Hire The Navvies | Ceilidh band in Bury Saint Edmunds

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From£625

1 hour

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About The Navvies

A ceilidh / barn dance band available for weddings, parties, community get-togethers, fundraisers - any occasion in East Anglia!

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Ceilidh band

Bury Saint Edmunds

Public liability insurance of £3 million

Formed in 2007, The Navvies are very experienced in celebrating with you, whatever your special event. Comprising fiddle, whistles / flutes, guitar, mandolin, bass and vocals, we have a wide repertoire of folk music and can create a programme with your preferred theme of English, Irish, Scottish, Americana or a mixture of them all, depending on your requirements. Many of the band come from a professional music / academic musical backgrounds and play together now as friends and colleagues. We specialise in weddings and larger parties and cater for all abilities of barn dancers. We come fully equipped with a grade-A sound system, multi instrumentalists and an expert caller to guide you through the event. In addition to calling dances for your party, we can also provide live instrumental music and songs for those times when you might wish to take a break from dancing. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us for a no-obligation quote, or simply to ask advice about putting your special occasion together.

The Navvies

4.8 out of 5

3 verified reviews

Satisfaction

4.7

Professionalism

4.7

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

The Navvies' Reviews

5 out of 5

Excellent! Got the party off to a wonderful start. Thank you

Reply from The Navvies

4 months ago

Thanks for the 5 star review Andy. Yourself and Fiona threw a fantastic party!

5 out of 5

They were great!

Reply from The Navvies

7 months ago

So were you and your wonderful family and friends! Thank you for being so welcoming and for your kind hospitality. Hope to play for you again sometime. Best wishes, Ann

4.5 out of 5

The Navvies set up whilst the Burns Night Dinner was ongoing which meant they had no chance of completing a sound check before the caller and dancing started. There were issues with the remote mic of the caller and not hearing the players a few times during the performance. In spite of that The Navvies provided an evening of excellent dance and frivolity, and judging by the feedback everyone had a great time!

Reply from The Navvies

8 months ago

Thank you for your review Rob. We enjoyed the evening and your guests certainly looked to be enjoying themselves very much. I agree that having to set up behind the curtain very quietly whilst your guests were having dinner was not ideal, and didn't present the opportunity for a sound check prior to starting. The extra time we added to the end of the dancing more than compensated for the glitches at the beginning as your guests showed no signs of slowing - I think they could have danced all night! A great evening was had by all.

Thank you for your wonderful performance at my wife's surprise 60th birthday. I had many positive comments from our guests and my wife was absolutely thrilled to see everyone enjoying themselves so much in her honour! Your caller Gill put everyone at their ease too, and even our least confident dancers were up again and again for each dance. I shall definitely be recommending you to family and friends and with your permission, will pass on your contact details to any enquirers. Thank you again for such a special and memorable evening. Adam

We had such a great wedding and it was mostly down to you - The Navvies - for making our evening so special. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

Read all 4 reviews

Encore badges

10 gigs

Experienced: 10 bookings through Encore

1st Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over a year

The Navvies' Song list

Ceilidh dances include:

The Dashing White Sergeant

Circassion Circle

Strip the Willow

The Flying Scotsman

Bridge of Athlone

Lucky Seven

Roger de Coverley

Buttered Peas

OXO Reel

Highland Scottische

Muffin Man jig

Snowball

Gay Gordons

Cumberland Square 8

Pat-a-cake Polka

Sweets of May

I want to be near you

... and many more dances.

Songs include:

I'll Tell Me Ma

Old Dan Tucker

Black Velvet Band

Dirty Old Town

Cockles and Mussels

McPherson's Rant

Five Years' Time

Teenage Kicks

The Navvies' Prices

Last updated: 2024

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

Performance duration	Price
Up to 1 hour	£625
Up to 2 hours	£687.50
Up to 3 hours	£812.50

Customer questions

Can you perform covers?

Yes, we have a range of songs and tunes to perform in addition to the traditional Ceilidh music.

Do you have different line-up options?

Our line up is fiddle / vocals, flute/whistle/vocals, guitar, banjo/mandolin/guitar, bass guitar. We can provide a smaller or larger line up for a ceilidh if you require: anything ranging from 3 to 7 musicians.

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

That's fine - just keep us up to date with any changes to your event.

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

Absolutely yes. This is part of our service and included in the quoted price.

How much time do you need to set up?

We prefer one hour.

Do you provide a caller?

Yes, we always have a caller to guide you through your evening. If you have your own, just let us know!

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

We are always happy to chat through your requirements to ensure your guests have a fantastic time.

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

Yes, we have a full PA system included in our quote.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

If a song is not included in our song list, there is still a chance we know it, and if there is a special song you would like us to perform, just let us know!

Musicianship

Genres:

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

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Types:

Ceilidh band, Folk band, Americana band, Folk-rock band

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Event types:

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

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