Ceilidh band

Monkey See Monkey Do

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(5.0)Read all 26 reviews
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About Monkey See Monkey Do

Folk and Ceilidh band available for Weddings and Functions
Ceilidh band
Southampton
Public liability insurance of £1 million
Verified profile

Monkey See Monkey Do comprises up to four musicians on fiddle, guitar, clarinet and bodhran. They are available for concerts and ceilidhs, together with their experienced and fun-loving caller. The band work together to create arrangements of folk songs and tunes as well as writing material of their own. Their main influences are from English and Irish folk songs, with a few European folk tunes thrown in for good measure! Since 2015, Monkey See Monkey Do has performed at a number of prestigious venues across the south of England, including Winchester Folk Club, The Fo’c’sle Folk Club and Folklights. Having taken time to hone their repertoire since the release of their EP, ‘Colouring Outside the Lines’ (2014), the band has since released their debut album, ‘The Night Out’ (2018) available on all good streaming platforms. Monkey See Monkey Do are perform at major folk festivals including Purbeck Valley Folk Festival and The South Downs Folk Festival. Review of their album, The Night Out: “A cracking album” – Mike Harding (ex-host of the BBC 2 Folk Show) “Thoroughly enjoyable” – Songlines Magazine “A genuine delight” – FATEA Records

Monkey See Monkey Do
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5
26 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

Monkey See Monkey Do's Reviews

From Encore customers:

GC
Georgina C
12 days ago
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5 out of 5

They were absolutely amazing, the whole wedding loved getting on the dancefloor and complimented the band to us. They were very accommodating when we were running a little late as well. Overall absolutely amazing thank you.

Reply from Monkey See Monkey Do
11 days ago

Thanks Georgina and it was an absolute pleasure to play for you!

GJ
Greg J
18 days ago
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5 out of 5

The band went down an absolute storm, universally adored.

Reply from Monkey See Monkey Do
17 days ago

Thanks for having us, we had a great time!

KP
Kathryn P
4 months ago
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5 out of 5

They were wonderful - beautiful playing, coped well with some last minute changes to the timetable and the calling was very clear - we had a brilliant time!

Reply from Monkey See Monkey Do
3 months ago

Thanks for having us Kathryn! We had a wonderful evening and glad you enjoyed the ceilidh too!

JN
Jessica N
5 months ago
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5 out of 5

I had booked monkey see monkey do for a festival. They did a great job at coordinating a huge initial group of dancers for the first dance. Then people started peeling off and the group became more manageable. Helen was very communicative with her ideas during the set. It was a slightly unfocused, young crowd and they did really well at keeping them together and everyone had fun. Thank you guys for working with me and the audience. I have had lots of great feedback about the session. People really enjoyed it.

Reply from Monkey See Monkey Do
5 months ago

Hi Jess, Thank you for having us at your festival and we're so glad that everyone had a great time! It was lovely to see so many people enjoying the dancing, even though it was the first time for many of them!

Read all 20 reviews

From other customers:

LR
Liz R
28 days ago, for a Wedding in Middle Wallop
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5 out of 5

I just wanted to thank you for all of your efforts in organising the ceilidh at the weekend for us, it was exactly as we wanted, we loved seeing our friends and families getting stuck in and having lots of fun! Please pass on our heartfelt thanks to Ian, David, Doug and Samuel for making the night so wonderful, their patience with us being completely incapable of counting to 8, and their personalised touches and tributes to us throughout the night. Please also thank David for staying to play our cheese playlist, mainly enjoyed by our children!! Thank you all, so much! ❤️

HL
Holly L
10 months ago, for a Wedding in Larmer Tree
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5 out of 5

We just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU - we thought you guys really were fantastic and helped to make our wedding the perfect day that it was. You honestly were everything we could have wished for and more. You're all so talented and we were absolutely delighted to have had you play at our wedding. You helped to create the perfect atmosphere and we are so grateful. We will definitely be recommending you!!

