Presenting that BIG cool Celtic sound, bursting with energy, feature multi-award winning musicians.
Our powerful horn section, burning grooves and rich melodies hit you hard and keep you dancing all night. Performing tunes by bands such as Salsa Celtica, Treacherous Orchestra and Lau, arranged for ceilidh dancing.
With high profile performances for the likes of HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Caledonian Club, Inter-Club of London, Savile Club, London Reels (Pont St), Country Life, ITV, E4; Performing with celebs such as John Barrowman and supporting legendary acts such as Sister Sledge, Supergrass and T'Pau; The Big Yin Ceilidh & Covers Band are by far a must have feature of any Celtic event!
As well as the cast of Made in Chelsea, we have taken celebrities James Corden, Ant & Dec, Jonathan Wilkes, Edith Bowman, Tom Smith (Editors), Angellica Bell and Michael Underwood through the steps of Ceilidh dancing.
The band have numerous lineup options to suit all styles and budgets. These include..
Caller + Backing tracks
2 Piece (Ceilidh Only)
3 Piece (Ceilidh Only)
4 Piece (Violin, Guitar, Bass, Drums) minimum size that includes covers
5 Piece (+ two players on melody or + female singer)
7 Piece (4 Piece+ 3 piece horn section)
8 Piece (4 Piece + two players on melody or + female singer with 3 piece horn section)
9 Piece (4 Piece + two players on melody + female singer with 3 piece horn section)
Ceilidh Set (Called) |
Flying Scotsman |
Gay Gordons |
Dashing White Sergeant |
Strip The Willow |
Military 2-Step |
St Bernard's Waltz |
Virginia Reel |
Canadian Barn Dance |
Swedish Masquerade |
Thread The Needle |
Circassian Circle |
Cumbrian Reel |
Cumberland Square Eight |
Lady Godiva Reel |
Orcadian Strip The Willow |
The Borrowdale Exchange |
Scotch Mixer |
Auld Lang Syne |
. |
Reeling Set (Not Called) |
Postie's Jig |
The Piper & The Penguin |
Hamilton House |
The Eightsome Reel |
The Foursome Reel |
Machine Without Horses |
Reel of the 51st |
Duke of Perth |
Speed The Plough |
The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh |
St Andrews Fair |
. |
Traditional Covers |
Caledonia |
Green Fields of France |
Wild Rover |
Donald Where’s Your Trewsers? |
Hill of the Thieves |
Molly Malone |
There Were Roses |
Little Drummer Boy |
Auld Lang Syne |
Whisky In The Jar |
Marie's Wedding |
Gloomy Winter's Now Awa |
Hill Of Thieves |
. |
Popular 1st Dances: |
Feeling Good - Nina Simone (Michael Bubles & Muse Versions) |
L.O.V.E. - Nat King Cole |
Let's Stay Together - Al Green |
Into The Mystic - Van Morrison |
May You Never - John Martyn |
Is This Love - Bob Marley |
You Are the First, My Last, My Everything - Barry White |
I only have eyes for you - Jazz standard from the film 'Dames' |
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics |
Caledonia - Dougie MacLean |
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall - Coldplay (*) |
Shut up and Dance with Me - Walk the Moon |
All of Me - John Legend |
Hey Ho - The Lumineers |
You Do Something To Me - Paul Weller |
Nothing Else Matters - Metalica |
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding |
I'm A Believer - Monkeys |
I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermit |
Runaway - The Corrs (**) |
You've Got A Friend In Me - Randy Newman |
I Love You 'till the End - The Pogues |
Have I Told You Lately - Van Morrison |
Covers
|
-60's-
|
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding |
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison |
Gimmie Some Lovin' - Steve Winwood |
Hard To Handle - Otis Reading |
All Along the Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix |
I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles |
Come Together - The Beatles |
Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett |
In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett |
I'm A Believer - Monkeys |
Feeling Good - Nina Simone (Michael Bubles & Muse Versions) |
Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin |
My Generation - The Who |
White Room - Cream |
I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermit |
I Feel Good - James Brown |
L.O.V.E. - Nat King Cole |
Soul Man - Sam & Dave (*) |
Blame It On The Boogie - Jackson 5 (**)
|
-70's-
|
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac |
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynryrd Skynyrd |
Long Train Running - Doobie Brothers |
Life In The Fast Lane - The Eagles |
Stuck in the Middle With You - Steelers Wheel |
Superstition - Stevie Wonder |
I Wish - Stevie Wonder (**) |
Let's Stay Together - Al Green |
Get Back - The Beatles |
Hey Jude - The Beatles |
Oh What A Night - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons |
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green |
Into The Mystic - Van Morrison |
Over The Hill - John Martyn |
May You Never - John Martyn |
Can't Get Enough of Your Love - Bad Company |
We Are Family - Sister Sledge |
