Here are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions people have when they are looking to book a Ceilidh Band

The word Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) comes from the old Gaelic word for ‘a visit’ which then evolved to mean a social gathering or party.

Nowadays, a Ceilidh is brilliant fun night which combines Exhilarating Scottish Dancing, Fantastic Music and Great Company!

Ceilidh Dancing is something that people of all ages can participate in. No experience is necessary so a typical ceilidh would often include a mixture of novices, occasional dancers and more experienced dancers. You don’t need to know anything beforehand and our caller will walk you through the steps on the night before each dance. Enthusiasm counts more than dancing skills - just enjoy yourselves.

Yes, Paul, our experienced dance caller, will guide you through the steps before each dance. Our fiddle player can also demonstrate if needed. Remember, the best ceilidh dancer is the one having the most fun!

We have a large repertoire of ceilidh dances from the more Traditional favourites such as -

Gay Gordons

Dashing White Sargeant

Military Two-Step

Virginia Reel

Strip the Willow

St Bernard's Waltz

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To the more adventurous such as -

Eightsome Reel

Cumberland Square Eight

Riverside Jig

Orcadian Strip the Willow

Reel of the 51st

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We also have a few less well-known dances up our sleeve such as The Troika, The Borrowdale Exchange and Swedish Masquerade which are also a lot of fun.

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Instructions for most of the dances can be found on the ceilidh dance instruction page of the site.

Yes we have a high quality professional sound system capable of filling all sizes of venues.

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We use an Allen & Heath QU-16 Digital Misxing Desk, RCF Art-9 Active Speaker, DB Monitors, Rode & Sure Microphones and Roland Sound Module for the Accordion (which gives piano & double bass sound from the left hand)

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We always carry spare microphones, cables, laptop and even mixing desk to ensure that you have complete peace of mind.

A typical evening would look like this

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7pm - 8pm Arrive, Unload, Set-up & Soundcheck

8pm - First Dance (if a wedding) then into the first half of the ceilidh

9.30pm – 10pm - Break whilst evening buffet is served

10pm – 11pm – Ceilidh (2nd set)

11pm – 12am – Disco

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However we are very flexible and will work with you to accommodate the specific arrangements and timings of your event.

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If would like to have ceilidh all evening that's absolutely fine, equally if you would prefer a more even split between the ceilidh and disco we can switch over after the evening buffet.

Our fee covers an event of up to 4 hours, including a 30 minute break.

We typically set up and soundcheck in 30 - 40 minutes. We arrive early to park, unload, and check the room layout. Usually, we set up right before the performance during the room turn-around after dinner. If you need us to set up earlier, we can arrange that for an additional fee.

We bring all our sound equipment so just need a couple of chairs, and a power socket in the the stage area.

Yes our Ceilidh & DJ / Disco package is very popular. For a mixed audience, a full night of ceilidh dancing can be a little too much, so being able to switch over to Disco during the night will keep the party going. It can sometimes be difficult to gauge the balance of ceilidh and disco in advance, but we are experienced in reading the crowd and are entirely flexible on the night as to when to switch over so as to end the ceilidh on a high and keep the room moving.

Choosing your first dance can be a tricky task, and you can either have a song which is special to you in some way which we will play as an MP3 through the PA system, or if you would prefer, the band can play a more traditional first waltz for you to dance to. You may wish to have the bridal party / wedding guests invited up part way through to join you on the dance floor. This also has the advantage of ensuring a full dance floor to go straight in to the first ceilidh dance of the evening.

In order to confirm your booking we will require a deposit of £300 which firmly holds the date for you, and therefore makes it no longer available to other potential clients. We would then issue a booking confirmation document to be signed by both parties. A little closer to the date we would be in touch to finalise the arrangements for the evening with you and the remaining balance is then due 14 days days prior to the event.

The band accepts no responsibility if the event is late starting for any reason which cannot be construed as being the fault of the band and will play until the finish time which was originally agreed for the event.

Yes, the band is covered up to a limit of £10,000,000. A copy of the current certificate of insurance can be seen on request.