Hire Bow & Box | Ceilidh band in Southampton

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About Bow & Box

Boutique ceilidh band based in Hampshire/Dorset offering energetic ceilidhs from a young and vibrant duo making a big sound.

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Ceilidh band

Southampton

Public liability insurance of £2 million

Bow and Box are a dynamic folk duo from the South Coast. They specialise in delivering unique ceilidh experiences, invigorating concerts, and enhancing background music for any occasion. Chris Nichols on fiddle and viola, and Matt Smee on diatonic accordions, the duo formed after a chance meeting while busking on Eastleigh high street. Their musical chemistry was immediate, igniting their passion to create the unforgettable sounds of Bow & Box.

Bow & Box

5 out of 5

9 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

Bow & Box's Reviews

5 out of 5

A great trio who made our Harvest Barn Dance something special. The music and dances were well thought out for the broad range of people and talent we had. The dance floor was full the entire time. Great night. Thank you

5 out of 5

Bow and Box are a brilliant, fun and easy going band who play the highest quality folk music with energy and style. Brilliant to work with and to dance too. Highly recommended!

5 out of 5

Such a great pair of musicians with a good natured skilled caller. Just what we wanted - and needed - to get our wedding party going. They had all ages up and dancing - brilliant fun!

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Encore badges

5 gigs

Experienced: 5 bookings through Encore

Saved the day!

Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice

Bow & Box's Song list

Compositions by Matt (Diatonic Accordion Player)

Compositions by Chris (Fiddle Player)

English Folk Tunes

Scottish Folk Tunes

Irish Folk Tunes

Catalan Folk Tunes

Scandinavian Folk Tunes

Breton Folk Tunes

Customer questions

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

We have performed at the following public events: - Wallingford Bunkfest - Broadstairs Folk Festival - PDSW Ceilidh Series - White Horse Ceilidh Series - Bursledon Windmill We have performed at the following private events: - weddings - birthday parties - anniversaries - volunteer appreciations - shop grand openings

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Leveret Rob Harbron Blowzabella Jamie Smith's Mabon Three Penny Bit

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

Headliners for a concert at Bursledon Windmill

Can you perform covers?

We are able to offer more focused regional folk music styles to suit the event type, such as: Scottish, English, Irish, or Breton.

Do you have different line-up options?

We play as a duo - Chris playing violin/viola and stompbox with Matt playing various diatonic accordions. A third member as a caller from a pool of very talented people who will guide guests through dances. The only time this differs is if Chris or Matt are unexpectedly unavailable or we are performing without a caller necessary (such as a concert)

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

We can be quite flexible on timings for weekend events as long as we know enough in advance. For weekdays, we can be more flexible outside of school term time but it is always worth asking us if you need to make any changes.

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

We can supply background music between sets.

How much time do you need to set up?

We require one hour set up time and thirty minutes pack down.

Do you provide a caller?

We include a caller in our prices! We have a collection of the best ceilidh callers and include them as a musician in our listing.

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

If you have a folk style you enjoy or a specific dance you like, we always try to accommodate these requests if we know in advance.

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

All the PA is included in our quotes.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

If we have enough advanced warning and the fee covers any additional rehearsal we can accommodate some tune requests, this also depends on the nature of the request. Please enquire ahead of booking or as early as possible.

Musicianship

Genres:

Ceilidh, Folk, Traditional English folk, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk

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Types:

Ceilidh band, Folk band

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Event types:

Wedding, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Burns night, Christmas party, New Year's Eve, Birthday party, Bar / Club / Venue event

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