The Cowboy Song - Thin Lizzy |
The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy |
Teenage Kicks - Undertones |
Is This Love - Bob Marley |
I Shot The Sherif - Bob Marley |
Knock On Wood - Eddie Floyd |
Maggie May - Rod Stewart |
Reelin' In The Years - Steely Dan (*) |
Take Me To The River - Al Green (*) |
Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder (*) |
Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder (*) |
I'm A Man - Steve Winwood (*) |
Right Place Wrong Time - Dr John (*) |
Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder |
Lady Marmalade - Patti Labelle (**) |
You Are the First, My Last, My Everything - Barry White |
I only have eyes for you - Jazz standard from the film 'Dames'
|
-80's-
|
Sunshine on Leith - The Proclaimers |
500 Miles - Proclaimers |
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson |
Jumping Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones |
Dude Looks Like A Lady - Aerosmith (*) |
You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon (*) |
Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News (*) |
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics |
Ain't Nobody - Chaka Kahn (**) Upside Down - Diana Ross (**) |
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2 |
Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 |
Caledonia - Dougie MacLean |
Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
|
-90's-
|
Deeper Underground - Jamiroquai |
Rocks- Primal Scream |
She's Electric - Oasis |
Wonderwall - Oasis |
You Do Something To Me - Paul Weller |
Place Your Hands - Reef |
Just Looking - Stereophonics |
Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band (*) |
Let Me Entertain You - Robbie Williams (*) |
Keep The Faith - Bon Jovi (*) |
Nothing Else Matters - Metalica |
Runaway - The Corrs (**) |
You've Got A Friend In Me - Randy Newman |
I Love You 'till the End - The Pogues
|
-00's-
|
Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics |
Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon |
You Are All I Have - Snow Patrol |
All These Things That I've Done - The Killers |
Valerie - Mark Ronson |
Sunday Morning - Maroon 5 |
Crazy In Love - Beyonce |
Hey Ya! - Outcast |
Last Night - The Strokes |
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand |
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley |
Butterfly - Jason Mraz (*) |
Brooklyn - Youngblood Brass Band (*)
|
-10's-
|
Forget You - Ce Lo Green |
Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars |
Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke |
Get Lucky - Daft Punk |
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall - Coldplay (*) |
Shut up and Dance with Me - Walk the Moon |
All of Me - John Legend |
Hey Ho - The Lumineers |
(*) Only Available With Horn Section |
(**) Only Available With Female Vocalist |
The Band Can Also Play Jazz Standards. |
They are expert at knowing when to play a ceilidh song and when to relax with more contemporary music. The band had a challenging crowd at our wedding but kept the dance floor busy and all our guests had an amazing time. The ceilidh music was perfect and we would highly recommend the Big Yin.
We had such an amazing time at our Wedding, we would like to thank you for the music... it was fantastic!! Everyone really enjoyed themselves.. it was an great night!
Everyone has complemented us on how great the band were.. When we chose a Ceilidh we were a little worried that some of the guests wouldn't know what to do.. but you managed to organise us all, from the experienced Scottish attendees to the total beginners.. It was a great set-list.. you exceeded all our hopes.. it was a perfect performance. Many thanks and best wishes in the future
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your band members for playing at our wedding last month. Between the guitar for the ceremony, jazz on the lawn and the ceilidh/covers set, it was all perfect. I especially loved the fact that we had a kilt wearing jazz band! Please pass on Neil and my thanks to the others that were there on the day
We just wanted to say thank you for your part in our wedding day. We know we, and our guests, had such a fantastic day and that was in part due to the brilliant jazz, ceilidh and band music which created such a brilliant atmosphere. We would not hesitate to recommend you all. Lisette and Stuart Martin
Hi Tom, [we] wanted to let you know how much we all enjoyed the The Big Yin Ceilidh & Covers Band on Saturday evening. They were great, my guests loved them and it made it a night to remember. My Thanks to you all
Just wanted to drop you a note to say thanks a lot for playing at the wedding a couple of weeks ago. Kelly and I really had a great time and the music was a big part of it.
Thanks for the really great rendition of Songbird for the first song. We both loved it and it was really fitting of that first dance moment.
