"I had a great night that night! It’s a rare thing when that kind of show happens, we were getting so much energy back off the audience. It was really great," says Big Sandy remembering the Dublin show. "But this time it's going to be even more special becuase the Fly-Rite Boys is my main project. We’ve played The Grand Social before, so this will be our triumphant return!"

2014 marks 26 years in the business for the band and fans can expect a career-spanning set. "We're going to do a nice balance of material from over the years, it’s a good time show," Sandy explains. "There can be subtlety in what we do but we can rock out too!"

26 years is equivalent to several band lifetimes these days, how does Sandy feel their sound has evolved?

" I think we were a pretty straight ahead rockabilly band at the beginning," he muses. "Over the years other influences came into the mix. I think they were always there but we time we just got more comfortable letting them show through. They’re some of the styles that fed into the development of rock n roll originally, country, honky tonk, jazz ......"

The Rockabilly Hall Of Fame-inductees are impressively one of Conan O'Brien's favourite outfits and have appeared on his show several times.

"He’s a really nice guy and seems to be a big fan of ours!" smiles Sandy.

The back stage area must be like a who's who of celeb royalty? I enquire nosily.

"Most of the big stars on the show keep to themselves," says Sandy. "I think Joan Collins was the only one we were able to hang out with and talk to. She was really pleasant. Our piano player was delighted to get her autograph for his parents!"

The band's latest release, What A Dream It's Been sees them revisit their back cataloge and re-interpret old material with fascinating results. And happily Sandy is already working on its follow-up.

"The whole process was really enjoyable," notes Sandy. "Finding new things in the songs, turning them inside out, that was really interesting for me. I am always writing .At the moment I am trying to get some somgs together for what I hope will be our next record. I hope we get the chance to get back into the studio soon, I would like to record again before the year is out."

For those who first encountered Sandy with Los Straitjackets, can we expect a similarly audacious performance?

"Well with Los Staitjackets I feel like I have to be a bit more over the top and paint with broader strokes so to speak," he explains. " They come out in their wrestling mask so I have to amp up my performance! I’m not as much that way when I’m with my band. It’s a different persona."

So he won’t be drinking pints of Tequila on stage this time then! Or will he??? Get along to the below dates to find out......

Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys play Riverside Jump, Enniscorthy tonight, Pine Lodge, Cork ( July 20 – afternoon show), Crane Lane Theatre, Cork (20 - night show); The Spirit Store, Dundalk (22) and The Grand Social, Dublin (23).