Review Centre: Barn Dance Bands

"Kip and the band provided a fantastic event for our end of term celebrations. They were reliable and professional throughout, the music was fantastic and the calling was clear and often very humorous! Everyone took part and had such a good evening . We will look forward to inviting them back :)"

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"FAB FAB FAB! Thank you so much to Whisky & Ginger for making the night so special. If you're considering booking then DO IT. They go the extra mile and really put on a fantastic show."

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"Thank you very much for the great music and entertainment you provided at our silver wedding party last saturday night. We all had a great time and lots of our guests commented on the band and how much they enjoyed both the ceildh music and the cover numbers."

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"Many thanks for another wonderful gig. Life can be difficult at times, but with bands like yours and the music you play, it can me much more bearable. Wishing you all good health and happiness, Slainte, Paul"

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"I would like to thank your band for coming to our son’s wedding on Saturday night. Everybody, and I mean everyone, loved having the band. They were so welcoming and understanding, and got most people dancing. The Bride and Groom had a fab time too. Please pass on our best wishes and thanks to the band members. Many thanks Bridget "

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"Black Velvet Band Ceilidh Trio – International Student’s Ceilidh – July 2025 This is the second time we have booked the Black Velvet Band for our summer ceilidh, and it was such fun! The band ran two different dancing sessions for our international students and were very patient with explaining the dances and encouraging all students to participate. The music was brilliant and energetic, and all three band members were so kind and even paused for a photoshoot with the students. We are looking forward to next summer already. I’d absolutely recommend them for any event/party/celebration!"

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"Dear Chris, Thank you so much for all that you and the band did on Saturday. I received such positive feedback from all those that attended about the music and the way that you led the dances. I am very grateful to you all for making it such a wonderful evening!"

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"I am writing to say how grateful I am to all of you for playing and organising the barn dance for my birthday. It made for a great evening and everyone joined in and enjoyed the occasion. The evening could not have gone better."

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"The band were absolutely fantastic; the music was superb, the caller for the dances just bossy enough to get everybody up (exactly what I wanted), they arrived on time, were set up on time and were friendly and helpful and entered into the spirit of our event. I couldn't have asked for better. Thank you so much."

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"Ben and the Shamrock Experience provided us with music for our wedding day and they proved to be the perfect wedding band. From the moment we booked, we were in contact, meaning we were confident with our wedding music throughout the whole planning process. Ben provided some beautiful music for the church which suited the occasion perfectly. Later in the evening the band provided a ceilidh that all of our wedding guests loved followed by some traditional Irish music which brought the house down (in a good way!) We couldn't recommend the Shamrock Experience enough, they truly made our day - thanks guys!"

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"Just a short note to say that Blackthorn we absolutely excellent !They played brilliantly and really connected well with the audience. All excellent musicians and great performers and were thouroughly enjoyed by all who came. Worth every penny ! I hope they will consider joining us again next year. Our very best regards and many thanks for organising for us, Mick and Helen."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Was great to meet you all. Was definitely one of David's favourite nights since we moved in and have never seen the place so packed! Was a pleasure to have you there and heard no end of positive comments and I can't wait to see you again."

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"Just brilliant. Everybody kept asking me where I found you guys. So so so thankful for a wonderful evening. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"One of the hidden treasures of London is the range of talent that exists on the folk and acoustic scene that rarely get the acclaim they deserve. Three London based bands that excel at performing Eastern European/Balkan Music are Szapora, Mukka and Beskydy, each of whom are worth looking out for. Nine strong Beskydy perform songs and tunes from across Eastern Europe and beyond, in fact looking at the sources on their cd listing is almost like a tour around that part of Europe, from Macedonia to Hungary via Galicia and Bulgaria and taking a detour through Slovakia. The bands name itself comes from the range of mountains that run through the centre of former Czechoslovakia which according to the band has heavily influenced their musical choices whilst they turn their hand to music from a range of sources (excellantly). The first track is a Macedonian song, Jovano, Jovanke (click here to hear the song) and the range of Joanna Fosters vocal skills are further displayed in the three Slovakian songs that make up track 4, from the slow Janosik to the more up beat cheery Anicka Dusicka and A Ja Taka Dzivocka although Foster and the band manage to intertwine the tunes with sufficient skill so the songs merge as one. Again Track 9 is a duet with Accordian player, Peter Murphy, joining Foster on the Macedonian song Iz Dolu, along with some damned fine fiddling. The range of Beskydys musical skills are illustrated well by the instrumental tracks ranging from the delightful Slovakian Waltzes (Track 5) to the slightly more manic Tropanka from Bulgaria (track 10) and onto the ordered upbeat and furious synthesis between sax, fiddle and accordian that is Tantz, Tantz Yiddelekh (a wonderful Galician Jewish tune), yet again garunteed to result in limb movement, a delightful fusion of fiddles and saxaphone, furiously creating a wonderful atmosphere one that demands a physical response. One very minor complaint is the sleeve of the CD, it would be nice (or do I just lead a very shallow empty life) to have some information/lyrics or even translations of the songs, something about the origins of the tracks. That said its more than possible for bands with large bank accounts to produce nice extensive sleeves but not so easy for bands whose talents lie in their music rather than some slick marketing agencies. It would be impossible to identify one part of this cd that could be said to stand out more than the rest. The band have produced an album that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish - the question that comes to the fore when listening to this is when is the follow up going to be available?"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The band were simply excellent and we had a fantastic evening. Jake was a first-class caller and he included everything we had asked for. We received many comments on how good the band were and that all of our guests enjoyed it."

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