Hire Swing The Bridge | Ceilidh band in Kent

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From£1062.50

1 hour

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Swing The Bridge

Unbranded Swing The Bridge 10 sec 11082018

KL Nov 2024

About Swing The Bridge

FOR ALL AGES AND EVERY OCCASION! UPBEAT Ceilidhs and Barn Dances with ENERGY and ZEST!!!!! Caller included in the price quoted.

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Ceilidh band

Kent

Public liability insurance of £10 million

Verified profile

Weddings, Anniversaries, Birthday Parties, Fund-raisers, Burns Nights, Corporate Events High-Energy Ceilidhs with KENT’S FAVOURITE and FINEST CEILIDH BAND We are SWING THE BRIDGE, The Finest Ceilidh Band In Kent a dynamic and versatile well-rehearsed Folk-Rock and Ceilidh band from Faversham, KENT with a line-up of musicians complete with the finest, highly skilled and experienced caller to guide your guests through the dances, making sure everyone has fun, regardless of their ability. No Experience Necessary. From weddings to parties or any occasion at all, we’ll bring energy and excitement to any event. Unlike many other “KENT bands” we do not pretend to be something we are not. The musicians featured on this website are the musicians and caller you will meet at your event. Our 6-piece band showcases a rich and vibrant sound with accordion, violin, guitar, bass guitar, drums and caller. We offer two sets of up to 75 minutes each, with a setlist of traditional tunes designed to keep your guests dancing all evening. We can even perform songs between dances to give your guests a rest. We are fully equipped with a PA system and lighting rig. All we require is a small table and access to a power socket. Our ceilidhs are designed to be inclusive and fun for everyone and can adapt our dances to fit the needs of you and your guests. Whether you’re an experienced dancer or complete beginner we’ll make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a great time. We are committed to making your event special and memorable with a friendly, professional approach to ensure a seamless experience from start to finish. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone birthday, hosting a corporate event, or tying the knot we’ll get your guests dancing. Although we are not DJs, we are happy to play your personal playlist through our PA system to wind down the evening. We have played at most major venues throughout KENT and far beyond KENT to London, surrounding counties and Europe. Our caller has even toured New Zealand. Whether it’s your first ceilidh or your hundredth, this band you won’t be able to resist dancing! Kent’s favourite ceilidh band, SWING THE BRIDGE will amaze your guests with the very best tunes and dances!

Swing The Bridge

4.8 out of 5

19 verified reviews

Satisfaction

4.8

Professionalism

4.8

Communication

4.8

Punctuality

4.8

Swing The Bridge's Reviews

5 out of 5

Fantastic

Reply from Swing The Bridge

27 days ago

I agree. From our point of view "FANTASTIC" is perfectly accurate. We were made very welcome and very much enjoyed our time at Titchfield Community Centre. A great venue to play in.

5 out of 5

Swing the Bridge were excellent. The band were extremely accommodating when our schedule when awry. The music was top notch, Martin's calling was brilliant and funny. Everyone had a a really fun time.

5 out of 5

Swing the Bridge played for our daughter's wedding reception. They were a delight to communicate with and easy to contact for changes of plan. They were punctual and our guests had a fantastic time. The dances were quite simple but as we had guests from abroad that was quite good. The caller was quite clear and very happy to fit in with requests. We would definitely recommend them!

5 out of 5

Fabulous!!! Highly recommended!! My knees are still recovering 🤩

Reply from Swing The Bridge

6 months ago

A lovely, relaxed afternoon with a great bunch of people.

Read all 19 reviews

We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Bowstring: their playing at our wedding's evening reception was one of our favourite parts of the day! Our guests loved it too and the dancefloor was packed the whole evening. Bowstring is a great band to hire if you want everyone up dancing, young and old (and in between!) They're a talented band and happy to turn their hand to a variety of music - perfect for us with a mix of Scottish, English & Irish guests. Martin and his team were a lovely friendly bunch and booking them and agreeing all the timings/details couldn't have been easier. Thank you so much for being part of a really special day.

Hello Martin Thank you all so much!! It was all amazing and we've had so many compliments about how incredible you guys were. Everyone had a fantastic time and we are so so pleased we decided to break from the mould of traditional wedding DJ and go with you guys! Kind regards! And thank you again.

