Ceilidh Band Hire
We get asked a fair bit about Ceilidh Band Hire, so we thought we’d write a blog post about it, capturing the main points.
1.Try to give yourself as much time as possible. It sounds obvious but it will mean that you have more chance of getting what you want.
2. Try to see them beforehand. This may not always be possible, but if they are doing a public gig (such as at the Ceilidh Club) then try to go along and see if they are a good fit for your occassion.
3. Price is important, but it’s not the most important thing in choosing a band. Remember that the band you choose will have put in thousands of hours worth of practice, their instruments will cost thousands of pounds and they have other costs that you don’t see. If you are looking for a band for a wedding then as well as the dress, the vows and the food the band will be one of the things that people remember the most.
4. It’s often worthwhile to get a second quote.
5. Find out how many people are in the band and if they will call all the dances. Bands usually come with a caller but it is nice to be sure.
6. Treat them well and you will get the best out of them. As with most things in life reciprocity rules.
7. Give them something nice to eat and drink. It will probably be mentioned in the contract that you sign but remember they may have travelled a fair distance to get to you and will not be in bed until the early hours, so make sure they have the stamina to give you their best.
8. Be as specific as you can be about the event. There’s not much point in contacting them until you have a venue and a date and an idea of when you would like them to play. Of course, there’s no harm in seeing them before you have a fixed date.
9. If you are hiring them for a wedding then consider inviting the wedding party to a ceilidh before the big day. This will give people a chance to familiarise themselves with the steps which can make the event go with a bang from the start.
10. Ask the band for advice about what would work. Remember they will likely have played at lots of weddings, birthday parties etc. so do test out your ideas with them.
Finally, give some thought as to how you will end the event. Auld Lang Syne is traditional and gives a lovely feeling – don’t forget a wee polka afterwards.
We hope that you have found this Ceilidh Band Hire guide useful – if you are interested in our guides to How to Organise an Office Night Out or Why you should have a Ceilidh Band at your wedding then you can find them by following the relevant links.
If you would like to bring a group to the Ceilidh Club then do drop me a line and I’ll send you a discount code.
