What is the procedure for making a booking?
The first thing
to do is to phone or Email and tell the band when and where the event is
to be, what kind of event it is, and approximate timings if you have them.
You will be given a quote based on this straight away. If you haven't seen
ThingumaJig before,
or been recommended by a friend, you may want to ask for a demo CD at this
stage. Once you are sure you want to book, the agreement is made on the
phone, or by Email, the date goes in the band's diary at this point, and
you will be sent a booking confirmation form to sign and return. A few
days before the event the band will contact you to make sure everything is
still on course, and to check last minute details. No deposit is required
in advance, and payment is made at half time of the event usually.
How long will the band play for?
A normal event lasts perhaps
3 hours with a half hour break in the middle. This is usually enough for
most people, but we will be happy to perform longer if needed. We can play
background music before the dancing starts if needed, and we have tunes
and plenty of well known songs for the breaks in the dancing.
How much will it cost me?
The cost varies from £680 to £900
normally. We will give you a definite price when you contact us. We will
base our quote around our standard package of 6 people at £800. The price
may be lower if you are very near to us, or if it is for a charitable
event, and higher if you would like the full band of 7 or 8 people or our
Dance Around the World Ceilidh Show, you want us to play for longer than
usual, or you are outside of our easy drive-to area south of London.
We
don't charge a deposit if you book direct with us. Once we have your
signed confirmation form, all you have to do is pay us during the event.
What do we need to provide for the band?
We need a minimum
stage/performing area of about 12ft wide by 10 feet deep and one 13 amp
power point (2 is nicer) and a small table and 5 chairs (armless). If
there are windows behind the band it is better if they are curtained off
to avoid sound problems. A dance floor is not strictly neccessary but it
does really help. A hard wooden surface is best, and rush matting in a
marquee is probably worst! At the end of the day, we can work with what
you give us within reason.We also need a small amount of food and drink.
We are often away from home for many hours, and a couple of drinks each,
and anything in the way of food from sandwiches to whatever your guests
are having will be much appreciated.
What would happen if nobody wants to dance?
You don't need to
worry about this, we will encourage everyone to join in, and it is always
successful. We don't just offer ceilidh dances either, if you are in the
mood we will have a couple of line dancing sessions, which will appeal to
a different part of your crowd, and waltzes and couple dances are there
too if that is what you fancy.
There will be occasional breaks between
the dances while people get their breath back, and we have good
entertainment for you all the way through these breaks. John and Liz will
dance for you, and we will sing songs and play tunes for you to listen to.
During the band's break we can play CDs for background music, either ours
or your own if you wish.
Can we have our own music for the first wedding dance?
If you
are booking us to play on your wedding day, and you want a formal first
dance (which we do recommend as it is a great moment in your day) we can
play any music you provide on CD, or we can play one of our tried and
tested first waltzes which are ideal for the occasion. And don't worry,
you don't need to be a great dancer, no one will mind if you just shuffle
around! (or John and Liz will be happy to teach you the steps first if you
like)
Is is OK to book a disco as well?
Many people are worried
that some of their guests will not be willing to dance in the Ceilidh, so
they provide a disco too to make sure everyone is happy. In our experience
this is not usually neccessary, we often come to the end of our set with
the floor heaving with dancers, only to see it deserted afterwards when
the disco starts. Other times I am sure it can work. Either way, you know
your guests best, and we are happy to work with a DJ, so long as the disco
starts after we finish. Alternatively we often play a compilation CD
provided by the client during our break, which may be all you need.
