For one night only, Ballymun’s Helix theatre will play host to one of the world’s most famous bands. The Commitments will return to play the venue 16 years after it all started with the movie based on the Roddy Doyle novel. The hard-working band has made a name for itself despite initially setting up as a spin off from the worldwide hit film.

It won at the Bafta Awards, the Academy Awards, the Brit Awards and the Golden Globe. The band include two of the original cast members - Finglas native Ken McCluskey (Derek ‘Meatman’ Scully) and Dick Massey (Billy ‘The Animal’ Mooney).

According to Ken, the movie was more successful than anybody could have imagined.

"It’s hard to believe that the film shot to fame back in 1991 and still people remember it,” he told Northside People. “Music was always a great passion for me,” he added. “I started my own band at an early age and we played from the pigeon shed that was at the back of our family house in Kippure Park.”

Ken got the break of a lifetime when he was cast as one of the leading characters in the movie.

“I was paid £17,000 for my part in the movie in 1991 which was a huge amount of money back then,” Ken revealed. “Little did we know how much money the movie would rake in for the makers. It’s fair to say that we are now financially comfortable with the money we make from the gigs, it puts bread on the table.”

According to Ken, The Commitments band was set up some time after the movie was released.

“Some of the original cast members wanted to do it but others didn’t,” he explained. “Obviously we started on the back of the movie but after so many years of gigging I think we have made a name for ourselves on our own merit.

“We have played sell-out shows across Europe and the Middle East, Brazil and Australia. We were even asked to play for President Bush in the White House.”

The band has a huge fan base having played 1,000 venues worldwide. In March 1996, they polled at number 33 of the top grossing touring acts in America. However, playing the Ballymun venue is an important gig for the nine-piece band.

"It is a huge thing for us and it would be great if people turned out in support,” Ken said. “I’m sure everybody will be able to sing along to hits such as ‘Try a Little Tenderness’, ‘Take me to the River’ and ‘Mustang Sally’.