The ceilidh music was great and we really appreciated how you got everyone up and dancing, even if it was probably like herding cats at times. Despite being low on space and facing a group low on talent, you sent everyone away knowing a new dance or two and having had a great time. It really helped set the tone for the rest of the evening
we LOVED your playing at the wedding (as did lots if other guest) - thank you for helping make it such a great day
We just wanted to say a massive thank you for Saturday!! You guys were absolutely awesome, all of our guests absolutely loved it and had an amazing time!! Lots of the guys down from Scotland were saying that was the best ceilidh band they have seen and everyone since has been telling us how much of a great time they had and how well called it was - even had a few requests for your details from guests!!
Thank you so much
Just to say thanks so much to the band who played for us on Saturday night. They absolutely made the evening for us and we have had so many people say how much they enjoyed the ceilidh and the band. They really were spot on. Best wishes, Nina
Just a quick one to say thank you so much for playing at our wedding - we had a great time. As did all the guests. You guys were fab
We had so much fun and a lot of that was down to you guys! The violin during the ceremony was perfect and thank you for playing during the canapes, even though we weren't there for this we received many comments that you were both great.
The ceilidh was amazing! Sorry we were difficult to teach, I think for many of our guests this was their first experience of one! But most importantly everyone loved it and had an awesome time.
We would recommend you without hesitation!
Many many thanks Tom! You provided the best dance we have had for many years. I have never seen so many people consistently up dancing and enjoying themselves. Your balance of music was just what we required and while we Scots like to think we know all the Country Dancing malarky it was great to be taught a few more. You have great style in the way you delivered that.
John Barrowman was an interesting addition. I hope you guys didn't mind but you all seemed to take it in good spirit. I'm told he was eating next door and couldn't resist coming through because the music was so good
It has been a week now since our amazing wedding at Wasing Park, so we just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and the rest of the band.
We had a brilliant time however more than that, everyone kept mentioning how much fun you guys were both for the ceilidh songs and the covers. Thanks for getting everyone sorted for the ceilidh dances too!! I know it must have been quite an effort but it all worked out really well. Definitely a highlight so thanks to you all.
Hope you all enjoyed the evening too and we'll make sure to recommend you to anyone looking for a ceilidh/covers band. Thank you
We just wanted to get in touch to say thank you for playing at our wedding. We absolutely loved the music and the combination of the Ceilidh and the covers, and we were really happy that the dancefloor was so busy all the time
Hi Tom,
Just to say a huge thank you for playing at The Round Chapel Hackney. You all battled on so well through the heat. Your calling was great and so many of my friends absolutely loved their first ever ceilidh.
Needless to say we've all lost a stone over the weekend!
I will definitely recommend you guys to anyone I know who is looking for a band in the future,
Thanks very much again
Dear Tom,
I wanted to thank you for making it a great evening last Saturday. Everyone thought you and the band were perfect. The right music and the right volume! So many thanks to you and please pass my thanks on to the other band members as well. With very best wishes, Sylvia
Hi Tom,
Thank you so much for a wonderful barn dance the other week, we all thoroughly enjoyed it! Sorry we kept you waiting a bit, thank you for bearing with us!
The jazzy afternoon set worked perfectly too.
A specific thank you for being so easy to communicate and liase with - I think you guys have been the simplest and most effective people to deal with in the whole wedding process, so that's been a bonus!
If you want us to fill out feedback anywhere, we'd be happy too - I think you're brilliant!
Hope you enjoyed yourselves too! Thank you so much
Hi Tom,
Thank you so much to you and the rest of the band for being so brilliant at our wedding day. We had so many people telling us how great you guys were. You were great at calling the ceilidh dances - people seemed to pick them up quickly under your direction. And we loved having everyone on the dance floor at the end for the final dances - what a great send off and
climax to the day. The first dance worked perfectly too so thanks so much for letting Ed play violin with you accompanying. Best wishes, Alex and Ed
Hi Tom,
Many thanks to you, the superb band and all the staff at the metalworks for giving us such a great evening on Saturday.
We liked the calling, Tom - just enough info then let them get on with it!
We will certainly be running another such event in the future as our guests loved it.
Thanks again and very best wishes, Ann
This group of Guildhall musicians will conjure an atmosphere so charged with the power, your desire to dance will be insatiable!
Thank you Big Yin Ceilidh & Covers Band for your wonderful music and also for your patient help with our dancing! This was definitely one of the best parts of our wedding day: it brought everyone together and we will always remember it with a smile
The band were without doubt the highlight of our evening. The musical fusion of traditional with modern music was a fantastic take on the ceilidh and provided a great source of entertainment. The dance floor was never empty and we would thoroughly recommend the band to anyone looking for a quality, highly trained, entertaining live band to add a touch of class to any event.
To find out if this act is available and what it would cost to hire them, please fill out the form.
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