Ceilidh band

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band

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About Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band

An energetic Scottish 3-piece Ceilidh band with a fresh twist, based in Newcastle. Genderless calling & LGBT+ inclusive.
Ceilidh band
Newcastle upon Tyne
Public liability insurance of £10 million
Verified profile

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band are a 3-piece collective based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. All three members hail from Newcastle University's prestigious Folk & Traditional and Classical degrees, and bring the energy, enthusiasm and fun to any event. LGBTQ+ inclusive. DSCB have performed across the UK at a variety of events - weddings, birthdays, charity events, you name it. We are able to cater for a variety of venues, and are happy to work with groups of varying sizes. Are you concerned that maybe some of your guests have never danced a Ceilidh before? Don't worry - we give thorough demonstrations and instructions, so it doesn't matter whether you've grown up doing the Virginia Reel, or whether the Dashing White Sergaent is totally new to you, you'll be pros by the end. So who are we? We are Merle, Michael and Crissi - see below for more info on each of us... 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. As a former Irish dancer, she has always been surrounded by folk music and has the ceilidh dances down to a tee - shes always up for a demonstration! 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 😊 If you have any questions, we are more than happy to have a chat and see how we can bring something extra special to your event. DSCB **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 - this can be discussed when requesting a quote**

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band
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4.8 out of 5
31 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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4.7

Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band's Reviews

From Encore customers:

SK
Saskia K
12 days ago
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5 out of 5

The band was great, the calling was clear. The dances weren’t too difficult, great fun was had by all,

Reply from Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band
2 days ago

Thank you for the lovely review Saskia, we loved playing for you and your guests, full of energy and welcoming, thank you! 😊

SH
Sophie H
1 month ago
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5 out of 5

You guys were absolutely fantastic, all three had so much charisma and really got the party going. Most of our party were first time Ceilidh dancers, but Michael’s calling was clear and fun, he really set everyone at ease. Getting a bunch of grumpy Yorkshire men ceilidhing with so much enthusiasm was really quite an achievement. It was the highlight of the day for many guests, thank you so much!

Reply from Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band
28 days ago

Sophie thank you so much for having us and for your kind review - we loved playing for you both at such a stunning venue and seeing the Yorkshiremen swinging each other around - congrats again to you both!!

DM
Duncan M
1 month ago
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5 out of 5

These guys were great. Really helpful to talk to before the event, fantastic musicians and really entered into the spirit of the event. I cannot recomend them highly enough and I'll certainly be hiring them again.

Reply from Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band
1 month ago

Ah thank you so much for the review Duncan! The event was fab and we look forward to playing for you again in the future!! 😁

RS
Rebecca S
1 month ago
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4.8 out of 5

The band were amazing. We had a power cut just before they turned up and we still did the first 2 dances completely acoustic. We has Scottish relatives remark how good the band was, which is a real seal of approval. Email replies before the wedding were a bit slow, but I know the band have day jobs so that wasn't an issue. We got all the information we needed.

Reply from Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band
1 month ago

Thank you so much Rebecca! We loved playing for you and great to hear we got the seal of approval from your relatives 😊

Read all 31 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
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2nd most booked musician of 2023!
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Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band's Song list

SCOTTISH CEILIDH DANCES
Gay Gordons
Canadian Barn Dance
Canadian Barn Dance (Progressive)
Circassian Circle
Virginia Reel
Strip the Willow
Boston/Military Twostep
St Bernard's Waltz
Dashing White Sergeant
Cumberland Square Eight
FOLK TUNES
Five Sheep, Four Goats
Planxty Fanny Power
Turkey in the Straw
The Rabbit
Trip to Skye
Kate Martin's Waltz
Scarborough Fair
Lounge Bar
Roros Pols
Miss Rowan Davies
The Youngest Ancient Mariner
We have learnt a number of first dance tunes upon request too which include:
The Girl - City and Colour
Pointless - Lewis Capaldi
Tennessee Whiskey - Chris Stapleton
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
Jolene - Dolly Parton

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£500
Up to 2 hours£750
Up to 3 hours£1250
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. Specialists in Folk & Traditional music.
£375
Ceilidh; 1hr3 musicians
1 hour set of Scottish ceilidh dancing with calling, 3-4 dances. Includes PA hire. Travel expenses not included.
£500
Ceilidh; 2 x 45 minute sets3 musicians
2 x 45 minute sets of Scottish ceilidh dancing with calling, 6 dances total. Includes PA hire. Travel expenses not included.
£750
Ceilidh; 3 x 45 minute sets3 musicians
3 x 45 minute sets of Scottish ceilidh dancing with calling, 9 dances total. Includes PA hire. Travel expenses not included.
£1125
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
All Day; Wedding Ceremony + Drinks reception + Ceilidh3 musicians
- Live performance before the service begins, during the signing of the register and as guests leave (can adapt to your specific needs) - 2 x 45 minute performances at the drinks reception (folk, traditional & world music - enquire for further details/requests) - Live performance for the couples’ first dance - 2 x 45 min sets of Scottish Ceilidh Dancing
£1500

Add-ons

PA HIRE
+£187.50
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