Ceilidh band

A2 Barn Dance Band

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About A2 Barn Dance Band

A2 Barn Dance Band for vibrant music and lively dances. Good fun for all occasions.
Ceilidh band
Faversham
Public liability insurance of £10 million
Verified profile

We are a three piece barn dance and ceilidh band (including the caller) and we have been providing vibrant, exciting dance music for weddings, family parties and social events in and around Kent for over 20 years. This means that we have all the expertise and experience to ensure that you and your guests have a highly enjoyable and memorable time. Small and tidy we can fit into tight spaces but we make a lively fulsome sound. Our emphasis during your event will be to ensure that you and your guests enjoy the occasion and that you all have a great fun evening. Having said that, we take what we do very seriously and are professional in our approach. You can rely on us to arrive in good time suitably dressed for the occasion and ready to get your guests up and dancing. We will tailor the evening to your requirements and will discuss timings and arrangements with you well beforehand so that from the minute we arrive you know that we are ready fit in with you. We’ll begin playing at the agreed time and when you’re ready, our caller will invite you and your guests up to dance. He chooses dances according to your needs, keeping it simple if you haven’t done much of this sort of thing before, or giving you some lively challenges if you are old hands. We are more than happy to take requests if you remember a dance from a previous event or, dare we say it, from school but it’s probably best if you give us some notice before the dance, just in case it’s not in our current repertoire. Once you are on the floor the caller will walk you through the dance before the music starts but he is always ready with any necessary prompts, once it has got going. People have remarked on his clarity, his patience and his light, amusing style which is aimed at making sure that the everyone can relax, have a laugh and a jolly good time. In fact, from the moment we are ready to go our aim is to help you have fun. We always pace the evening to the audience, to what it wants and what it can do: you may want to dance constantly, or you may appreciate breaks between. In terms of the music, we can play pretty much all the time, for dancing or for background music, or we can shut up for a bit and let you and your guests talk, drink and socialise. There’s a lot to think about and arrange when you’re planning a barn dance especially if it’s part of a larger event like a wedding or a birthday celebration. If you haven’t yet found a suitable venue let us know. We’ve played in many a village hall hotel and golf club in and around Kent so we can often recommend somewhere. We can also put you in touch with a reliable marquee hire company.

Encore badges
Lightning fast responses
Average response time under 2 hours
5 gigs
Experienced: 5 bookings through Encore
Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
5th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 5 years
Musicianship
Genres:
Folk, Ceilidh, Traditional English folk, Traditional Scottish folk
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Types:
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Event types:
Wedding, Funeral / Memorial service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
See all event types

A2 Barn Dance Band's Song list

DANCES
Green Stocking
Bridge of Athlone
Oswestry Wakes
Nervous Breakdown
Cumberland Square 8
Heel & Toe polka
Joe Taylor's
Stoke Golding
Circle Waltz
Simple Reel
Wring out the Dish Rag
Nottingham Swing
Circassian Circle
Caerphilly March
TUNES
Maggie Morrisey/Cliffe Hornpipe /Lass on the Strand
Swiss Boy /Orlando's Return
Off to California /Lemmy Brazil's
Bonny Dundee /Mucking of Geordie's Byre
Foula Reel /7 Stars/ Out on the Ocean
Haste to the Wedding /The Perfect Cure /John O' Paris
The Hogmanay /The Happy Clown /Hunt the Squirrel
The Sloe /Bonny Kate
Paddy Carey's /The Valiant
Oats and Beans and Barley /When Daylight Shines
Oswestry Wakes /Around the World for Sport
Spanish Jig /S'Branzo /Morgiana
Enrico
The Hills of Pomeroy /Bonaparte's Retreat /The Halting March
One More Dance and Then /Mairie's Wedding
Belfast Polka /I have a Bonnet
Dan Leno's /Little Drop of Coffee
Dashing White Sargent /My Love She's but a Lassie Yet /The Rose Tree
Soldier's Joy /Robertson's Reel
Scattery Island /The Haymakers Jig
The Star Above the Garter /Dennis Murphy's Slide
Customer questions

Can you perform covers?

We're not a covers band but we can perform well known Irish or Scottish songs for Irish or Scottish themed events like St Patrick's Night and Burns Night. Just let us know if you have any special requests

Do you have different line-up options?

Our usual line up is a 3 piece band consisting of 2 musicians playing melodeon and fiddle, and the caller. If required we can include a 4th member who plays whistles, accordion and fiddle or a singer guitarist who also plays keyboards.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

We're happy to be flexible about timings. Let us know beforehand if you can but if things change on the night we'll do our best to accommodate that. We know from experiences that timings don't always go to plan, especially for more formal events like weddings but we're used to that and we take it in our stride.

