VENUES: Who books the venue? Notes about Marquees, Barns,
shape, size and layout of the room or hall, space required for dancing, space
required for the Band.
Bands play in many different places – hotels, village halls, community
and leisure centres, marquees, stately homes, private homes, castles, restaurants,
school halls, social clubs, pubs, shops, market places, fields, barns, trains,
boats, buses... ……. Some venues are more suitable and ideal than
others….. Some I try to steer people away from!!! (BARNS! – YUCK!)
Who books the venue? Now then, it’s YOUR responsibility to choose a
suitable venue. It’s a very subjective thing and can largely be dependent
on cost, but there are so many other factors involved. . . . A village hall
will obviously be far cheaper to hire than a hotel function suite. . . .
The venue for a wedding ceilidh will largely be determined by where everything
else takes place during the day. However, if you’re in a position to
choose a venue specifically to suit the Ceilidh, the choice of the right
kind of room can really add to the enjoyment of the dance. If you’ve
already booked your venue and some of the following points make you think
that your venue is unsuitable – don’t despair! There are ways
of maximizing the circumstances - feel free to discuss this with Fiona.
Marquees: If the band is to play in a marquee, proper level, solid, waterproof
floor covering is required under the band. Even the slightest slope will
make it very difficult indeed for a band to play or dancers to dance without
careering into each other and the band!!! In an ideal world, a properly laid
solid wooden dance floor should be laid for the dancers, or at least rush-matting – NOT
GRASS and really, I have to say, not concrete – OUCH - if you fall
over . . .
!
There should be adequate lighting in the marquee, as the Caller needs to
be able to see the dancers – unlike a disco where it’s fine to
be dark and gloomy dancing round your handbag (well, the girls will be!)
Depending on the time of year, I suggest you make it possible to have access
to portable heating for the band’s sake at least, as it gets very chilly
in a tent or barn later in an evening.
The power source may be Mains or generator. Ideally, the power source should
be within the marquee for the band’s access, rather than having trailing
cables to a plug point. The amplification equipment for a Ceilidh band does
not draw more power than, say, an electric kettle. Please note that if a
generator is used, rather than Mains power, it needs to offer a 240V (not
110V) supply to the band, with a standard 13 Amp plus / socket available
specifically for the band’s use. Any cable, plugs and sockets should
obviously be safely protected from the elements whenever leading outside.
. . . . It’s really best to discuss all of this with the marquee providers,
who will know all about these things.
Barns: Speaking from my own experience, and that of other bands, we really
do NOT like playing in Barns. Some bands actually refuse to play in a barn,
although obviously a converted function barn is fine.
Barns: You may think that a Barn would be the ideal and
most appropriate venue for a - BARN DANCE – BUT - think about it . . . grit and dust
in a barn is a total nightmare to musicians and dancers alike. Everyone inhales
the
dust as it flies around during the dancing, and you feel the next morning
as though you’ve smoked 100 fags. The dust settles on the band’s
instruments and amplification equipment, meaning everything has to be cleaned
the next day. Not good. Barns are draughty and it’s impossible for
a band to play well if they are cold. No likey . . . Really no likey!
Shape, size and layout of the room or hall: I would recommend
choosing a venue which is as square as possible – but don’t panic Mr Mainwaring
if the room is an odd shape – bands make the most of whatever the circumstances
are!
The size of the room required will depend on the number of people coming
to the dance – check maximum capacity with the venue management. If
the venue has several rooms, your party may tend to split up into smaller
groups. This is fine socially of course, but it can be harder to get people
together to dance when they’re spread out in different places. If possible,
choose a venue with the bar in the same room as the band, Caller and guests!
At weddings, after any afternoon reception meal and speeches, the venue management
should be prepared to move tables and chairs aside to make a good sized area
for dancing. Putting some chairs around or close to the dance floor encourages
people to remain involved in the Ceilidh.
Space required for dancing: Ceilidh dancing requires much
more space than dancing at a disco, where you dance “on the spot” round the proverbial
handbag (sorry chaps!) Movements in Ceilidhs include galloping up and down
and swinging partners, so more room per person is required, and the more
space the better. The space for the dancing should be at least 5m x 5m, ideally
double this, but it’s not essential for the dancing area to be square.
I’d suggest that it’s best to discuss available space with the
venue manager, to ensure that enough room can be created for the band and
dancing. (Ask Fiona about this if you are not sure . . .) (See Point 12 about
technical requirements - the dance floor)
Space required for the Band: This will vary depending on
the number of musicians in the band, but the average trio Band and Caller
will need 5-6m width and
ideally 3m depth to set up comfortably. It’s best if the band is able
to set up fairly close to the dancing area but not so near that they get
trampled!
PLEASE NOTE - If you are booking a Disco or other band too,
please make sure there is sufficient room for both bands or one band and
DJ to set up. Check
with the DJ / other Band about their space requirements.
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