Ceilidh band

Frog on a Bike Ceilidh Band

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About Frog on a Bike Ceilidh Band

East Anglia based, dance floor-packing professional ceilidh band, established for over 30 years!
Ceilidh band
Cambridgeshire
Public liability insurance of £10 million

One of the UK's top ceilidh bands, Frog on a Bike provides high spirited and energetic ceilidhs for weddings, parties and corporate events across East Anglia, as well as appearing at various major folk festivals nationally. Frog on a Bike have been playing together for over a decade and have over 100 years of combined musicianship between them. The band also doesn't use a 'pool' of musicians as many other ceilidh bands do, so they work together like the finest watch mechanism! Frog on a Bike's repertoire is rooted in English folk, however, plenty of Scottish tunes and dances (especially for Burns night), Irish and even French tunes are always thrown into the mix, just for good measure. With their rhythmic folk-rock style and enthusiastic playing, Frog on a Bike has delighted crowds at ceilidhs, weddings, parties, conferences, barn dances and festivals throughout the UK. Every ceilidh is unique. So whether they’re playing for festival crowds or wedding guests that have never danced before, their caller knows exactly what it takes to guide you through the dances so you have an evening you won’t forget. Frog on a Bike's vivacious line-up is led by melodeons, fiddle, mandolin and recorder, backed up by bass guitar and a full drum kit. It's a huge sound that is guaranteed to get you up and dancing. Testimonials: "Dance to your heart's delight!"  Chris Leslie (Fairport Convention) "This is certainly a band I would like to hear Live" The Living Tradition Magazine "We have a bit of a treasure here with these guys" Sue Marchant, The Folk Show, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire "If you're local to Cambridge, you may well have already expirienced the treat that is a ceilidh played by Frog on a Bike." Cambridge Folk Festival December 2019, Elaine, Christchurch, Wisbech: "HUGE HUGE thanks to Lyn and the guys for a most amazing evening. Oh what fun we had. You were absolutely brilliant and I can't thank you enough. I finally managed to drag Christchurch residents out of their comfort zone for one evening and I think they loved it! The band arrived early and set up quickly. They played, almost non stop, the most amazing music and encouraged dancing and fun. We had an awesome night and would highly recommend them for a fun night of non stop dancing! Will be in touch when we have the next one! Great fun, keep up the good work!" November 2018, Emma Hancox, a greatful bride: " Excellent band! They were professional and helpful but also laid back about everything, which I really appreciated! My guests also commented on the fact they played so many instruments so well." October 2018, The Round Freshers Ceilidh, Cambridge: "Very many thanks to Frog on a Bike. You were awesome! At the Reel club ceilidh last Monday, there was a great band, and enthusiastic dancers, but very few of them, which seemed a poor omen. However, I needn't have worried – what a contrast last night! More than double the numbers, a complete sell out!  A great start to the year, with lots of freshers having a fantastic time, dancing to your music. Many thanks from me and the Round. Annette" February 2017, Cambridge: "I wanted to thank all of you in Frog on a Bike for playing at my birthday party. I have had many messages and comments of appreciation from my friends about what a great band you were, what a great find the band was, how people loved all the sociable dancing, and even some ceilidh regulars said they did many dances they had never done before! Roll on next time! Best wishes, Caroline" September 2016, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge: "On behalf of the Fetal & Neonatal Physiological Society, I wanted to formally thank you for taking care of the FNPS and making it such an enjoyable and successful event. Everyone went away from the Ceilidh and hog roast event still dancing and extremely happy. The music you provided was so well received and really added to the festivity of the day. Many thanks once again for your support. It was highly appreciated. We hope to see you again in the not too distant future! With best wishes, Kristin and Dino Giussani FNPS Conference Organiser 2016"

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Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
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This act has been working with Encore for over 8 years
Musicianship
Genres:
Ceilidh, Folk, Folk rock, Traditional English folk, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Originals, Scottish music, Polka, Samba, French music
See all genres
Event types:
Wedding, Corporate event, Private event, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve, Concert, Hotel / Restaurant event, Wedding proposal, Charity event, Virtual event
See all event types

Frog on a Bike Ceilidh Band's Song list

A small selection of our favourite dances:
Circassian Circle
Cornish Six Hand Reel
Cumberland Square Eight
Strip The Willow
Gay Gordons
Grand Chain
Small Circle Dance
Bridge of Athone
Dashing White Sergeant
Lucky Seven
Bottoms Up
St. Bernard's Waltz
Rosza
Flying Scotsman
Willow Tree
Nottingham Swing
Cornish Six Hand Reel
Boston Tea Party
OXO Reels
Strip The Willow Square
Suicide Square
Dorset Four Hand Samba
The Crown
Eightsome Reel
Customer questions

Can you perform covers?

We don't perform covers as such. Being a ceilidh band, our repertoire is centered around the traditional music of England, Scotland and Ireland. However, we do have many original compositions, so if there is a tune that you have heard us play before, or any other particular traditional tune, we are more than happy to play those.

Do you have different line-up options?

Our main band for functions is a 6 piece line-up of Meldoeon, Fiddle/Mandolin, Recorder, Bass Guitar and Drum Kit. We also have 7 piece option particularly for folk festivals which includes an electric guitar. However, there is nothing to stop you booking it for your private event. Both line-ups come with an expert Caller to guide you through each dance.

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

We always try our best to be flexible to help ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible. If timings change slightly in the run up to the event just let us know.”

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

We can certainly provide an ipod plug in option for between sets. This can eith be your own or we can provide one with a background music playlist for during dinner for example.

How much time do you need to set up?

We generally need a minimum of 1 hour to set up and sound check propperly. We can be ready to go in a shorter amount of time is necessary, but proir warning of this is always appriciated. As soon as our PA is set up we can also provide a free playlist service to help set the atmosphere and get your guests ready for our live performance!

Do you provide a caller?

Yes we do! We draw from a small and carefully selected complement of friendly, patient and very experienced callers to guide you through each dance. We work with each of our callers on a regular basis, so we know exactly how each other works seamlessly.

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

Our set lists are crafted from countless performances and learning what works best for each dance and to ensure guests have an amazing time. However, if you've heard something that we've recorded or heard us play live before, we're definitely happy to chat through and see if we can work it in.

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

Our PA system is included in your quote. We usually require a minimum of 14 meters square space to perform comfortably.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

If a song or tune isn't included in our list there may still be a chance we already know it. If there is a special song or tune you'd like us to learn we are happy to do this for you. There will be a fee for this service to take into account rehearsal times etc.

Frog on a Bike Ceilidh 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£1500
Up to 2 hours£1500
Up to 3 hours£1500
Frog on a Bike Ceilidh Band
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5 out of 5
3 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
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Frog on a Bike Ceilidh Band's Reviews

From Encore customers:

AT
Annalie T
9 months ago
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5 out of 5

Amazing band! So grateful to these skilled and lovely musicians

JK
Jack K
2 years ago
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5 out of 5

I hired this band for our Burn’s Night Formal dinner at RAF Wittering. They were exceptional accommodating to my requests and delivered an eclectic range of music to accompany dinner that kept my guests thoroughly entertained throughout. The main event was the ceilidh which they ex I used perfectly! My guests didn’t want it to end so can’t do much better than that; bravo!

From other customers:

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Michaela H
2 years ago, for a Wedding in Radwinter
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5 out of 5

Thank you so much, we had a fantastic time, so many people came up to us and said how much they loved the band, including a number of people who'd never been to a ceilidh before - we have lots of new converts!

CL
Chris C
8 years ago

Dance to your heart's delight!

Read all 5 reviews