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

Yes we can. We're very happy for music to be played through our PA during the break or after our set. Just let us know if you want to use your own playlist or if you'd like us to provide something from our folk/traditional playlists. If you would like music after our finish time there will be a charge dependent on how long you want to go on.

How much time do you need to set up?

We like to allow and hour to set up and sound check but if often doesn't take that long. We can come earlier if necessary to fit around you plans for the event so just let us know when you make your booking. It takes about 20 minutes to pack away at the end.

Do you provide a caller?

Yes. We have a fabulous caller and we always include him. Most people who book us want the caller to be there to guide them through the dances but let us know if you don't need a caller and we'll adjust our lineup accordingly.

Can I pick the songs you play from the set list?

Our caller will choose a programme of dances to suit the occasion and the ability and experience of you and your guests but he's always happy to take requests and include your favourites. It's best though to let us know in advance if there are particular dances you'd like in case they're not in his current repertoire.

Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA) included in your quote?

Our PA is included in the quotation but we're happy to use PA supplied by the venue is that works better for you.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

If there's a song you particularly want then let us know. If it's already in our repertoire we can include it at no extra charge. If it's new to us we are happy to learn it. There is a charge for this though of £50 to cover rehearsal time.

What do your clients love most about your performances?

The most common feedback we get is that we got everyone up and dancing and they all had a great fun time. People often comment on how much they appreciate the clarity and humour of our caller. He has a light amusing style so people can relax and have a laugh.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

Lympne Castle The Kingswood Halls Blackheath The Trafalgar Tavern Greenwich The Secret Garden Mersham le Hatch Ashford Penshurst Place The Bell Hotel Sandwich

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Our strongest influence is the The Bismarks but we love some of the arrangements by Flowers and Frolics. Our style has evolved over a number of years and we've developed a distinctive vibrant sound.

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

The wedding of the daughter of a high ranking official in Luxembourg. Confidentiality forbids me from mentioning his name but we entertained the guests after the ceremony with some dances and tunes and a special request from the groom to sing his bride's favourite song, The Dancing and the Dreaming from How to Train Your Dragon 2

A2 Barn Dance Band's Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Up to 1 hour£600
Up to 2 hours£600
Up to 3 hours£600
A2 Barn Dance Band
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5
9 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
Punctuality
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5.0

A2 Barn Dance Band's Reviews

From Encore customers:

AG
Ailsa M
8 months ago
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5 out of 5

Had a great experience with Keith and Sylvia! Easy to communicate, very punctual and were so willing to make the event tailored to what we wanted! amazing musicians as well as lovely people. Would highly recommend and would book again :)

Reply from A2 Barn Dance Band
8 months ago

Thanks Ailsa. That’s great to hear. It’s been a pleasure working with you and we’d be delighted to do it all again. All the best Barbara

AF
Andrea F
1 year ago
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5 out of 5

The band were brilliant, we had a fantastic evening.

Reply from A2 Barn Dance Band
1 year ago

Thanks Andrea. We had a fabulous time too.

CF
Clive F
4 years ago
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5 out of 5

The A2 Barn Dance Band gave us a tremendous evening of fun and dance at our wedding party. Even though we were a small family group, they got everyone to join in throughout the evening, regardless of Ceilidh dancing or not! We all really enjoyed the evening and cannot thank them enough for putting through our dance paces with smiles on our faces. Would highly recommend whether your party group is large or small. Many thanks again!

From other customers:

MB
Mandy B
5 years ago, for a Birthday party in Morden
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5 out of 5

I booked the A2 Barn Dance Band for my 50th birthday party and I’m really glad I did. I invited family and friends so there was a wide age range and the caller Chris did a fabulous job picking dances that we could all do, adults and children alike From the start of the booking process I felt that Barbara was really keen to make sure that the evening was what I wanted it to be. She gave us some advice about choosing a venue and planning the evening. There were lots of emails between us and I always got a quick reply. On the night the band arrived in good time to set up. Sadly the person who was meant to open up the hall for us was late so there was a bit of a panic about getting in, but the band were wonderfully patient and set up in double quick time so the evening could get underway as planned. The music was fabulous, really lively tunes to dance to and some quieter ones to listen to in between when we needed to catch our breath. We all went home with music ringing in our ears and lots of my guests said it was the best birthday party they'd ever been to. It’s certainly a night I’ll remember for the rest of my life and I’m already thinking of booking the A2 Barn Dance Band again for my 60th.

FW
Fiona W
5 years ago, for a Wedding in Greenwich
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5 out of 5

We booked A2 Barn Dance Band for our wedding and were very glad we did. We all had a great time muddling our way through lots of different dances, and the band did a great job keeping us all heading in the right direction. Having just a small venue meant we needed a band that was flexible and able to work around the limited space. A2 Barn Dance Band did a super job, set up in no time, and had us all up and dancing before we knew it Thanks again for helping to make our day so special. Best wishes, Fiona

Read all 6 reviews