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Country Dancing on wet games afternoons at school? Yes? Well don’t
worry Petronella’s dances are absolutely NOTHING like that! In a few
different guises Petronella have been entertaining dancers across the Midlands
for the last 20 years but now with Emily and Tomas we have developed into
a “family” band.
Download Petronella Booking Form ... here ... (right click then "save target as") Please bear with us this page is currently under construction |
| Q: Does a Barn Dance need to be held in a barn? | A:
No, some of our best nights have been dances held in some of the most unlikely
locations and venues. We have played in Barns, Schools and Working Men’s
Clubs but also in peoples back gardens, a communal garden in a Leamington
Spa square, out of a tent on top of a hill (the mist came down and hid the
dancers at about eight pm!) and a wedding in a clearing in the middle of
the National Forest.
If you are planning to use a barn please try and make sure it is relatively clean, there is a good, safe electrical supply and please don’t throw straw and hay all over the dance floor … it may look very “rustic” but it is fiendishly slippy and generates an awful dust cloud as people start dancing. Whichever venue you choose try and allow us access at least 30 minutes before and after performance times so that we can set up and take down ... there may be time restrictions placed on venues so actual dance times may need to be adjusted to comply.
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| Q: How long do you play for? | A: We will discuss actual times and layout of the evening with you at the time of booking but as a rule of thumb we would normally play between 8pm and 11.30pm with a 30 or so minute break in the middle. It is rare for Barn Dances to go on until Midnight its always better to finish a little earlier with a big farewell dance rather than hang on with numbers dwindling. The band will usually play a couple of tunes between dances and Tom will usually set some “suitable” background music to play during the break … if you have any requests or a favourite CD let him know.
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| Q: Do we need to be experts or have danced before? | A:
No the good thing about a barn dance is that it will lend itself perfectly
to all ages and abilities. The caller’s we use work with dancers week
in week out and will be able to tailor the evening to your needs. |
| Q: How far ahead do we need to book? | A: We do get very busy and have some bookings that are “regulars” that are booked year in year out. Try to book us as far in advance as possible, Fridays are generally less busy than Saturday’s but try us with a short notice date we will always try to help or put you in touch with other bands if we can’t do it. |
| Q: Is it possible to hear/see the band/caller in action before making a booking? | A:
Sometimes but unfortunately not very often, many of our bookings are private
parties and weddings and it just doesn’t seem appropriate for people
to nip in to hear the band. There will be some sound clips available for
download on this site soon and we have many satisfied “customers”
who we can put you in touch with … if you have any worries or concerns
just ring us we are happy to answer any questions. |
| Q: What about food at the dance? | A: Barn Dances can be successful if you don’t provide food but make sure you let your guests know either way before hand or you might find them disappearing half way through the night to the local chippy! Providing food can be a lot of work but it usually makes for a better night and needn’t be expensive. Do check with your venue beforehand as some of them have restrictions on catering but why not try an “American style Supper” where everyone brings a plate of food or how about doing a deal with the local jacket potato wagon. It is useful for us as a band to know if we are invited to join you in the food queue before the booking as if not (as is the case with some weddings) we can eat before or on-route.
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| Q: Do you need a stage to play on? | A: Stages are useful in that they get all the band equipment nicely out of the way, they also give the caller a good view of what you are all doing! Stages are not essential though, remember we will need some space to set up though, drumkit, amplifiers and speakers as well as seating.
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| Q: We would like to book a disco as well, will it work? | A: We have shared the evening with a disco and it does work but in our experience its better to finish the barn dance then start up with the disco, don’t try and mix and match it never seems to work. If you are booking both a band, caller and a disco beware you will need twice as much space both Petronella and even a modest disco set up will have a fair amount of equipment and both need to set up before the event to avoid a disruptive delay half way through the night … oh and sorry the fee remains the same as a full night, our expenses are still the same whether we play one hour or four.
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Q: What happens if we need time to pull all the organisation together before confirming the band?
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A: Book us anyway (download a booking form at the top of the page) but make sure you tell us it is a provisional booking we can then hold the date for you until your other arrangements are confirmed. If we do get another enquiry for the same date we will contact you giving you the option to confirm the booking ... we've never managed to get ourselves double booked yet! |
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