dancing and roaring.

It's fantastic for us.

# I'll flay away. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-And they welcomed us.

-Yes!

-That's unbelievable, like.

The smile on their face coming off the bus

is probably the best medicine that we could get for this week.

-Oh, yes.

-Absolutely.

-Some place here, Peter.

-A nice spot, now.

-Yeah.

As the dancing in the street continues,

the boys are checking out the pool and prospective dance partners.

Now, the talent's good now about here.

The talent's very good about here.

I wonder could they jive. We'll have to get to asking that.

Aye. Well, sure, if they can't jive, we may just show them how to do it.

-Put it in old boxes, says you.

-Yeah.

-Just creeper boxing and crawl with them...

-Crawl with them.

Step by step.

But these two farmers from Belleek are dressed for a wet Wednesday

in the Abbey Hotel, not poolside in Spain!

Shall we go back up to the room? I think we're not in the right gear

-now for this, now.

-No. What did you use - the factor 50?

-Factor 50.

-BOTH:

-25 each.

-Hard to beat.

# Now bring me two pina coladas. #

With shorts, T-shirts and factor 50 on,

the boys join the hundreds of country fans poolside

enjoying the music with a cocktail.

# We'll never leave dry land. #

It's the start of seven days non-stop jiving.

You can't come here to the big sticks to go to bed at 12 o'clock.

That does not happen. You go to bed at five

and then you have to get up again for your breakfast at seven.

It's not easy, but you squeeze it all in.

# Bring me two pina coladas

# She said goodbye to her good timing man. #

It takes two to tango, or in this case jive,

and Declan and Peter seem to have found the perfect partners

in Monica and Lisa from Roscommon.

Go on you, boy, you. You nearly tossed the woman.

You're trying to kill me already! You've barely met me!

But Roscommon girls aren't used to fast northern jivers.

-What are we doing?

-We're doing the best...

Peter, you look to be out of breath.

But they'd need to get the hang of it because there's a big night

of dancing ahead and kicking off the music is the legendary Hugo Duncan!

# All my life I've been away....

# Baby, come on... #

I'm very lucky at my age I'm getting anywhere,

but I've been asked now over the last number of years

to always come out here to do some singing at the festivals

and because we're, sort of, one of the old people

that's been there for a while...

And the good thing about the newer people,

like The Three Amigos, young Nathan,

Derek and Mike Denver and Jimmy and all the boys,

the great thing about it is they've given the older people work.

You know, it's like care in the community, in a roundabout way!

OK, here we go!

Despite his veteran status,

Uncle Hugo still has the energy to get the dancers bouncing.

The big thing about coming here is,

they're getting a full week's entertainment.

They're getting a full week of some of the top names,

but the main thing is if you watch that floor tonight,

they went for it as far as the dance was concerned because they love the

dance and the dance and the music and the people -

it's a great bundle wrapped up there.

I've been over here in the last month three times,

I was along with Declan Nerney.

I had 550 people over here.

I was along with Nathan Carter - 650 people,

and I think Paul was the week after that and Mike Denver -

they had 700-odd people and now you've hundreds and hundreds

of people here today, as well.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

And now for the main event, Jimmy Buckley,

Patrick Feeney and Robert Mizzell are on stage.

# Was it the spring

# And spring became the summer

# Who'd have all believed you'd come along? #

People from all over Ireland are working up a sweat

on the dance floor.

# Touching hands... #

I know this is a bit of a funny one for an estate agent, but, yeah,

I absolutely love this.

It's just such a brilliant holiday and I just love dancing.

It beats the clubbing scene at home, I think, anyway.

# Sweet Caroline... #

Monica and Lisa seem to be getting the hang of the fast northern jive.

We met two lads from Fermanagh.

We were sitting by the pool and it was so, kind of, random

like, two Irish fellas came over to us and they were like, "Hey!"

That was like a plus, because they knew how to jive and what not, like.

So, is there romance in the Spanish air?

We're going to meet the lads in here and go jiving

for the next few hours and see them again tomorrow.

But the girls will need plenty of stamina to keep up with these lads.

You go to Magaluf, friends of mine who've been to Magaluf,

it's just solid land there and start drinking

and see who's the last man standing.

Here, it's start drinking, start jiving and see

who's the last man standing, you know?

The Three Amigos might be the headline act...

It's good! It's all good. It's good!

..but these country music weeks in Spain

boast a musical line-up that would rival

any festival back home.

# I'm going to see my baby. #

So, when the main act finishes, it's downstairs to dance to Johnny Brady.

There's no lounging by the pool here.

