Ceilidh band

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band

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(4.8)Read all 25 reviews
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About Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band

Genderless Scottish-style Ceilidh band with a contemporary twist.
Ceilidh band
Newcastle upon Tyne
Public liability insurance of £10 million
Verified profile

**We are currently based in Newcastle upon Tyne, if you’d like us to travel further North than Edinburgh or further South than Sheffield, we’ll require an additional charge for overnight accommodation. If you’re able to provide accommodation for us then we will not require the additional charge** Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band are a 3-piece collective from Newcastle University's prestigious Folk & Traditional and Classical degrees. LGBTQIA+ Inclusive. Merle Harbron is a predominantly Scottish fiddle player who has recently graduated from Newcastle's prestigious folk music degree. As a Scottish player influenced by many genres and styles, her sound is unique and dynamic. Her love for ceilidh music stemmed from her participation in the Argyll Ceilidh Trail in which she gained experience in some 100 ceilidhs across Scotland and England. Michael McLernon grew up competing through the Irish Fleadh nationally with Piano Accordion, Whistle & Percussion with the St. Rochs Irish Music organisation in Glasgow. He gained experience as a ceilidh accordionist and caller in his early 20's and has now graduated from the Classical Music degree at Newcastle University. He enjoys playing traditional music from Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, France & Ukraine. He's also a massive nerd when it comes to scoring/arranging music & sound for film/TV/video games. Crissi Rodriguez-Booth is our resident pianist/accompanist. Crissi comes from the world of Jazz & Big Band, also performing on Saxophone & other brass and woodwind instruments. Crissi hails from the Newcastle Classical Music degree, so alongside Merle & Michael also has a wide variety of knowledge and experience when it comes to live performance. Have a look through our profile page if you’d like to find out more about us. You can also check out our reviews of our Ceilidhs anytime 😊 DSCB

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band
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4.8 out of 5
22 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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4.9
Professionalism
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4.9
Communication
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4.7
Punctuality
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4.6

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band's Reviews

From Encore customers:

LR
Lizzie R
22 days ago
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4.8 out of 5

We had the most lovely time with Drop Spindle! They learned our first dance song for us and taught a room full of Americans the basics of ceilidh dancing! A special thank you to the band for their kindness to the children at the wedding as well! My nephew was over the moon to talk to you all and talked about it for days! Would definitely book them again!

MG
Mark G
2 months ago
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5 out of 5

Great entertainers

SM
Sam M
3 months ago
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5 out of 5

Absolutely fantastic, enthusiastic and explained every dance.

AN
Amanda N
3 months ago
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5 out of 5

The band was amazing and they were good sports after we announced the surprise ceilidh to our guests, getting everyone involved and laughing! Even my 98 year old gran had a go which was amazing. Thank you so much, we'll be recommending you to everyone!

Read all 22 reviews

From other customers:

R&
Ruth B
8 years ago

It was AMAZING, we danced all night.

RT
Reece T
6 years ago

This band contains some of the finest musicians Newcastle has to offer. Listening to them perform is an absolute marvel!

Read all 3 reviews
Encore badges
Top 10 booked musician of 2022
25 gigs
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Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
6th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 6 years
Member of the Encore community forum

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band's Song list

SCOTTISH CEILIDH DANCES
Gay Gordons
Canadian Barn Dance
Canadian Bran Dance (Progressive)
Circassian Circle
Virginia Reel
Strip the Willow
Boston/Military Twostep
St Bernard's Waltz
Dashing White Sergeant
FOLK TUNES
Five Sheep, Four Goats
Planxty Fanny Power
Turkey in the Straw
We have learnt a number of first dance tunes at request too which include:
The Girl - City and Colour
Pointless - Lewis Capaldi

Drop Spindle 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£375
Up to 2 hours£750
Up to 3 hours£1125
Packages
Wedding Ceremony3 musicians
This includes music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave.
£187.50
Drinks Reception3 musicians
Two performances of up to 45 mins each during your drinks reception. Genres: Folk & Traditional; Scottish, Irish, English, Welsh, French, Scandinavian, Bulkan, Slavic.
£375
Burns Night Ceilidh3 musicians
2 x 45 minute sets of Scottish Ceilidh Dancing.
£750
Drinks Reception & Ceilidh3 musicians
2x 45 min performances for your drinks reception (genres include folk & traditional music from the British Isles, France, Scandinavia & Bulkan). 2x 45 min sets of Traditional-style Scottish Ceilidh dancing with calling.
£1125
Wedding ceremony + Drinks reception + Dinner3 musicians
- Music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave (can adapt to your specific arrangements). - 2 x 45 min performances at the drinks reception (folk, traditional & world music - enquire for further details/requests). - 2 x 45 min sets of Scottish Ceilidh Dancing.
£1500
Customer questions

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

We have performed in churches, halls, hotels, bars, clubs, and lots of other venue types.

Can you perform covers?

If they are within the Folk & Traditional realm we'll happily discuss!

Do you have different line-up options?

As recent graduates across different music degrees at Newcastle University, we are in contact with multiple musicians who are willing to be added to the lineup if required.

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?

Yes! We have a specially curated playlist for in between dances and during intervals.

How much time do you need to set up?

We won't take any longer than 30 minutes to fully setup and be ready to start performing.

Do you provide a caller?

Yes we do! We have a fantastic caller Michael 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, 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?

PA/Equipment all included.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

We're happy to discuss requests for a live performance for your first dance!
Musicianship
Genres:
Ceilidh, Folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional English folk, Marching, French music, Scottish music, Russian music, Polka, Greek music, Jewish music, Klezmer, Cuban music, Bluegrass, Country, Welsh folk, World music, Balkan, German music, Irish rock
See all genres
Event types:
Wedding, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, Hotel / Restaurant event, Recording session, New Year's Eve, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service
See all event types