Calling

I've been calling for barn dances and ceilidhs for more than thirty years, both with my own band, Time of Your Life, and with many other bands at folk festivals and ceilidhs all over the country.

Bands I've called with include:

The Old Swan Band, Random, Stomp, Tickled Pink, Whapweasel, The Watch, Peeping Tom, Polka Works, Steamchicken, Chalktown, Gas Mark Five, The Cock & Bull Band, Triptych, Hekety,

Grand Union, Asha, Jigalots, Trinculo, Geckoes, Katie's Quartet, Belshazzar's Feast, The Bursledon Village Band, Dance Cupola, 

The English String Band, Melobo, Gloworms, Out of Hand, 

The Simon Care Trio, Tautas Roks, The Valiant Dance Band, Boldwood, Take the Biscuit, Banter, The Pigeon Swing, The Oxford NAGS, The Diatonics, Lasair, Monty's Maggot, The New Slide, Jigfoot, The Phoenix Dance Band, Fendragon, Urban Folk Theory,  Proper English, The Hog's Back Band, Granny's Attic,

Threepenny Bit, The Hosepipe Band and Jack O'Legs.

I've called at Sidmouth, Towersey, Chippenham, Shrewsbury, Broadstairs, Bromyard, Dartmoor, Wimborne, Wickham, Whitby,

Folk Weekend Oxford, Folk East, St Neots, Banbury, White Horse, Whittlesey Straw Bear, Shepley and Ely folk festivals, EATMT Traditional Music Day, and at Haddenham, Meltdown, Godalming GBH Ceilidhs, Phoenix, Unicorn, Great Western, Poynton, Reel Ceilidhs, Knees Up Cecil Sharp, Ryburn 3Step, Keir Hardie Ceilidhs, SHOCC, Ceilidhs on the Move, Bath, Stroud and Oxfolk ceilidh series.

I like to include some of my own dances, a few "ceilidh favourites" and one or two slightly more challenging dances in my folk festival and ceilidh series sets, while I'm also very happy to call for beginners or occasional dancers at parties and weddings, with a tried and tested set of dances to suit the occasion.

Recently, I've added Playford, English and Contra dances to my repertoire, some of which I sneak into my ceilidh sets, while also being able to produce a whole evening of mixed dancing if required.  I've also done some "Lockdown calling" for virtual ceilidhs using Zoom to bring live bands and live calling to people's living rooms!