Drop Spindle Ceilidh Band

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**