Folk band

The Publicans

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About The Publicans

Anglo Irish Indie Folkery
Folk band
Kidlington
Public liability insurance of £10 million

The Publicans play the finest blend of Irish Folk, English Indie and folked up pop. Our songs are fine-tuned for dancing, drinking and singing along to. As the great Shane McGowan once said ‘There’s nothing to be gained by a wet thing called a tear‘. We play pubs, clubs, festivals, weddings, birthdays and wakes. We love a good busk too! The full band is a 5 piece with mandolin, penny whistle, guitar, bass and drums or cajon. It has lots of energy and is very upbeat. Other line ups include: 4-piece without bass or guitar. Pretty much as full on as the main band. Trio with mandolin, penny whistle and cajon. Less full than the 5-piece but still pretty chirpy Duo with mandolin and penny whistle. Fun and folky Duo with mandolin and guitar. Fun, folky and protesty Solo with mandolin using looper or backing tracks. We can tailor our line up to suit the requirements of any venue and budget.

The Publicans' Reviews

From customers:

RF
Rachel F
1 year ago

The Publicans played at our presentation evening, which is an important date in the club's diary. The entertainment was fab, and very well received by our club members, who range from 13-89 We would book them again for a similar function in the future. (10 / 10)

DI
Daisuke I
1 year ago

Every members membership is great and very kind. They have so many playlist of Irish song! (10 / 10) Japanese Business Event in central London

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The Publicans' Song list

A Mission To Mars
A Rainy Night In Soho
Angela
Beautiful Smile
Black Velvet Band
Blame It On Me
Blarney Pilgrim
Brian Wilson
Brown Eyed Girl
Captain Tyrrell’s Daughter (By Light Of The Misty Moon)
Come Meet Me in the Light
Country Roads
Crew Hole
Daggar and I
Daisy
Dando's Nag
Dirty Old Town
Distant Sun
Don Look Back In Anger
Draw Me Like Them French Girls
Driftwood
Dublin Stag
Eileen Og
Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
Face and Eyes
Fairytale Of New York
Falling Slowly
Faraway Sea
Fields Of Athenry
Forever Young
Forget About Us
Four Winds Blow
God, the Barman and the Stars Above
Goodbye, My Friend
Grace
Half a World Away
Happy Birthday To You
Heart Attack
High And Dry
I Can't Save You From Yourself
I Won’t Back Down
I'll Tell Me Ma
I'm a Rover
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
If We Were Vampires
Into The Mystic
Irish Rover
John Ryan's Polka
Just Say You Love Me
Last Bus Home
Little Lion Man
Lying To The Barmaid
McManus
Merry Xmas Everybody
Misty Morning, Early Springtime
Monster Mash
Naked Body
Nice To Meet You
Not the One
Oh So Groovy
Oh Soho
Pure
Reaching Out to You
Roll Around the Town
Sally Mclennane
Seven Drunken Nights
Seventeen Going Under
Six 'til Two
Songs That She Sang In The Shower
Southampton Steamboat Song
Star Filled Sky
Star of the County Down
Stick Season
Streams of Whiskey
Sweet Caroline
Ten Steps (The Tennessee CMP)
The Bastard Son of The King of Spain (El Rey Del Dorado)
The Cave
The Crow Road
The Day I Started Drinking Again
The Fall Of The Western World
The Galway Girl
The Old Song
The Pretty People
The Rising Sun
The Shark of Galway Bay
The Tale of Handsome Danny
The Wild Rover
The Young People
Three Gallon
Titanic Trad Set (Party in Third Class)
Trouble and Strife
Uber
Up the Edith
Us Against The World
Wagon Wheel
Watermelon Sugar Hi
What Whiskey is For
When My True Love Does Return
Whiskey In The Jar
Why Does It Always Rain On Me
Wichita Lineman
Wild Mountain Thyme
Won't Back Down
Wunderbar
Yellow
You Will be Found
Young, Dumb
Zombie

The Publicans' Prices

Last updated: 2025

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

Standard Prices
DurationPrice
Up to 1 hour£1250
Up to 2 hours£1562.50
Up to 3 hours£1562.50

Add-ons

DJ set
+£187.50
Customer questions

Do you have different line-up options?

Our line ups are 5 piece; 4x Vocals, mandolin, penny whistle, cajon, acoustic guitar guitar & bass 4 piece; 4x Vocals, mandolin, penny whistle, cajon & bass Trio: 3x Vocals, mandolin, penny whistle, cajon Duo: 2x Vocals, mandolin, penny whistle. Can be played with or without backing tracks. Solo: 1x Vocals, mandolin, with backing tracks.

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?

Having background played from an iPad or phone, either through a cable or via bluetooth is a really popular request and we make no charge for this. If you'd like a DJ service via our PA after the final set until the venue closes, we can provide this for an additional £150

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! We are happy to set the equipment ahead of your event so as not to create any unwanted noise when your party is underway.

Can you roam around while you perform?

Being a bit folky our instruments are all basically acoustic. We just need to unplug!

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

Yes, we can supply our setlist and you can select which ones you'd like to hear. We may not play all of them as we sometimes not all songs work together in a performance.

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

Our PA and lighting system is included in your quote.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

We're happy to learn a song or two that have a special meaning to you.
Musicianship
Genres:
Folk, Irish rock, Folk rock, Traditional Irish folk, Welsh folk, Britpop, Indie, Acoustic, Vintage, Traditional English folk
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Event types:
Bar / Club / Venue event, Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Theatre / Show, Cruise, Birthday party, New Year's Eve, Christmas party
See all event types