Band & Booking FAQs
Band FAQS (click here to go to booking FAQs)
1. How much is the band to book?
As there are a number of factors affecting the fee to book us (including size of band - see Point 2), we recommend submitting an enquiry to get a specific and accurate quote for your event. The below is merely guidance to give you an overview at this point. The following factors will affect the quoted cost:
- Travel costs (£1 per mile from Levenshulme)
- Performance times that exceed 2x45 mins or 2x1 hour (with breaks)
- Additional fee for a finish later than 10:30pm
- Extra requests that involve learning new material
- Requested early arrival to the venue (exceeding 1 hour before start time)
- Other specific details that may incur additional costs for the band
Base fee before costs listed above:
- RECOMMENDED: 4-piece (guitar, violin, violin/box + dance caller) - £1200
- SMALLER: 3-piece (guitar, violin + dance caller) - £950
- ENHANCED: 5-piece (guitar, violin, violin, box + dance caller) - £1450
- FESTIVAL: 6-piece including drums and bass - enquire for more info
Pricing reflects the quality and experience of musicians whilst remaining fair and competitive relative to other ceilidh bands in the UK. Please note that as ceilidhs form an important part of our incomes, we wouldn't typically offer a discounted price e.g. for a charity event.
2. What line-ups are available and which should I choose?
All line-ups feature foot drum to add percussion and rhythm, and guitar pedals to boost the sound, along with a sound system including subwoofer to add a punchy feel for dancing. We also use lighting to tailor the mood for each event.
Recommended - 4-piece (3 musicians + caller) allows for more musical variety, which is why we recommend it. This allows for harmonies, variation and more musical interest for the listeners, by adding on an additional violin or accordion to the core of guitar and violin. It also provides a bigger sound, suitable for events with 30+ attendees
Smaller - 3-piece (2 musicians + caller): works well for a smaller event, e.g. 20-30 guests, or for a more cost-effective option. Although there won't be harmonies, the sound will still be energetic and varied, with tune changes and variations.
Expanded - 5-piece + (4+ musicians + caller): If you are planning an arena or festival ceilidh with hundreds of guests we are happy to oblige, and can call on our friends who play bass and drums to add some power!
3. Do you offer a ceilidh + DJ package?
Yes we do, there are 3 options for a DJ set, featuring stage lighting and full bass-orientated PA to get people moving:
1. Your DJ playlist, our device: send us your playlist in advance and we play it through our sound system
2. Our DJ playlist, our device: we have curated a DJ set which we can tailor according to the crowd on the night, with hits from the 60s through to 2020s (think Abba, Blondie, Shania Twain etc.)
2. Your playlist, your device: you connect your device to our playlist (Aux in or Bluetooth) and are in charge of the playing of it
We typically begin straight after the final ceilidh dance. For any of the above options, we can offer this for up to 2 hours. Our fee depends on finish time, and covers the time spent on site for the musician running/editing the playlist and use of equipment, working out at substantially less than an external organisation.
1. Up to 2-hour set, latest finish by 10:30pm: £250
2. Up to 2-hour set, latest finish by midnight: £325
Make sure to mention you want a DJ set on your initial enquiry if interested.
Booking FAQs
5. How do I book the band for my event?
The first stage to booking us is to complete an enquiry form. We will then receive your enquiry and reply to you, typically within 2 business days. We will tell you if we are free to take a booking on your date, and answer any initial enquiries, along with providing a quote based on the location and timings provided. The process then runs as follows:
5.1. To confirm the booking, you pay a 20% deposit (non-refundable). At this point we secure this date for your event and do not pursue other enquiries for it.
5.2. We send through your contract, which ensures both parties on clear on what is expected on the day. Should any changes be required, we are happy to discuss these through and make amendments.
5.3. We get in touch 6 weeks before your event date to check-in and see if there have been any amendments to timings or plans that we need to be aware of (weddings can sometimes shift as your plans evolve nearer to the time). We also check-in regarding parking and other circumstances that help us on the day. We also request your 'final payment' at this point, which is the full amount less the 20% deposit, which secures us for your ceilidh.
6. Can I book at (very) short notice?
If we are available for a booking at short notice, which becomes less likely the closer we are to an event date, we request full payment at the time of booking for any event occuring less then 6 weeks after your initial enquiry. We send through an invoice with payment instructions for the full payment to be made and a breakdown of the contracted timings / expectations for the band. Until you make the payment however, we may take on another paid booking so please make this payment promptly to avoid disappointment.
7. What happens if I need to cancel?
Cancellations can occur for a variety of reasons (the 2020 pandemic being an example which affected many ceilidh bands) and we will treat each situation on a case-by-case basis. Where cancellation is due to a change of personal or event circumstances, we retain payments made up to the point of cancellation. Where cancellation is due to external factors (e.g. covid), we would first look to postpone and give you another chance to host your event, then to cancel, with full refund of your 'final payment'. At each stage we aim to balance fairness to the musicians who might have declined other gigs for your event, and fairness to you in unforeseen circumstances.
8. What happens if the band needs to cancel?
Although this has never happened, and we would do our utmost to prevent this happening, if we knew in advance of your event we had a concern (e.g. serious illness of a band member), we would be in touch with you as soon as possible to let you know the situation and provide alternatives e.g. replacing the absent musician with a trusted friend or if the core band was impacted, we might contact other trusted ceilidh bands to replace us (with your full agreement). If the band was unable to be at your event last minute (e.g. car accident / extremes of weather) we would let you know as soon as possible and refund all payments made relating to your event.
9. What happens if the band is delayed arriving?
Although we always allow significant extra time to cover traffic delays or transport issues, should it be the case that we will be unable to start on the allocated time, we would be in touch as soon as possible, and discuss amended set timings to ensure full enjoyment of our ceilidh. If your event was noticeably impacted, we would look into a proportional refund for the ceilidh time that was lost.
10. What if my event is overrunning on the day and the timings are affected?
This is not uncommon at events, and we are sympathetic to this - we would work out the best timings to ensure full enjoyment of our ceilidh, e.g. reducing to one, longer set or shortening both sets to fit in the allocated time. Please note, we would still finish our final set at the same contracted end time, as the musicians may have other commitments arranged which worked around the original end time.
11. What if I want to extend the ceilidh set on the night?
If all band members are happy to prolong the set beyond the contracted end time, this can be arranged. The additional cost is proportional to the cost of the booking by the hour, and is paid by bank transfer or cash at the venue.
Still have questions? Contact us and we will do our best to help. Alternatively, set the ball rolling with a no-commitment enquiry today: