Testimonials
Da Hooley were totally brilliant for our ceilidh, handling lots of first time ceilidh-ers (not all of whom spoke much English) with humour and fun. Their energy, clear instruction and great professionalism made the party. They had excellent suggestions for how to organise our first and last dances which was very helpful, and their lights, sound and stage set up made it all look and sound spectacular. Everyone – beginners and experienced dancers – said how much they enjoyed the band and wanted to recommend them to friends. Thank you so much!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google review from C & O, Grassmarket Community Project, July 2024
Best choice for a Ceilidh band, super inclusive of people of different parts of the world, and different ages and mobility levels.
Amazing energy and enthusiasm, very open to us tayloring our own ceilidh routine and flexible throughout the party.
Thanks Drew and Band!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google review from Nick & Sylvia, Stow Station House, July 2024
… thank you so much for a wonderful evening of dancing and merriment… Your energy and enthusiasm was absolutely spot on and everyone keeps saying what a wonderful time they had, and the staff at the station house have been talking very admiringly about the skill and warmth of you and your band…
N&S, Stow Station House, July 2024
Fantastic Scottish Ceilidh band, created a great atmosphere and was extremely encouraging. Played beautifully throughout the night, everybody was truly enjoying themselves. In addition, communication with the band was without any issues, they always responded fast and accommodated everything we asked for. Extremely recommended for any party/conference dinner/wedding, or anything really!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google review from Justyna, Sheraton Hotel, June 2024
Thank you so much for making our wedding so much fun! All of our guests said they had a blast at the ceilidh – we were so worried that there would be too many people, but Drew, you made it feel lively instead of chaotic! It was so much fun and such a huge part of our special day. Thank you so much!
A&K, Winton Castle, June 2024
The best ceilidh band IN THE WORLD ❤️ I have never, ever danced to such an amazing ceilidh band. They don’t just play: through enthusiasm and demonstration they have even the most reticent dancers on the dance floor all night!! The evening just flew by and when they stopped playing we all felt bereft!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google review from Isla, Eskmills, May 2024
Made a family and friend party a fantastic night. Everyone had a great time and it was so nice to have caller who gave clear and direct instructions so all could enjoy the fun
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google review from Alastair, Eskmills, May 2024
Drew, you were a superstar last night!!! Everyone said it was the best ceilidh band ever and I totally agree. It was just fantastic. Thank you so so much. We all loved it and had the best night.
IMcC, May 2024
We loved Da Hooley band, they played such a fantastic Ceilidh for our wedding. They were such fun and such high energy. We’d recommend them to anyone!
F & R, May 2024
You guys were great thank you so much. We absolutely loved the dances and you were very effective at letting people rest and then getting them back to dance. Hope to see you again one day
AB, Marchmont St Giles Church, April 2024
They are a fantastic band – really creative but doable and varied dances and they played beautifully.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google review from AB, Marchmont St Giles Church, April 2024
You guys were great thank you so much. We absolutely loved the dances and you were very effective at letting people rest and then getting them back to dance. Hope to see you again one day
AB, April 2024
We had a great night with this band at a ceilidh with The Scottish Outdoors Young Team last month! They went out of their way to do a brilliant night for us. Fantastic music, calling and even some new dances for many of us!
FB review from IK, Pollockshaws Burgh Hall, Glasgow, March 2024
I have… received many compliments of great music [for] your team and your talent in ceilidh calling. We had an amazing time contributed by your smooth play! Some friends have told me [they] will certainly have you all in mind if they [are] ever needing a ceilidh band. Well done and thanks a million for making my 50th a wonderful event to remember for years to come!
JCR, March 2024
That’s the most fun I’ve had in 10 years
parting comment from an anonymous astrophysicist, January 2024
What a day… Thanks so much to you and the crew for making it an unforgettable one! Have had so many people saying it was a fantastic ceilidh!
DT, September 2023
Plus FB comments from the same event:
What a fantastic ceilidh! – MM
We absolutely loved it thank you. Amazing musicians – LT
Drew, you were absolutely spectacular, thank you so much for the show you put on, we had such a great time. So many people came up to us afterwards to say that you guys were the best band and caller they had come across. We are also really glad we chose the disco light option- they were fab!
A & A, June 2023
Thank you so, so, so much!! You were all fantastic and our guests were raving about you! We look forward to joining you at another one of you ceilidhs soon, as all of our Scottish friends getting married wont’t be looking elsewhere for a ceilidh band, that’s for sure.
T & I, June 2023
We had the best time! Thank you so much to you and the rest of the band, for all of your efforts- you really were fantastic!And thanks for the relentless encouragement to get people up for dances and also for all the extra special little touches- we really appreciated it.
C & D, June 2023
Thank you so much for joining the Sutton Trust Summer School. The students all had an amazing time,and the ceilidh has proven to be the runaway favourite activity of the week in the student feedback forms. We would be delighted if you would consider joining us next year.
AS, July 2023
Drew, we can’t thank you enough. You and the band were simply amazing and you totally made my birthday really special.
AO, March 2023
THEY WERE INCREDIBLE. We hired Da Hooley for our wedding and they are by far the best ceilidh band we have ever experienced. Drew was an amazing caller, really encouraged all the international crowd to participate, and kept the energy up the whole time. They played all the best dances and we got compliments from all the guests. Drew was also great in the run up, really on top of all the organisation. HIRE THEM
Google review from Dom & Grace, August 2022
The evening reception was just such brilliant fun – everyone had a ball… All of our guests said they had never been to a ceilidh like it, and they just loved it! We have so many videos of all the aggressive dancing! Chris [DJ] too was brilliant, and we are just so glad we chose you both for our celebrations.
A & S, July 2022
The evening reception was just such brilliant fun – everyone had a ball. Stuart is not usually much of a ceilidh dancer but he had a fantastic time dancing because you made it so much fun. All of our guests said they had never been to a ceilidh like it, and they just loved it!
AS, July 2022
Thanks, Drew. It was a memorable event and many of those who attended – young and old – have told us that they enjoyed themselves. You and your colleagues gave us a great evening.
GB, July 2022
Thank you so much for an absolutely fantastic evening. Everyone has done nothing but rave on about you guys! You really got everyone involved from the beginning and managed to keep them on their feet, even after a long day working.
I really hope we get the opportunity to have you guys again and I will definitely recommend you, should I hear anyone looking for a ceilidh band.
NC, May 2022
Thanks again for making the evening a success. To see all the youngsters dancing to the end of the night was wonderful.
A, April 2022
Thank you so much for such a great night on Saturday – your calling was fantastic, and I think nearly everyone had a dance – and enjoyed it! The music was terrific as well – the magic is still there after all your enforced breaks etc.
Looking forward to looking you up for my 60th, I’m sure the next ten years will fly by! (Obviously I’ll recommend you to people before then as well!)
J, March 2022
Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our perfect wedding day! We had a blast at the ceilidh and so many of our guests have commented what a brilliant job you guys did, from regular ceilidh goers to the first timers (loads of people from down south have told us they think a ceilidh should be part of every wedding!).If we ever have a need to book a ceilidh band or hear of anyone who might need one, we’ll definitely be in touch / recommend you.
Thank you again – we loved having you play at our wedding!
S & G, Nov 2021
“I cannot thank you and the band enough for everything you did to make our wedding so special. It was such a wonderful evening – you played terrifically and it meant the world that you even managed to use my tune! Such a lovely personal addition to what was already the best ceilidh I can remember in a long time. Everybody has said how much they enjoyed the ceilidh and how brilliant you were (are) – thank you.
I really hope I have an excuse to come to another DaHooley ceilidh again soon!”
KT, Sept 2021
Honestly, you guys were absolutely amazing, you were so patient with us (and the venue)… you absolutely got the mood right… and ramped up the energy levels to make it the most fantastic celebration… we could not have chosen a better band.
A & H, July 2021
“Thanks so much for a fantastic night. Everyone was raving about the ceilidh and had a great time. It was a fantastic night and you played a huge part, so thank you!”
SW, Jan 2020
“Thank you so much for a great evening yesterday. We had a great time and so many of our guests came and told us how great the band, and particularly you as the caller, were (we totally agree!). I’m sure we will see you again soon!”
HB, Nov 2019
“Thanks for your lovely message! I’ve been meaning to email you myself to say thank you so much for everything on Saturday; I don’t think there was a single guest who didn’t come and tell me how brilliant you were and how much fun they had! You’ve certainly converted a large number of southerners who are now looking for any excuse to have a ceilidh or their own!
We will certainly come along if you’re doing any more public ceilidhs in our neck of the woods and rest assured we will be raving about you to anyone who will listen.
Thanks again so much and all the best”
B & M, Oct 2019
“Thank you guys so much! All our friends and family had such a blast, and you were great in creating such a fantastic atmosphere in getting the dance floor going. It’s been all positive with the ceilidh dancing, even Chris (the manager at Eskmills) said he had never seen such an amazing turn out & atmosphere for ceilidh dancing! We hope to see you and your band soon in the near future.
Thanks again!”
N & P, Sept 2019
“Thank you so so much for adding to our wedding day! We had a blast and all our friends and family enjoyed the hooley! The lighting and the PA system really added to the atmosphere for our disco too! Thanks for managing our wild bunch!
We will absolutely be recommending you to any of our friends getting hitched in the future!”
A & AS, Sept 2019
“Your music and calling really made our night and were exactly what we were hoping for. Lots of our guests have told us how much they enjoyed your music and the dances! We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you and will definitely let you know if we have need of a band in the future.”
C & E, August 2019
“I have had lots of fantastic feedback about how good Da Hooley were.
The acoustic for calling in the Ballroom is not optimal, I agree, but what it lacked in clarity at times was more than made up for by the energy and enthusiasm you put into getting the dancers on the floor and getting them heading in the right direction, at the right time, with the music! You absolutely delivered what I asked for and more!”
“When I was on the floor I had a complete hoot – especially the Reel of the 51st and Hoolichan’s Jig!
So, thank you all very much and I hope I’ll be reeling to Da Hooley again before long!”
K W, May 2019
“Thank you so much for putting on such a great ceilidh at our wedding. All of our guests absolutely loved it – it was such a fun night.”
K & P, April 2019
“There’s been a lot of chat in the playground and it’s safe to say all the ceilidhs have been a massive success so well done to you. Great initiative and really community focused.”
GE, January 2019
“Thank you and the band for the great entertainment last night. You set the evening off with the dancing, brilliant coaching, people matching for the dances, everyone seemed to enjoy it! We had a great time! Thanks again.”
JW, October 2018
“THANK YOU for the ceilidh. You and the band did a totally amazing job of rallying and teaching the crowd of mostly novice (and often rowdy!) ceilidh-ers. We had so many messages from people who had never been to a ceilidh before saying how brilliant it was and how much fun they had, including one saying it was the best wedding they’d ever been to because of the dancing! You really made our day and it’s been so lovely to hear people raving about the ceilidh. It was wonderful.”
AS, September 2018
“Just a quick mail to Thank you so very much for Saturday night! Da Hooley were fabulous! The night was a great success and a big part of that was down to yourself. You were great at encouraging everyone to get on the dance floor and join in. The girls really enjoyed themselves as did all their friends. Thanks so much for being so friendly, enthusiastic and professional.”
SS, September 2018
“Just wanted to pass you a wee message to say thank you for your excellent playing last night. Everybody I spoke to was full of praise for you all and I was very grateful for your powers of persuasion in getting everybody up dancing! Hope to dance to your tunes again in the future!”
AC, August 2018
“Thank you again for the superb ceilidh band music which really helped towards making the whole event so very memorable. Your calling was great and much needed!”
GD, August 2018
“I had terrific feedback about the ceilidh and heard that everyone danced the night away. It was a good omen when so many got up for the first dance! I will definitely contact you if we need a ceilidh band in the future! Many thanks again.”
BP, June 2018
“Thanks so much to you and the band for providing the best part of the evening. I enjoyed every minute of the music and ceilidh dancing and so did everyone else.
Your attentiveness to what I wanted and persistent, no-holds barred encouragement for everyone to join in was absolutely brilliant and exactly what I wanted…
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Da Hooley or ask you to play for me again”
MP, June 2018
“The ceilidh last weekend exceeded even our high expectations, it was so wonderful! We got a lot of excellent feedback from our guests and watching them all enjoying themselves so much was a highlight of the wedding for us!
We will certainly keep you in mind for the future and would happily recommend you!”
N & C, March 2018
“I just wanted to send a quick email to say thank you very much for the amazing ceilidh you hosted yesterday. All my friends keep telling me how much fun they had and how it was the best ceilidh they had been to so thank you so very much for making the evening so amazing.”
JB, Nov 2017
“… thank you so much for making my dear friends’ wedding evening so wonderful… your genuine enthusiasm, energy and care that you extended to them, and us, was really exceptional. Heartfelt thanks to you all.”
PB, October 2017
“We want you and your fellow bandmates to know how grateful we are for putting on such a great show at our wedding. You guys were amazing and we truly appreciate your patience and flexibility. We have had a ton of comments since the wedding on how great the band were and how much it brought people together. As you know we were worried about people from both sides and cultures getting involved but there was no need because they all loved it!
All the best to you and your bandmates from both of us.”
K & SM, September 2017
“Thank you so much for playing at our wedding- we had a fantastic time and had so many guests comment on what a fantastic band you are and how good you were at getting everyone involved- it was absolutely everything we hoped for. We will definitely be remembering you/ recommending you for future events! If you have a Facebook page or website that it would be helpful to have a review for do let us know as well as we would love to be able to share our thanks. Thank you again.”
C & N, September 2017
“I just wanted to write again to say that many of our friends have commented about what a great ceilidh it was and what a fun night they had. I hope they picked up your cards!”
LE, July 2017
“What a fantastic night we had! I am so glad to hear you made your next gig – what a busy weekend you had.
I cannot thank you enough for fitting us in at the last minute and providing us with such a great atmosphere. Everyone has said what a fun night it was and your music and calling all added to that – I think you gave everyone the enthusiasm and confidence to get up and dance!
We have our next Parent Council meeting at the beginning of June and with the success of this year we may well confirm a date for next year which would allow us to book you well in advance this time!
I hope you have a great summer ceilidh season and I’ll be in touch about getting you all back!
Thanks again”
SG, May 2017
“We just wanted to say a massive thank you to you all for a great night on Sunday. Everyone loved the ceilidh and it was pitched just right!
Please pass on our thanks to the others in the band and we will be sure to recommend you to others!”
A & H, April 2017
“Just wanted to say again thank you so much for last night, a good time was had by all! We’ve had great feedback on how good you & the band were & that included the caretaker, who would have seen & heard many other ceilidh bands.
It would be great to have you back next year”
LJ, April 2017
“A huge thanks again to you and the band for a cracking ceilidh on Sat, I had lots of great feedback and everyone really enjoyed themselves, as I’m sure you could see! It was a great night all round so thanks for helping make it so.”
CW, Dec 2016
“Well what can I say and where to start?! You and your mighty fine band definitely made the night for me, I am truly grateful for the energy and fun I had no doubt you were going to bring. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your patience during the planning of this epic evening, I really appreciated it! Thank you again for making my 30th bash very special and a magical night to remember!!”
CS, Nov 2016
“I wanted to pass on our thanks for being an excellent ceilidh band and for keeping our guests up on their feet all night. We got loads of compliments on how great you were. We had a few guests from abroad who had never been to a Scottish wedding before and they thoroughly enjoyed getting to grips with something a bit different. Your clear and patient instruction certainly helped. We also had a few folk who have been doing Scottish country dancing since primary school, but had never seen some of the more unusual dances before. The ‘rutting stag’ was an absolute highlight. Thanks also for the PA hire and sorting out the disco lights for us, and for the impromptu performance of Auld Lang Syne. I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding reception.
I don’t yet have the official photos but when I get them through I’ll be sure to send you a couple of pictures.
And if anyone is ever looking for a ceilidh band, I’ll be sure to recommend you.
Best wishes”
CB, Oct 2016
“I think you’ve converted a huge number of people to ceilidh dancing!”
PT, Sept 2016
“Fabulous wedding on Saturday 3/9/16 at Dalhousie Castle thanks to the brilliant Da Hooley Ceilidh Band. Thank you guys.”
MG, Sept 2016
“Drew, Thank you again for last night – you and the band were superb and a real highlight.”
MH, Aug 2016
“Your playing was brilliant (we knew it would be) and the sound you got was beautifully clear. So many people said “they are sooo good” and I was delighted to bask in the reflected glory.”
BW, July 2016
“Thanks for a fantastic night at the ball. The band were fantastic, you had everyone up and dancing all night and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. I have had lots of people say how great the band and ceilidh was and passed on your contact details to a couple of people who have asked me.
Thanks again and please thank the rest of the band too. If we can find the energy to organise it again next year, we will definitely be in touch!”
SS, June 2016
“I thought the band were great on Friday for our bash and contributed hugely to the success of the evening. Your management of the herd of cats on the dance floor was exemplary! Have had lots of really enthusiastic feedback from folk. Thank you.”
Andrew, June 2016
“Thanks so much for playing for us. I know lots of my club have said your band were great, especially because we did unusual dances that we’ve never come across! I was really surprised with the amount of energy everyone had left – I guess I underestimated the energising effects of drinking whilst ceilidhing 😛 Once again, thanks so much, if anyone’s looking for a ceilidh band, I’ll pass on your name!”
AG, April 2016
“We had such an amazing evening – thank you all so much. Our guests had nothing but compliments for you and the rest of the band! You did a fantastic job of keeping the floor full all night. I noticed several times where there was only a few couples waiting to dance, but somehow you managed coax people up and to fill the entire floor within minutes! There were so many great dances too. I know the ‘stag’ dance will live in my memory for a long time! So funny! Please pass on our thanks to the rest of the band.Thanks again! We will be back for our 10 year anniversary!”
H & B, March 2016
“We really enjoyed the ceilidh at our wedding, and we’ll certainly recommend you to anyone that is looking for a ceilidh band. It was great to see a busy dance floor, with everyone on it really enjoying themselves.”
AG, January 2016
“Just a quick thank you to you and your band members for helping to produce a fantastic night’s entertainment. Everyone who attended have been saying what a fantastic night it was. They were all very complementary about the music and Hog roast.
Once again many thanks.”
KR, January 2016
“Just wanted to say a huge thanks for a fabulous ceilidh on Friday. To demonstrate how well it went down, here’s part of the Facebook conversation on the group page about the event:
TG, December 2015
“Just wanted to say thanks to all the band for a great evening on Saturday. It was great to see so many people on the dance floor of course encouraged be the fantastic music. I managed to dance every single dance so I had a ball.”
Helena, October 2015
“Thanks a million for everything on the night – the ceilidh was one of the highlights of the day and all of the guests were raving about it afterwards. Many of them had never been to a ceilidh before and they had a ball!
Thanks also with being flexible on the timings (I think we started about an hour late in the end!) and for all the advice in the lead up to the wedding.”
Sean, September 2015
“Thanks so much – we loved it all and will definitely have you again if organising a ceilidh! Will also recommend you to anyone else. Best wishes and many thanks”
Susan, September 2015
“Just wanted to say thank you so much for such a brilliant night on Friday. Everyone had a great time – the music was great and so was the calling (it was definitely needed for a lot of people)! I will definitely be recommending Da Hooley for anyone that needs a ceilidh band in the future, everything was excellent”
Laura, May 2015
“Thank you so much for last night. Brilliant evening, great music and dancing. Lots of my friends and family commented on how good a band you all are!”
Alasdair, March 2015
“A huge thanks to you and band for making the night amazing! Please pass along my thanks to them. Your patience with the group in setting up the dances and fantastic selection of dances keeps even the locals on their toes. It is a testament to how great the band is to see so many people still around at the 1am closing time.
We always keep you at the top of the list for any ceilidh type events we have, so will be in touch if we have any other opportunities in between the annual Burns Suppers!”
Toni, January 2015
“Thank you very much! We had the most amazing time! You guys are great!! 😀 I love dancing! Jeje and everybody loved the band! And everybody liked you! They all said how great you were calling every dance! Thank you soo much for everything and thank you for making our day more special! We are taking amazing memories with us!”
Claudia, October 2014
“Thank you very much for Friday night you guys were fantastic and everyone commented on what a good ceilidh band you were! We appreciated you extra effort of running up and down those stairs to get people all night!”
S, October 2014
“We can’t say thank you enough for playing during our wedding. We were told time and time again how much people loved the music and dancing and your calling was clear and entertaining. You certainly helped make our day perfect.”
J & I, July 2014
“Thank you also for your excellent playing on Saturday evening. We have had a lot of comments on the calibre of the band – well done! Glad you all enjoyed yourselves and the bacon butties too!
We will for sure be recommending you to anyone that asks and will happily pass your details to anyone looking for a fab band. Thank you again for all your hard work and fantastic playing.”
MJ, June 2014
“You were absolutely brilliant. Emily and I both enjoyed ourselves immensely and so has everyone I’ve spoken to since. We’ll definitely be recommending you to anyone that asks in the future. Thanks so much for stepping in at the relatively last minute, letting us use your sound system and being such wonderful entertainment.”
John and Emily, March 2014
“I’m just sending out a few thank you notes before heading off on honeymoon. I don’t remember thanking you at the end of the evening for such a wonderful ceilidh. The time flew by and I was enjoying being the centre of attention. The whole day went exceptionally well, and I have to say the ceilidh, and I’m not being biased, was without question the best I have ever attended. That isn’t just my opinion either. So many people have commented on how fantastic you were. One person told me that they had had an brilliant day and finished by saying “And WHERE did you get that band?” I will most definitely be recommending you very highly in the future, and as the running club has a lot of ceilidhs, I’m sure there will a lot of business coming your way. It has been an absolute pleasure dealing with you and I hope to meet you again in the not too distant future.
Please pass my thanks on to all of your band members.
Excellent work, Gold Star, VG, Top of the class. Thank you very much for being part of our wonderful day.”
I & A
“Just to say a big thanks for playing at the wedding on Saturday. It was absolutely brilliant! Everyone really enjoyed themselves. Anyway thanks again, you really made our day.”
H F