# We were living for the jive

# Living, living living for the jive. #

Them kids coming out here now to Spain

to do country music is probably...

It is a bit crazy when you think about it in your head.

You never would have said when I was going here,

"Would you come out for a country music week,"

And you're going, "It doesn't seem to add up."

But now it does because everybody's out and enjoying themselves

and it's people from all ages.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Yes, boys, how how's the Fermanagh contingent doing?

-Are we all good?

-Good to see you, Johnny.

-Are we keepin 'er country?

-Oh, aye.

The big appeal of these weeks is getting the chance to go on holiday

-with your favourite stars.

-Yes, girls.

And if you're meeting them for a selfie,

it's probably best not to have a rival artist as your screen saver.

-Can we get a selfie?

-Yeah, no problem, at all.

Let's see. That's a nice picture of Derek Ryan you have there!

It's the morning after the night before.

And with a few hours to kill before the music starts up again,

Declan and Peter are checking out what Torremolinos has to offer

two boys from the farm.

-Isn't that class, Peter?

-It's unreal!

-There is nothing like that at home.

-No.

Now, you can take the man out of the farm,

but you can't take the farm out of the man

and these experienced cattle men

know there's bulls around these parts.

The one thing, I don't see any bulls, though.

No, I don't see any bulls.

But perhaps these two self-confessed culchies from Belleek aren't ready

to take the bull by the horns just yet.

Don't tell me that's meant to be the bull!

HE LAUGHS

-Oh, my God!

-Eh?

Are these boys taking a hand out of us?

-It'd be hard to dodge that.

-Eh?

Don't you call that a bicycle with a bull's head on?!

You'd get that at home!

And then, round again.

I tell you, I'm going to get the start about this place.

These boys should probably best stick to Friesian cows and jiving.

Aye, now if it was a real bull, we wouldn't be standing here.

-I don't think we'd be standing here.

-No, no...

-There would be an odd hole in us.

-You reckon we would be penetrated?

We'd be like a colander when we start to drink tonight,

it would be running out of us.

Come on, come on!

You watch my shins, boss. That was close that one, now.

Imagine us going around the yard with the cattle

-with this kitchen cloth.

-Yeah, there would be some looks.

They'll be looking for the tea towel and I would be standing out

in the field with it.

She'd be looking out the window,

"What the hell are these two boys at?"

# It don't matter where you've been

# Welcome stranger come on in #

On the Torremolinos strip, Lisa is determined

to get a permanent reminder of her country music week in Spain.

I love country so much that I was like, "I'll get just a tattoo."

And Monica - I'm trying to get her to do it, as well.

But best friend Monica...

Oh, no way! Oh, no!

..isn't so sure.

You'd want to put me on, I don't know, anaesthetic or something.

-Yeah.

-Aperitif!

So, tell me about the country music.

It's all stars from back in Ireland and they're performing over here,

so all their fans have come over here.

It's worth the pain for the love of country.

As Lisa smiles through the pain...

Would you recommend the henna tattoo?

..Monica opts for the pain-free option, felt-tip pen.

The pain will be gone in about four hours.

-I don't know how you do it!

-Jiving.

-You have to show me!

-Thank you so much.

# She drinks tequila She talks dirty in Spanish. #

These country music fans can't get enough dancing.

There's no siesta here.

# Her in her purty pink jammies

# They dance all night to the Mariachis

# Till there ain't nobody left standing. #

All them young ones out there jiving,

sure it gives us older ones the encouragement

to get up there and do a wee bit more

and try and beat them at the good old jiving.

It's not easy, but we'll keep in with them.

And then you've got the older generation, as well.

Sure, look, I mean, where would you get it?

Where would you get it?

But jiving in this heat is sweaty work.

Jiving in the heat, you know what?

When the music starts, you start jiving and the sweat's running off

you and you don't smell really good and you don't look very good,

but the craic's brilliant!

But sure when you're by the pool, you can always cool off with a dip.

THEY SHOUT

And everywhere's a dance floor on this holiday.

# We're three amigos come from afar. #

It seems the Fermanagh boys and the Roscommon girls

are taking to each other like ducks to water.

They're actually mental, like.

My stomach is about to drop, because, like,

I'm laughing the whole time.

Like, the jokes they come out with and everything.

You can't take them serious, like.

Anything they say, like, you actually laugh.

It's me first time in Spain and I have to say, it is mighty.

Mighty. A great atmosphere, everyone's having the craic.

There's a wee bit of sun, a wee bit of rain,

but, sure, we're all used to that.

Now we're doing a bit of skinny-dipping.

I don't know about the skinny bit, but we're dipping!

# I've been walking Walking these shores all my days

# But with you by my side... #

The climax of the week's holiday is a gala performance

from The Three Amigos.

But with so much dancing already, there's some jiving wounded.

A lot of people have said that they have sore feet,

they're swollen or sick or something,

but they've been dancing, they've been enjoying it

and they just keep dancing all the time because they love it!

Yes, my feet are in a very bad way, as you can see.

They're pretty ugly looking and they are plastered because the jiving

and the jiving and the feet are cut off me.

But I'll need plasters now on the soles of me feet

to help them a wee bit better. They are sore.

They're pretty ugly and I wish you weren't looking at them!

But other than that, the craic's good.

There's a local shop down the town here that's sold out of plasters.

And there's also a shop down the town

where you can go in and have your feet soaked

-and the fish will eat all your...

-Plasters.

-Eat your cares away.

For those that doesn't like that,

I do a service around about the pool,

the back of their legs. I'm a masseuse.

It's the last night.

-Tonight is the big night.

-We're looking forward to it,

but still it's kind of sad it's coming to an end, as well.

That's it now. Brown shoes, brown belt.

Nice wee shirt. Ready to go now for the last jive of the week.

The boys and girls are getting ready for one final jive together.

We got our nails done and toenails done just before we left.

Yeah, but we've had a few accidents from jiving.

We've had a few accidents from jiving.

Unfortuanetly, this one here has fallen off.

But it won't stop us from jiving anyhow.

He's brought five pairs of size 15s

that cost him a fortune in excess baggage,

but Peter won't be able to use any of them tonight.

Well, we were lying out at the pool there, the whole lot of us.

I got a wee bit over excited and thought it would be a great idea

to do the jump into the swimming pool,

but I kind of didn't want to risk the deep end, because I can't swim.

I kind of overshot the runway with the shallow end and busted me

right knee off the floor of the pool

and it's a bit painful now at the minute, but...

As the saying goes Peter, you've hit rock bottom.

I took one for the team, more or less.

But all's not lost.

The Three Amigos are determined Peter will make it to the ball.

CHEERING

Peter was there tonight and, of course,

we thought when we first saw Peter, that he fell over jiving,

but I want everyone to know that jiving

is not dangerous to your health.

He got hurt in the pool.

Come on...

And you can always rely on a country music singer for a bit of sympathy.

-You big eejit.

-You ape, you.

Good evening, everybody!

Put your hands in the air! Come on!

# We slam it down Load it up and chuck it. #

As Declan and the girls dance the night away,

Peter is forced to watch from the sidelines.

I got a good observation of the whole crowd, like,

-from sitting down and the dance hall or the dance floor...

-Wild.

-..was just wild.

-You couldn't get into the front, at all.

# For the thirsty in Atlanta There's beer in Texicana... #

As I say, it was a big adjustment to the temperature

and then trying to keep the stamina going and jiving

and trying to keep me right leg going, you know?

But, look, the first lads hol away, like, between the two of us.

-It definitely won't be the last.

-No, definitely,

I think there'll be a call back here next year.

# On the road again

# I just can't wait to get on the road again

# I found love is making music with my friends

# I can't wait to get on the road again. #

Sing with us!

For Patrick, Robert and Jimmy, their first concert in Spain

has been a massive success.

Longest Irish wedding possible!

It went on for seven days.

It is a bit like that, isn't?

It's like a long, seven-day Irish wedding.

And there was only...

I think there was one injury and one row, so that's not too bad!

# Don't put your money in the juke box

# Just take your partners to the floor. #

It's been a great week of country music on the Costa del Sol,

where lasting friendships have blossomed on the dance floor.

# A last chance of romance

# There'll always be one more

# Your very own bandolero. #

And it doesn't look like these country music fans will have to wait

until next summer to see each other again.

Oh, aye, they're good craic.

As I'd say, there's wiser sense in grass!

They're mad.

And good jivers now. Definitely good jivers.

-It made it easier for us.

-Yeah.

We had someone to dance with and someone our age

and hang out with and what not, like.

But we, literally, clicked, literally, straightaway

and you'd swear we'd known each other years.

We've stuff planned now already for when we get back,

so it's not too bad.

-They're good fellas, is that right?

-Yeah.

First class. So we'll meet up with them at home.

Maybe... You never know what could happen after that.

# Don't put your money in the juke box. #

And before jetting home, there's always time for one last jive...

# Take your partners to the floor. #

..even if you only have one good leg.

# There's never going to be a last dance

# Or last chance of romance There'll always be one more

# Your very own bandoleros

# We are The Three Amigos

# We are The Three Amigos

# We are The Three-ee-ee Amigos. #