Choosing the Band

There is no shortage of bands throughout the British Isles that can provide this style of event. Doing a simple search on Google will bring up a plethora of bands and agents who can provide this kind of music for your event. The problem is more likely to be selecting the band that is most suitable for your particular event. Most good bands will have some sound clips on their website that will allow you to get a flavour of their style of music. It's worthwhile checking out a number of band sites to see what is available. Choosing a band that is local to your area can help to keep the costs down, but can limit the choice of styles.

Use an Agent?

Booking the band via an entertainment agency can have certain advantages as long as the agent has experience of working with ceilidh and barn dance bands. The advantages include the fact that an agent will usually have experience of supplying acts over a period of time so potentially will have an idea as to the reliability and quality of the band.

You should be able to tell whether an agent has experience with working with ceilidh or barn dance events by the questions they ask (or not as the case may be!). For instance, do they ask whether you want English, Scottish or Irish styles, or even american barn dance. Another good indication is whether they understand (or can even pronounce) the word ceilidh (it's kay-lee incase you're wondering).

The Cost

The price you pay for a band will depend on their size, the length of time you want them to play, their popularity and the distance they have to travel to get to your chosen venue. To get a professional five or six piece ceilidh band in the southeast working in their local 'patch', you would usually expect to pay in the region of £700-£900.

Obviously 'your mileage may vary' - for instance bands working in central London will charge more than this due to the extra time and expense of getting into, and parking in, the capital. Popular bands will also charge more due to the demand for their services, although the benefits will usually outweigh the additional expense. One good piece of news for anyone booking a ceilidh band for their wedding festivities is that they are far cheaper than more conventional function and tribute bands of a similiar quality.

Public Liability Insurance & PAT

Another important question to ask the band (or agent) is whether the band have PLI (Public Liability Insurance) and whether the band's equipment has regular PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) checks. Any band that is made up of members of the British Musicians Union or are affilliated with the EFDSS (English Folk Dance & Song Society) will have this type of coverage as a matter of course. This means that in the event of an unforeseen accident that you and your guests are fully covered.

PAT checking is now a legal requirement for all bands and ensures that you and your guests (and the band members themselves!) are working in a safe environment. If the band - or agent - have no knowledge of either PLI or PAT then you can be pretty certain that they are not very experienced or professional (in the broadest sense of the word). While they may well be competent musicians, would you want to trust your special day's entertainment to a bunch of amateurs?