BLACKTHORN BAND

Whether the music is for a wedding, a dance, a festival or club, it is important that the band is responsive to the needs of the occasion. Blackthorn always take care to listen carefully to the requirements of the people we play for, and often they write to us afterwards to let us know how it went. These are unsolicited comments received from recent engagements.

2007 "Dear Pete, We would like to thank you and the band for the terrific performance on Saturday evening at our Wedding. Many guests have said very kind words about your music, thoroughly enjoying the opportunity for a good dance! On a more personal note, we found the first dance very moving and felt it was a lovely performance of that song - thank you. You came highly recommended to us and we will certainly be recommending you to others. We hope we have the opportunity to meet you again in the future (maybe our 10th Wedding Anniversary?)! Kind regards,."
2007 "Hi Pete,
Just a few words of thanks for a magnificent performance by the Blackthorn Band at the Irish Centre in Hammersmith. I received many comments, both on the evening and the days following, regarding how distinctly the guests appreciated your band, their selection of music and exceptional talent. I personally want to thank you for accommodating my requests and also for your patience with us during the middle of the evening when the tributes were being given. Please give my best regards to Mannie, Philippe, Alex and Sarah, - a sterling job done by all."
2007 "Hi Pete,
Just wanted to say thanks for making our wedding reception totally fantastic. Everyone had a good time and thought the band was great. Please extend our gratitude to the rest of the band and best of luck with everything. We've already recommended you to others"
2007 "Hi, Blackthorn Band
I just wanted to say how thrilled I was to see you all perform in Sidmouth this year--you were all absolutely brilliant. ..... Hopefully you will be playing some what close so I can come and hear you all perform. Take care and thanks again for your great music..."
2007 comments by Sarah McQuaid on our Sidmouth Folkweek performance
"Do send me a copy of your new CD when it's out and I'll be delighted to review it for Hot Press. If it's anything like as good as the live act I'm sure it'll be favourable!"
2007 "Hi Pete,
Now that Zish and I are back from our honeymoon we wanted to say "Thankyou" yet again for the fantastic job you did on our wedding night. Zish and I both really enjoyed it, and loads of people have complemented us on our choice - you did a great job of getting people onto the dance floor. Even people who asked me if I was mad having a ceilidh turned around and told me how glad they were to have been proved wrong, and I know about 2 of the Irish guys surprised everyone by getting up to dance when normally they say "Over my dead body"! Some of Zish's colleagues suggested making ceilidh dancing a regular team event! Thanks so much,"
2007 "Pete,
Just a short note to pass on our thanks for Saturday night. All concerned said how much they enjoyed the band, even the ones who didn't dance. Many thanks to you all"
2007
"I just wanted to thank Mannie, Fegus, Sarah and Philippe for such a brilliant performance at the launch of Rhythm & Muse - everyone really enjoyed their music and I was delighted that they encouraged us to dance to the Irish Rover at the end! You definitely make music that should be danced to!"
2007 "Hi Pete
Had to email to say how much we enjoyed the Band on Saturday - Under the very difficult circumstances you did a great job. We've had many calls and notes thanking us for the evening and saying how much they enjoyed the music. I do hope your journey back was not too long and hope to see you again soon. Please pass our thanks on to the rest of the Band. Best wishes"
2007
"Thank you for making the evening such a success"
2007 "Dear Pete
We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on Friday night and thank you to you all for making it such fun! Thanks once again...."
2006 "Hi Pete
Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed performances by Blackthorn at this summer's Sidmouth folk week!"
2006 "yeah I caught you guys at the ham in sidmouth... (I stewarded the door) you rocked !!"
2006 "Pete
Just wanted to drop you a line to thank Blackthorn so much for giving us a great night's entertainment at our wedding. What a great evening and just how we both imagined it would be! It was good to see a band so much enjoying what they are doing and i have had so many positive comments from our guests saying how good you were and how much fun the evening was. A lovely band, lovely people and wonderful to see so many people dancing together. Just what a wedding reception should be! Please pass on our thanks to all the band and we hope you managed to have a good time too despite the long journey! At least the food was pretty good!! All the best for the future"
2006 "Hi Pete
I just wanted to touch base and say a big thank you for Friday Night - The Blackthorn Band were great and we really enjoyed having you at the evening. I would be grateful if you could let me know wither you are available for next year"
2006 Received via Function Junction Agency
"Although the restaurant wasn't as busy as we expected with just 70 covers we were delighted with the atmosphere created and will consider re-booking again."
2006 "To Pete, Mannie and the gang
I just wanted to say a big thank you for making our St Patrick's night do the best ever. Everybody has been commenting all week on how great you were and the night went just too quickly. We raised just under £900 for the school and I know this was helped by the 'electric' atmosphere created by yourselves. On behalf of the PTA, I would like to wish you success in everything you do, and I hope our paths cross again one day."
2006 "Pete,
Thank you for a wonderful party at our wedding just over a week ago. We really hope you enjoyed playing as, though the standard of dancing was pretty poor (I don't suppose you often see much worse!!) there certainly seemed to be plenty of enthusiasm around! From the comments we've received afterwards, everyone had a wonderful time so thank you very much. I would definitely highly recommend your band to others looking for great music and a good fun atmosphere. Thank you."
Sidmouth festival (from Seered.co.uk)
I thought they were very danceable and not too loud. ... Other ceilidh dancers have told me they thought that Blackthorn were one of the best bands on offer during the whole week. Memo to organisers - have them back next year!"
"Hi Pete
Just returned from honeymoon. Just a quick note to say a big thank you to you and the rest of the band for giving us some great music at our wedding on May 1st. We couldnt have been more happy with everything, sorry I didnt manage to have a proper chat on the day. Well we shall definitely recommend you to anyone we know wishing to have a party of any occasion. Best Wishes & Thanks again"

