Complex sentence: The Saw Doctors rose to gain national attention during 1987 and 1988 as they toured in support of popular Irish bands such as the Hothouse Flowers and The Stunning; they also proved a major hit when they played at the 1988 Galway Arts Festival.
Split into simpler sentences: The Saw Doctors rose to gain national attention during 1987 and 1988 as they toured in support of popular Irish bands such as the Hothouse Flowers and The Stunning. They also proved to be a major hit when they played at the 1988 Galway Arts Festival.