How far ahead do I need to make a booking for St Patrick's
day music?Because it's the busiest time
of the year for Irish entertainers we strongly recommend
that you book up as far ahead as you possibly can. The
amount of acts available is never enough this time of
year so to avoid missing out contact us in lots of time.
We suggest at least six months ahead of your function.
>Top
What does a typical Irish act consist of?
It varies, so the best way to find out is to visit
the following pages for more specific information.
>Top
What areas does your agency cover and do your
acts travel?
We cover almost anywhere. Many
of our acts are based in the London
and home counties but we have others based in various
regions of the country. We can send acts literally anywhere
to venues and functions in both the
UK and abroad. We work
on the principle of 'distance is no object'.
We've recently assisted with the supply of Irish entertainment
for a venue in Chengdu in China and for a Japanese cruise
liner company!
>Top
How long does an Irish band play for on St Patrick's
day?
On St Patrick's day this is usually for 3 x
45 minute sets during a 3 hour period.
>Top
Do they supply their own PA system?
Yes. All acts are self contained and provide all
of their own equipment. In some cases where a venue
already has an in house sound system they will use this
provided it's all arranged and agreed beforehand. In
some bookings the musicians perform acoustically without
any PA. This is typical with Irish traditional 'Sessions'.
>Top
Can I go and hear them perform before I book
them?
If it's possible we'll arrange that for you but it
depends on how far ahead the date of your function is.
If it's soon then probably not. We'll try and arrange
for an MP3 sampler to be sent to you. The simplest and
quickest way to get an idea of how some of our acts
sound is via our
samplers
page.
>Top
Do your acts play their instruments live or
do they use backing tracks?
Because Irish music is essentially an acoustic based
type of music the use of 'Karaoke' type backing tracks
is almost unheard of. With pop orientated Irish bands
for some functions such as weddings they are sometimes
used but only sparingly and more to augment the act
rather than substitute real live music.
>Top
My party is a happy event and I don’t want a
lot of sad and dreary songs played nor too many traditional
jigs and reels, can you make sure they keep it lively
and happy?
>Top
Yes, of course. Although many popular and classic
Irish songs are sad and slow, (Fields of Athenry, Grace,
Four Green Fields, etc,)they need to be played sparingly
along with all the lively stuff for parties such as
'Whisky in the Jar', 'The Irish Rover', etc. Traditional
music such as Jigs and Reels is also something that
works better with a crowd when played sparingly. Our
acts are all used to playing to a crowd so they are
aware of this issue and arrange their sets accordingly.
Most good acts watch the crowds reaction and keep it
all lively and flowing.
>Top
I will have lots of English guests at my party
so I don’t want to offend anyone with any Rebel songs,
can you make sure this isn’t an issue?
Rebel songs are not played at any functions or gigs
by our acts unless the booker has specifically asked
for them, so rest assured that won’t be a problem!
>Top
Do the acts play requested songs on the night?
Certainly. However, if it's essential to you that
a specific song is played on the night it's best to
let us know at the time of booking ands we'll organise
(where possible) for the act to perform it for you.
We can't of course guarantee that all of our acts will
have every Irish song available on their songlist!
>Top
Would I have any say in the general list of
songs played on the night?
Yes, it’s a good idea and normal procedure for the
act to consult the booker on an appropriate playlist
for the night. For example, it wouldn't be advisable
to play Irish rebel songs at a wedding! Neither is it
a good idea to play too many slow and sombre ballads,
although the night probably wouldn't feel the same without
the odd tearjerker classic such as; ‘Danny Boy’ or ‘The
Fields Of Athenry’.
>Top
I run an Irish venue abroad can you supply me
with an Irish act?
We can supply Irish performers to travel anywhere
provided the terms and conditions are suitable. The
most feasible set up is where an Irish music bar can
provide accommodation and an in house PA system with
a realistic fee. If you have an enquiry for an Irish
entertainment act to play abroad just fill out our
enquiry form
and we promise to get back you promptly.
>Top
How do your acts dress when performing?
Depends on the event. Smart dress or casual is the
norm. If it's a 'dressy' occasion the act will dress
aptly.
>Top
How is my booking confirmed and paid for?
Once your booking is made and all of your needs clarified,
we will put all of the agreed terms and details onto
a simply understood agreement which is normally ratified
by a deposit and signed copy of the agreement. This
constitutes a legal contract between you and the act
that will give you the peace of mind that everything
is confirmed in writing. We normally accept payment
via cheque or bank transfer. We can also accept deposit
payments via credit cards, switch, solo or maestro.
The balance of the contracted fee is normally paid in
cash on the day to the act. Where requested we can arrange
for the entire cost to be made via your credit or debit
card.
>Top
Are your fees all inclusive? Are there any 'extras'?
The fees quoted are what you will pay in total unless
there is an extra travel cost involved, in which case
you will be advised of this at the time of booking and
it will be included clearly in your booking agreement.
Travel costs are kept to a minimum. If the booking is
long distance and an overnight stay is required for
the act then this will also be negotiated separately
with the booker and included in the agreement. We have
no hidden costs and we do NOT charge any booking or
arrangement fees. VAT is NOT applicable unless the act
is VAT registered, which is rare and if they were we'd
advise you of that at the time of booking.
>Top
How do I make a booking?
Just call us on 0845 226 5324, fill
out our online
enquiry form or
email us . Either way we promise to respond to your
enquiry very promptly! When you make the booking we
provide you with a 'plainspeak' agreement that will
include all of the terms and conditions applicable to
your booking. You simply check it through, assuming
it's all correct then sign and return it to us either
by scanning and emailing it or via post. We'll normally
ask for a deposit that's deductible from the agreed
fee of which the balance is normally payable on the
night.
>Top
I may also need Irish dancers and or an Irish
disco, can you arrange it all for me?
Absolutely. We can coordinate the event for you and
take the hassle and headache out of it all by arranging
everything. We can also provide a
PA for hire
at the function if required. To find out more on all
of the Irish musical entertainment that we can provide,
please visit our home page and
visit the various links on our menu.
>Top
Do you charge me an extra fee for arranging
the booking?
No. As an agency (in the vast majority of cases)
we make our cut via commission paid to us by the act
from their overall fee. If there were any booking or
management fee involved this would be negotiated by
separate arrangement with you and included clearly within
the terms and conditions of any such agreement.
>Top
I need to discuss this with you, can you call
me?
Yes, we'd be glad to. If you wish to make a booking
enquiry please either fill out our
enquiry form which asks
you for your telephone number or call our office on
0845 226 5324 (Local call rate). You
can also
email
us directly with any specific question you may have.
>Top
|
