Question 1

Do you supply your own PA?  Is it PAT-tested?  What power supply do you need?

Accepted Answer

Jiggerty comes with a full PA (Public Address) system, suitable for venues with a capacity of up to 250 people.  It draws less than 1kW which is easily provided by a normal mains supply. We require one standard mains power socket at the venue to plug into which should be not more than 5 metres away from the band’s performance area.  We are able to play music acoustically if desired, from a fixed position or wandering amongst your guests, however called dances would require the use of our PA.
 
We take our electrical safety and the protection of our PA equipment very seriously.  We always check the socket we are plugging into with a socket tester and will not use any socket which the tester shows is incorrectly wired.  We then plug in a Masterplug RCD adapter and a Surge Guard four socket extension lead before connecting our PA.  Our PA equipment is checked by visual inspection (as detailed on page 11 of the Health & Safety Executive INDG247 leaflet Electrical Safety for Entertainers and in Maintaining Portable Electrical Equipment) with additional electrical tests ('PAT test') where applicable.    
 
If you are looking for us to perform somewhere that is not inside a permanent building, such as in a marquee or outdoors, please discuss this with us so that we can ensure electrical safety.  We can only agree to use an external generator as a power source if this has been supplied by a reputable company.  Any cabling/sockets used outdoors must be suitable for outdoor use – if in doubt, please seek the advice of a professional electrician.

Question 2

Can we use your PA for speeches / to play our own music?

Accepted Answer

We are happy to give you access to a microphone for speeches/announcements or for your family/friends to use our PA and microphones to provide a spot of musical entertainment.  There would be no extra charge if required for a time when our PA is already set up for your event, e.g. in our half-time break - this can be arranged by speaking to us when we arrive.  If you need us to arrive earlier in order to provide this prior to the ceilidh (e.g. for wedding speeches), we would need to make an additional charge for our time - please contact us in advance to discuss your requirements.  
 
We can play recorded music through the PA system when the band is having a half-time break for no extra charge and/or at additional cost after the band has finished, for a ‘disco’ end to the evening - please discuss this with us if you are interested. We ask you to provide the music you want on a smartphone or other MP3 player - the connection from this device into our PA (for amplification through our speakers) is via a standard headphone jack socket.  We provide all the cabling needed, including adaptors for new phones which don’t have a headphone socket (both lightning & USB-C connections).  We also come with a powerful multi-coloured light unit which creates a great disco ambience.

Question 3

Do you have Public Liability Insurance?

Accepted Answer

Jiggerty hold Public Liability Insurance with a current limit of £5 million which is renewed annually in July.  We are happy to email a copy of our certificate to your venue if required.  The original certificate can be produced on our arrival at your event if requested.

If your venue requires a £10 million insurance limit, please contact us in advance as our insurer will extend our coverage at cost on a per event basis.   We will ask you to pay the additional cost in advance - as an indication, in April 2023 the insurer's fee for this was £56.   This cost is non-refundable once the insurance has been purchased.

Question 4

Can you play outdoors?

Accepted Answer

We are able to play music acoustically outdoors, either from a fixed position or wandering amongst your guests.  In the summer this can be a nice way to start an evening before going inside for dances but as it is quite demanding for the musicians we prefer to play for no longer than 45 minutes without a break.  We can also play acoustically indoors however in an enclosed space the noise of guests talking tends to prevent the music being heard by anyone other than those immediately close by. Called dances require the use of our PA and therefore to ensure electrical safety in case of wet weather, the band would need to be set up within a gazebo or other similar shelter.  This should also provide protection from wind (which affects the playing of the whistle) and cold which affects both the tuning and playing of all instruments (if the musicians' hands become too chilled to work effectively).  Any cabling/sockets used outdoors must be suitable for outdoor use – if in doubt, please seek the advice of a professional electrician.  We can only agree to use an external generator as a power source if this has been supplied by a reputable company. As the British weather can bring rain at any time of year it is better if you can provide a marquee or similar covering for dancers and spectators, or to have a back-up indoor option.  It is possible to dance on a lawn but not ideal, as high-heeled shoes in particular will tend to sink into the grass.  Hard flooring is recommended where possible - the matting flooring offered with marquees can be danced on but there is a risk of dancers catching their feet under the tacked edges and falling.

Question 5

Do we need to provide refreshments for the band?

Accepted Answer

For a typical event the band will be out of their houses for at least 6 hours (allowing for travelling, setting up, performance and packing up afterwards).   We would therefore appreciate you arranging refreshments for the band, equivalent to a meal and 2 drinks per person.  It is customary for the band to be invited to share in food and drink provided for guests.  Please let us know in advance if it isn't possible to provide either food or drink, or if food will only be available before or after we perform.

Question 6

What parking and access do you require?

Accepted Answer

We require at least 1 standard size parking space as close to the performance area as possible, to provide a short, safe access route for the transportation of our sound equipment.  Or at minimum, an unloading space next to the venue and a parking place nearby.   Additional parking spaces are likely to be required as band members usually travel separately.   We like to have access to the performance area approximately 45 minutes before we are due to start playing, in order to set up and sound-check.  If there are any stairs on our access route, please discuss this with us in advance.  We require a minimum of 20 minutes to set up from the time we get our equipment to the performance area.