Hire Monkey See Monkey Do | Ceilidh band in Southampton

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About Monkey See Monkey Do

Folk and Ceilidh band available for Weddings and Functions

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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

5 out of 5

23 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

Monkey See Monkey Do's Reviews

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

1 month ago

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

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

3 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!

5 out of 5

Monkey See Monkey Do provided brilliant, lively music for our wedding on 22nd June 2024. They got everyone up on the dancefloor and guided us through the steps, dealing with any number of people who wanted to join in! It was a wonderful part of the day. The band were polite, professional and friendly. They also added on a DJ service for us at the last minute, which was really appreciated. Thanks so much to the group!

Reply from Monkey See Monkey Do

5 months ago

Hi Abby, thank you for having us at your wedding. It was a really beautiful day and we couldn't have asked for a better group of dancers. Thank you for making us feel so welcome. Wishing you all the best for the future and every happiness to you and Stuart!

5 out of 5

Great band that got everyone dancing.

Reply from Monkey See Monkey Do

5 months ago

Hi Jo, thanks for having us at your ceilidh. We had a great time and we're glad everyone enjoyed themselves on the dancefloor!

Read all 18 reviews

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!!

5 out of 5

Thank you so much for organising a fantastic ceilidh on Saturday night for our daughter's wedding party - your music was just what we needed and you had everyone up and dancing!! We've had loads of lovely comments from our guests and I will certainly be recommending you if anyone is after a band!!

Read all 5 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”.

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

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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Types:

Ceilidh band, Folk band, Celtic folk band

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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

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