Read all 6 reviews
Encore badges
25 gigs
Pro: 25 bookings through Encore
6th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 6 years

Monkey See Monkey Do's Song list

Songs
• Johnny Come Lately
• Little Sister
• Tom Paine's Bones
• John Barelycorn
• 45 Years from Now
• Boys of Bedlam
• Star of the County Down
• Galway Girl
• Trampas Woodbine
• Bee’s Wing
• Folsom Prison Blues
• Dirty Old Town
• Johnny No Legs
• Fat Bottomed Girls
• Sweet Child O’Mine
• The Way I Tend to Be
• Wagon Wheel
• Alexander the Great
• Pound a Week Rise
• Second Best
• Piquer la Baleine
• Like a Hobo
• I Used to Love Her
• Country Life
Tunes
• Superfly
• June Apples
• Da Lounge Bar
• Fractals
• Farewell to Erin
• Hanley’s Tweed
• Last Night’s Fun
• Traveller’s Joy
• Tam Lin
• The Occasional
• The Pleasures of Salisbury
• The Road to Errogie
• MacArthur Road
• Frank's Reel
• The Savage Hornpipe
• Barbara Allen Hornpipe
• The Danish Reel
• Iron Legs
• The Night Out
• The Hangover
• Morpeth Rants
• Spootiskerry
• Catharsis
• The Plane Tree
• Horizonto
• Jiggery Pokerwork
• Gravel Walk
• Musical Priest
• Farewell to Whalley Range
• Shepherd & Shepherdess
• Maiden Lane
• Farewell to Portsmouth
• Donegal Lass
• Bussen
• Out on the Ocean
• Lisnagun Jig
• Drummond Castle
• The Morpeth Rants
• The Hesleyside
• Stool of Repentance
• The Eavesdropper
• The Mooncoin
• Banish Misfortune

Monkey See Monkey Do's Prices

Last updated: 2024

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

Packages
Wedding ceremony + Drinks reception + Ceilidh4 musicians
This package includes music as guests are taking their seats for the service, during the signing of the register, and entertainment during a drinks reception immediately afterwards. The fun continues later in the evening as an additional musician join us and a caller takes your guests through a high-energy and fun ceilidh experience. We are able to offer a disco service using our lights together with a pre-prepared playlist from a phone, free of charge for the first hour and £50 per half hour thereafter. - 1 x 45 min concert performance before the ceremony - 1 performance during the signing of the register - 1 x 45 min concert performance during the drinks reception - 2 x 45 min ceilidh sets during your evening celebration.
£1600

Add-ons

Disco service (per half hour)
+£50
Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

The key to a great ceilidh is that everyone feels involved, and the fun and vibrant energy complements the day's celebrations. Our clients frequently tell us they couldn't resist the urge to get up and dance once the tunes begin!

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

We've performed at a number of venues including Purbeck Valley Folk Festival Wimborne Folk Festival Chester Folk Festival Larmer Tree Gardens Rhinefield House Hotel Lulworth Castle East Afton Farmhouse The Bear of Rodborough and many more... and that's just in 2023!

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

As a band with a strong focus on traditional repertoire, we are steeped in the classics from Bellowhead, Whapweasal and Faustus to Mad Dog McRae. Ceilidh tunes from across the British Isles are the lifeblood of our set, but for the right event we can even slip in a little Johnny Cash or Queen.

Can you perform covers?

We have a range of modern songs we're happy to perform in addition to the traditional Ceilidh music. However, we are not a covers band.

Do you have different line-up options?

Our standard line-up is: fiddle, guitar, clarinet and bodhran + caller (for ceilidhs). However, if you would like a particular instrument, just let us know as we often collaborate with other musicians.

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?

Absolutely. This is a really popular request and we are able to provide background music inbetween sets as part of the service. Although we do not offer a DJ service, we are able to offer a disco service using our lights, together with a pre-prepared playlist from a phone, for an additional fee.

How much time do you need to set up?

We usually set up about 1 to 1.5 hours before the performance time. As soon as our PA is set up we can 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 have a fantastic caller as part of our Ceilidh band who teaches the dances throughout the evening, in a fun and inclusive way so that everyone can join in. It is always a lot of fun!

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

Our set lists are crafted from countless performances and learning what works best to ensure guests dance and have an amazing time. However, we're definitely happy to chat through and make sure we find what works for your event.

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

Yes! We provide all of the equipment that we need to perform and this is included in the quote.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

If a song isn't included in our song list there may still be a chance we already know it. If there is a special song you'd like us to learn we may be able to do this for you so please do ask.
Musicianship
Genres:
Folk, Ceilidh, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Traditional English folk
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Event types:
Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Theatre / Show, Cruise, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
See all event types