"Its taken me almost a year to write to you and thank you so very much for a brilliant night's entertainment in our marquee. Even though when the disco finished and packed up they took all the lighting with them, and we were just left with pealights, you just go on with it and made the evening such a success. The day flashed by for us, but one of my biggest memories of the evening is of everybody dancing and weaving to your music. You worked really hard and Im surprised your lady caller had a voice left at the end of the night - she got everybody on that floor and organised. Excellent. Thank you again"
"Pete
Please pass on our thanks to all of Blackthorn for the fantastic performance they put on for us at our wedding. The evening went fantastically well due largely to the music and atmosphere created by the band. Once again thank you"
"Blackthorn
Thanks you so much for playing at our wedding. We had a fantastic day and your music really made the evening. It was great to see everyone up and dancing, it was just how we wanted it to be"
"Hi Pete and everyone else!!
Thanks so much for playing at the wedding, you were all great and we had a fantastic time..the Band went down really well and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to my friends"
"Hello Paula (of Lea Graham Associates)
Just a quick note about Blackthorn who played at my wedding in Burwash on Saturday 31 July. I would like you to pass on my thanks to them for providing some fantastic music at the reception. They were only playing for an hour and a half but everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and commented on how good they were. .. I have had lots of comments about how much people enjoyed both dancing and listening to it. I would have no hesitation in recommending Blackthorn to others. Many thanks for all your help"
"Dear Pete and all at Blackthorn band
Now we are back from honeymoon we had to drop you a line to say a HUGE thank you for playing at our wedding... You were absoloutely superb! We have had so many positive comments about the band from our guests, you really made the day. It was a perfect mix of dances (and the most unlikely people got up to dance!) and songs and was better than we could ever have hoped for; we didn't want it to end. We had such a laugh doing the dances and the songs were beautiful. Both English and Irish relatives loved it and all our friends have been asking how we found you. So once again, THANK YOU!"
"Thanks for making our evening an unforgettable occasion"
"The bagpiper Jimmy and the ceilidh band Blackthorn were fantastic, and made our wedding all the more special. Thank you so much, we will be recommending you (Glen Grant agency) to friends and family."
"A huge thank you for adding such magic to our wedding day.. There wasn't a dry eye in the church when you piped me down the aisle and we had so many compliments at the reception. Thank you for travelling so far and for your professional help and service. We will definitely be in touch in future."
"Just a note to say how much we enjoyed your music etc. ... You did not disappoint & I felt you also enjoyed the bride "doing a reel" .. A great evening that we will remember for many years. Many thanks."
"..a very big thank-you.. You provided just the sound we were hoping for, far exceeding our expectations. We had lots of compliments about how lovely and different you sounded, and what a pleasant change it was from usual church music. We had a truly wonderful day, thank-you for helping to make it so special for us."
"A big thankyou - great success. If you want a reference you can use us and 200 other people who were there! Many thanks to all the band you made it such a fun time. My concern about the called barn dancing was all for nothing as they couldn't get enough! Will recommend you to everyone - Luv you"
"..our wedding has gone off without a hitch and the Blackthorn Band were brilliant. They really made the evening go well, we could not have hoped for a better group. The caller was wonderful and really responded to the mood of the guests, everybody commented on how excellently the evening went. Please could you pass our thanks and complements on to the band."
"..thanks you very much for a superb performance.. I thought you were all marvellous. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and said how excellent you all were. ..I for one will remember it for a long time.. I'll definitely be booking you next time I have a ceilidh and will certainly recommend you to friends."
“It was a great success.. You are obviously a very skilled band, which showed through in the high quality of music we were able to appreciate all evening”
“At last a moment to thank you all for helping to make our wedding day such a joyous occasion. The music was wonderful, just perfect. We had so many comments praising you and requests for your name too.. You were the perfect accompaniment to a joyous day.”
“I am just writing to thank you and your band again for your excellent contribution to the success of my daughter’s wedding reception...Everybody was complimentary about your playing..”
“..Just to say thank you so much for playing at our wedding.. The music was exactly right and I think it really complemented and added to the mood of the whole evening - you did a wonderful job!”
“Please accept my thanks for a really wonderful night”