Read all 5 reviews

Encore badges

Lightning fast responses

Average response time under 2 hours

25 gigs

Pro: 25 bookings through Encore

Saved the day!

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

8th Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over 8 years

Member of the Encore community forum

Swing The Bridge's Song list

Ae Fond Kiss - Robert Burns

Auld Lang Syne - Robert Burns

Blue River - Hank Sable

Boomers Story - Ry Cooder

Don't Sit On My Jimmy Shands - Richard Thompson

Rolling And Flowing - Dillon Bustin

Roseville Fair - Bill Staines

The Parting Glass - Robert Burns

Where The Sunset Meets The Sea - Martin Young

You Ain't Going Nowhere - Bob Dylan

IRISH

Cockles And Mussels

Black Velvet Band

Dirty Old Town

Dublin Lady

Fields of Athenry

Galway Girl

Galway Shawl

I'll Tell Me Ma

Irish Rover

Jim Jones At Botany Bay

John O'Dreams

Leaving Of Liverpool

Spancil Hill

The Town I Loved So Well

Whiskey in the Jar

Wild Mountain Thyme

Wild Rover

and many more

plus many more covers and self-penned songs

Tunes

Bluebell Polka/Primrose Polka 48 bar polka

Horizonto/No More Wabbits 48 bar Jig

Hunt The Squirrel/7 Stars 32 bar Jig

Cock O'the North/Hundred Pipers 32 bar Jig

French Tuesday/Plane Tree 32 bar Jig

Fiery Clockface/Perfect Cure 32 bar Jig

Good King Wenceslas 32 bar polka

I Saw Three Ships 16 bar Jig

Jingle Bells 32 bar polka

Lemonville/Hot Potato 32 bar Jig

Jiggery Pokerwork/Jump At The Sun 32 bar Jig

Sweets Of May/Dingle Regatta 48 bar Jig

Sussex Carol 32 bar Jig

Paddy Careys/Morgan Rattler 48 bar Jig

The Sloe/3 Around 32 bar Polka

Whinhams Reel/Because He Was A Bonny Lad 32 bar Polka Church Street Set 32 bar Polka

Waiting For The Federals/Chinese Breakdown 32 bar Polka

Robertsons Reel/Great North Run/Grand Chain 32 bar Polka Dashing White Sergant 32 bar Polka

Newcastle/Double Lead Through 32 bar Polka

Thaxted Square/John Hunters 32 bar Polka

Harpers Frolic/Bonny Kate 32 bar Polka

Uncle Bernards/Jenny Lind 32 bar Polka

Bluebell/Primrose Polka 48 bar Polka

Swing The Bridge's Prices

Last updated: 2025

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

Duration	Price
Up to 1 hour	£1062.50
Up to 2 hours	£1187.50
Up to 3 hours	£1375

Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

Our clients love the energy and laughter we bring to their occasion. We not only pay careful attention to the music and the choice of dances but we also walk the dancers through the dances with humour to put them at their ease. This is much appreciated by our clients as demonstrated by our reviews .

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

We have performed in the Mirror Tent at Canterbury Festival, The Pavilion at Broadstairs Folk Week and Tenterden Club at Tenterden Folk Festival. Also for private functions in many wedding venues and village halls.

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Albion Band, Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Johnny Flynn, Laura Marling and Bob Dylan.

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

Canterbury Festival, Broadstairs Folk Week

Can you perform covers?

Yes, no problem. We are a folk band and, as such, we perform folk songs both traditional and contemporary in addition to the traditional Ceilidh music. If we don't already know it we are willing to learn two songs of your choice.

Do you have different line-up options?

We are a 5 piece folk-rock and ceilidh band with Guitar/Caller, Accordion, Violin, Bass Guitar and Drums. However we can operate as a duo or a trio according to your budget.

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 actually offer this service for free.

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.

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?

Our PA and lighting system is included in your 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 are happy to do this for you.

Musicianship

Genres:

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

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Types:

Ceilidh band, Folk-rock band, Wedding band, Party band, Acoustic band, Folk band, Celtic folk band, Acoustic duo, Acoustic trio

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Event types:

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

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