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FAQs
Questions,
questions.... |
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Here is a list of commonly asked questions that we hope will help you in planning your ceilidh wedding / event but if there is anything else you need to know then just drop us an email or give us a call.
You can get Dave of 07970 744986, though it's usually best to drop him an email with the date – that's the first thing to get straight! He'll get back to you usually within 24 hrs to let you know if we're free for your ceilidh. |
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Can we come to see you play? |
Please see our Calendar. Here you'll be able to see the most convenient Ceilidh for you to visit.
It's generally best if you pick a public Ceilidh to attend. If it's a private wedding or function, you must be discreet, you must dress smartly & you must not approach us or other guests on the night. Please stay only as long as you need to. Contact us the following day if you liked what you saw. If you didn't, you must have gone to the Ceilidh in the other function suite! They were rubbish.
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| How long do you need to set up? |
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We Always arrive at your venue at least 1 hour to set up. Provided that we can get the band van close to the stage the setup time is normally round about 35 minutes. The extra time is just in case there are scores of steps & a rabbit warren of corridors to negotiate! We'll do a sound check for 5 minutes after we've completed our set up. If the stage is in a room separate from where your guests are eating / speechifying, etc, that's ideal. If it's the same room though, our stage has guests eating on it or if speeches have started, we may have to wait to avoid disturbing them! Do think about this when planning your wedding / event.
If you need us to set up earlier, there will be an extra charge, as we have to commit more of their time to being at your event. This is generally as per the table below but will depend also on where your event is / how many vehicles the band is split between. |
| setting up time costs... from booked start time |
| 1 hr |
0 |
| 2hrs |
£50 |
| 3hrs |
£80 |
| 4 hrs |
£100 |
| 5 hrs |
£115 |
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| We can send you a SMS message to reassure you we haven't forgotten you. Simply tell us when you'd like us to send it on the booking form. |
How long do you play for? How long is your break?
It's up to you! Though it's usually 4 hours with a 40 min break or for 3 hours (30 min break). We're very flexible! You can see the different charges at our Prices Page. We are usually pleased to play on later than our booking states when requested on the night. Currently £30/hr per musician per hour. So a 4 piece for another 30 mins would cost you £60 extra. Occasionally, there are logistical problems to this (someone's has had enough!!).
We play an MP3 player through the break. Perhaps you'd prefer us to use yours??, please bring it along! Please note: heavily compressed MP3 files will sound very poor through our PA system. It's a good idea to plan who's player you're going to use & make sure the files sound OK through a PA. If downloading ones for your event, do choose a larger file size. It's worth it, honest. |
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How 'live' are you? |
Very! What you see is what you get. What is a sequencer anyway? In a 2 or 3 piece band, our accordion player may plug in an expander which gives midi bass & chords. With a 4 piece or larger outfit, this would generally be turned off. |
How will you dress? |
We always dress appropriately. The caller will always be Kilted up. For weddings and functions the rest of the band will also be dressed accordingly. For a village hall or out-door ceilidh they are usually a little more relaxed. |
Will you be too loud? |
Our priority is to keep the dancers up but sometimes at weddings & ceilidhs, some people just want to listen & talk. We balance the volume to suit both dancers & those wishing to relax, listen & talk. Do come up & tell us if you think the volume is not quite right. We promise not to take offense!
What are your terms of payment?
Full terms are on the Ceilidh Booking Form
A >20% deposit is required on booking confirmation. Please send this along with the Ceilidh Booking Form, completed IN FULL please. The remainder is payable on the night in cash - at the latest, please, by the interval. This helps us keep our costs to you down. If you would prefer to pay by transfer or cheque, that's OK, but we would need to add a 7.5% fee. Cheques should be payable to David J Ford |
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Do you have any other advice for us to ensure a great night? |
Most importantly of all relax & enjoy yourself!! Remember that while we have lots of experience in wedding entertainment it is your wedding so if there is something your not sure about or would like changed please let us know straight away, we're here for you! If there are dances you'd like to do, let us know at any time.
We find it crucial to create a good atmosphere to encourage your guests to come up and dance. A couple of good ideas are to make sure the lights in the venue not too bright, especially at the start of the night & it also makes a huge difference if the bride and groom are up dancing. If your guests see you having a great time they will join in.
We find most crowds are dancers! Some are fired up all night & we can't keep them off the floor. But just occasionally people don't want to dance, & that's fine too! We won't harangue your guests all night if they simply want to relax, talk & watch. We'll find dances that suit just a few people & play more songs / airs, waltzes - & some interesting foreign tunes. |
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