Par Excellence

• Conor Carroll - Vocals
• Mark McDonald - Lead Guitar
• ??? - Bass
• Phil McGrane - Drums

• Mark Griffin - Vocals
• Gar Dillon - Lead Guitar
• Des Connaughton - Bass
• Phil McGrane - Drums

Bio:

Dublin band formed by guitarist Mark McDonald with singer Connor Carroll. When Gar Dillon joined as guitarist Mark McDonald switched to bass but then had to leave the band due to apprenticeship commitments. Des Connaughton came in on bass and Mark Griffin took over lead vocals, yielding the second lineup.

All band members were from the Dublin area, McDonald from the city centre, Carroll from the Harolds Cross area, Griffin & Connaughton from Tallaght and Dillon & McGrane from Crumlin.

Par Excellence were active in the mid 1980s playing local bar gigs for the most part. The guitarist's claim to fame is he played briefly onstage with U2 in Croke Park circa 1986, back when Bono used to regularly pull someone out of the audience to play guitar on stage with the band. Par Excellence split soon after (the curse of Bono strikes again!)

"An intense Sisters of Mercy-Psychedelic Furs hybrid that featured heavily percussive beat permeated by choppy guitar strokes. Whilst the backing vocals were competent, the lead vocal was undoubtedly a weak point to be rectified by experience and a growth in on-stage confidence. Finished as Runners Up."--Hot Press review of Opportunity Rocks night at The Underground in 1985

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