scallywag

barn dance and ceilidh in somerset - Weddings, birthdays, community dances, social dances, charity fund raisers and parties

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Choose your venue wisely

Village and Community Halls

Village and community halls are great venues as they are usually a good size for dancing and have all of the facilities you need in one space.

Some have particular rules about types of entertainment, volume, food, drink, rubbish disposal, etc. so it is best to check out their terms and conditions. Also, find out about finishing and locking up times as I have seen over-zealous caretakers and wardens put an unpleasant end on a good evening?

 

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Food and drink at venues

This is usually pre-determined at hotels but, if you are organising your own venue for your reception such as a village hall, you need to check your user agreement.

Please check that you can do what you plan to do under the venue's Term and Conditions, e.g. Wells Town Hall has its own bar and you are tied to using the pub next door for your food. Both are great but you can't do your own thing.

If you haven't decided how you are going to do your food yet have a look at our food section on the right.
Remember, the more food you organise, the longer it will take to eat and the longer it will take to clear away.

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Marquees

The main things to watch out for with marquees are space, flooring and power.

• Space - you may be able to see a marquee in action or from a brochure. Either way, try to work out the following -

  how the band a re going to access their playing area

  i.e. do the side flaps lift up or are they going to have to carry PA through a packed eating area

  will the band have to wait until some of the chairs and tables have been moved before they can unload and set up

  You need to be aware that it will take an hour at most for the band to unload and set up however quickly the chairs are cleared

  When the staff clear the tables will they leave enough room for the dance floor AND the band

  Many catering staff cannot envisage how much space is needed for each. They often clear a space sufficient to dance in but give no thought as to where a four piece band with amplification will stand. If you have ever seen a four-piece band squeezed into a pub venue then that will give you some idea of the minimum space we will need.

• Floor covering

  Make sure Hessian matting and carpets are properly fixed down and large enough

  If they are not properly fixed down they will start to move around causing waves to appear. Another trip hazard, is the edge of the matting. If you have a small carpeted area, invariably the dance will spill out over the edge and people will trip as they dance and when they are coming on to the dance floor.

• Power

  Please make sure the band have some

  We have had to unplug some of the lighting in order to play in the past. You ask the venue "Has the marquee got power?" and they say "yes", will it be reserved for the band or pinched by the caterers?

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Barns

Barns are fine as long as the pigs moved out a while ago.

The main problem we have had with barns is dust. If the floor is untreated you can find yourself in a fog of concrete dust which isn't very pleasant on a number of levels. The same problems occurs if the barn has previously been used for storing dry materials such as hay.

The other major issue arises from trying to pile the band on top of a rickety and combustible pile of hay bales against the weather wall of the barn (loose description) with suspect power supply.

Please remember that we are amplified and dry electrics are always a bonus.

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Power Supplies

Talking of power supplies, we only really need a domestic supply (230/240v) as the amplification does not have a large demand.

Please make sure the supply is sound and dry and it is worth making sure that no-one can unplug it accidentally. We once played in a marquee on a marshy flood plane powered by a series of daisy-chained home extension cables that stretched back to a house on a hill 1/4 of a mile away. The owner (the bride's father) turned off the supply at 9:30 when he had had enough of the celebrations plunging the entire marquee in to complete darkness.

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Scallywag Terms and Conditions (Extract)

Below are the points of our terms and conditions that relate specifically to the venue. It will help you think about some of the issues involved.

1.VENUE - If the venue is potentially difficult to find please send us a map or clear written instructions. If we cannot find the venue we will not he able to start on time (if we get there at all)!

SCALLYWAG RESERVES THE RIGHT NOT PLAY IN CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE HAZZARDOUS TO EITHER BAND MEMBERS OR THE PUBLIC. EXAMPLES OF SUCH CONDITIONS MAY BE UNSTABLE STAGING OR SURROUNDING SUPERSTRUCTURE, INADEQUATE AND/OR INAPPROPRIATE POWER SUPPLY, POOR PROTECTION FROM RAIN AND SIMILAR WEATHER CONDITIONS WHILST USING ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, AND INHALATION OF CONCRETE DUST FROM UNTREATED BARN FLOORS.

2.ENTRY TIME - To be ready at the contracted start time the band will require unrestricted access to the venue one hour immediately prior to that time in order to set up and prepare.
3.POWER SUPPLY - The band will provide its own amplification but will require a 230/240 volt (domestic) power supply within 2 metres approx. 6 feet) of the stage area.
6.DELAYS Once the band has arrived at the venue it is deemed the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that the band has unrestricted access as detailed above.
8.THE END It normally takes a little over thirty minutes for the band to dismantle it’s equipment at the end of the evening and therefore it is advisable to inform any caretaker or key holder of this fact in advance.

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Testimonial

"Booked Scallywag for my husband's 50th..will certainly book again for any occasion! Everyone had such a great time - and they're still talking about it 4 months later! Thoroughly recommend!"

Jane from Bishops Lydeard

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frequently asked questions

• weddings
• discos
• parties
• children
• timings
• food
• marquees
• barns
• power supplies
• site map

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