Ceilidh band

The Sassenachs Ceilidh Band

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About The Sassenachs Ceilidh Band

London-based, ceilidh band! Hire us for your wedding, party, corporate or charity event. We play and teach all the classic ceilidh dances!
Ceilidh band
London
Public liability insurance of £5 million

• The Band We are a funky, London-based band which mixes traditional folk music and more modern grooves, appealing to audiences of all ages and abilities. • What is ceilidh dancing? Ceilidh dancing is the best way to get people up and celebrating at any event. Sometimes called a barn dance or country dancing, a night with us involves fun, simple steps which are easy to learn and appropriate for any occasion. Before each dance, our expert caller walks participants through the steps at a pace tailored to the crowd so everyone can join in the fun. Each song is driven by traditional violin music along with a band of guitar, bass and drums to give a modern twist. Have a look at our videos! • Book Us If you like what you see, don't hesitate to get in touch for a quote or further details by clicking the 'Message' or 'Check availability' button on our Encore profile. We can tailor our offering to your requirements. We also do travel all over the country. Just let us know what you need and we'll send you a quote! We can also add DJ and Cover Band options or combinations. Feel free to drop us a line to discuss your exact needs. We have £5m public liability insurance and our equipment is all fully PAT tested / certified. • Sustainability & Inclusivity The band strives not only to provide you and your guests with a ceilidh to remember but to do this in the best way possible for the planet too! Sustainability means a multitude of things to different people but here are the main ways we inteprete it within our business: Environment: The principle environmental impact for our band is from the use of transportation to and from our events. We aim to car share wherever possible and in many cases our musicians will take the train / tube where possible. Our larger pieces of equipment; PA system and drum kit however inevitably tend to require a car or van so cannot currently be moved via public transport. The majority of the time we use a ZipVan or ZipCar to move the bulk of our equipment. We believe that a car sharing club such as this is the best way to reduce our environmental impact. Diversity: The concept of group celebration and dancing has been ingrained in most cultures for a very long time! We believe that a focus on socialising and dancing has enormous benefits to both physical and mental health. That said, there is also history of dancing being taught in a traditional style of a mixed couple; with male lead, and woman follower. Such rigidity in the explanation of dances can lead to unnecessarily awkward or uncomfortable situations for some guests. For this reason, we strive to be more inclusive in our teaching of dances and the running of events. We also endeavour to set an example with the diversity of our band and musicians. We have callers and musicians from a variety of backgrounds and always try to provide a balanced line up for our performances.

The Sassenachs Ceilidh Band
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5 out of 5
221 verified reviews

The Sassenachs Ceilidh Band's Reviews

From customers:

LW
L W
2 months ago, for a Wedding in London
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5 out of 5

The Sassenachs played our wedding in London for 120 people and were fantastic! Laurie was super helpful and organised with everything that needed to be arranged before the day. He was excellent as a caller and guests whether hardened ceilidh pros or newbies all had a great time! Thanks Laurie and the Sassenachs!! H&L

CP
Cibele P
3 months ago, for a Bar / Club / Venue event in United Kingdom
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5 out of 5

Such a great night! If you haven't attended a ceilidh yet, I highly recommend you do. If you did already and want to have fun again, I suggest you go to one with The Sassenachs Ceilidh Band. They are great! The whole night was fun, full of energy, loads of dancing, stomping, twirling around... great laugh and very sweaty. Bring a partner, come with a group or on your own. You'll make some friends too!

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The Sassenachs Ceilidh Band's Song list

Here's a list of the dances we find most popular:
- Circassian Circle
- Strip the Willow
- Gay Gordons
- Dashing White Sergeant
- Canadian Barn Dance
- Virginia Reel
- Riverside
- Cumberland Square Eight
- Military Two-Step
- Orcadian Strip the Willow
- Borrowdale Exchange
- Flying Scotsman

The Sassenachs Ceilidh Band's Prices

Last updated: 2024

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

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Up to 1 hour£1562.50
Up to 2 hours£1937.50
Up to 3 hours£2062.50

Add-ons

DJ Plug and play service
+£62.50
Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

Client's love the energetic, easily accessible access to ceilidh dancing we bring! All dances are explained well before things start, so whether its your 1st ceilidh of 101st everyone has a wonderful time!

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

We regularly play at ceilidh club events in Cecil Sharp House and Queen's Gate House. We also play other ceilidh series held at Small Beer Brew, Bermondsey and Big Penny Social Walthamstow. We are well established, so we've likely played most big venues in London and the surrounding area!

Can you perform covers?

We can also provide covers with our extended line up.

Do you have different line-up options?

We can customise to the customers budgets and vibe!

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 between sets. If you don't want to utilise it, we will use playlists in a similar style of our own. If you'd like a DJ plug and play option using our PA after our set this is free for 30mins, then £50 per 30mins thereafter.

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 always have a fantastic caller as part of our Ceilidh band so just let us know whether you already have one, or don't need one, so we can adjust our line-up accordingly!

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, if you have particular favourites, 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 it is!
Musicianship
Genres:
Ceilidh, Folk
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Types:
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Event types:
Wedding, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Recording session, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
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