WHO ARE WE?
Your foot-tapping guests will find themselves drawn into the pounding rhythms of the Burdock Band. The incredible variety of beautiful melodies in traditional music make wonderful listening. The band are professional musicians from classical, folk and rock backgrounds, and play a driving rendition of Celtic music from the British Isles, France and beyond.
If you’re planning a ceilidh, twmpath, or barn dance, our experienced caller will inspire your visitors onto the dance floor for fun and laughter as they learn the simple dance routines. Whatever your event – wedding, party, festival, corporate, school, fund-raiser – it’s the perfect way to get your people to mingle!
meet our BAND MEMBERS
GERRY SMITH
Accordion
Gerry has performed with numerous bands since the 80’s including World Service, The Nighthawks, Mack and the Boys, Last Orders, and is one half of The Whiskey Brothers. He was with the highly successful folk rock band The Bushbury’s for ten years producing many critically acclaimed albums and touring over 500 festivals and venues in the UK and Europe. His compositions have been performed many times for radio and theatre.
ANN JONES
Fiddle, Viola
Ann has been performing professionally for twenty five years, with bands from KLLB, Seby Ntege and Embaire strikes back, to The Bow Bells, Mama Matrix and Escalado. Since training at RCM she has defected from classical music to explore world folk, and her energetic musicianship and warm harmonies bring fresh ideas to the traditional dance tunes on which she was raised.
Vicki Ayers
Bodhran, Percussion, Band Manager
Vicki was actually conceived at a folk festival and was raised on scrumpy and pounding Irish rhythms! She has played the bodhran since childhood and has performed and recorded with many bands including Common Ground, Wet ya Whistle and Last Orders.
A keen dancer herself, her funky rhythms will get your feet moving.
Mike Finney
Guitar, Vocals, Djembe
Mike graduated from 4 strings to 6 at the tender age of 12, cutting his teeth on the local folk circuit before an apprenticeship with the Irish pubs and clubs in the Birmingham area. More recently, Mike toured with Kopanang as a tenor and multi-instrumentalist.
Mick Howson
Guitar, Hurdy Gurdy
Mick has been playing professionally since the 60’s and has supported Thin Lizzy, The Kinks, Dire Straits and the Pogues. With the cult skiffle cow-punk band Terry and Gerry, he toured throughout the UK and Europe achieving chart success. More recently he has played in the Kitchen Girls, Last Orders and the gypsy-klezma band, The Destroyers. He has recently toured again with Terry and Gerry.
Dan Longley
Resident Caller, Mandolin, Admin
Progressing from shepherd, miner, children’s theatre performer, special effects technician, dark ride designer, college lecturer and fitness instructor, it was inevitable, with time, that Dan would become resident caller for the Burdocks. Dan specialises in gender-free calling and inclusion, drawing inspiration from the Celtic folk dance tradition and beyond including Klezmer, French, Dutch and American influences. He can design with you something special for the occasion such as couple and entourage dances. Dan currently runs barn dance fitness classes in South Birmingham
Samantha Norman
Fiddle
Samantha played with the folk-orchestra Conservatoire Folk Ensemble before becoming a founding member of English folk band the Old Dance School, described as a “Cinematic Folk Septet”. Frequently featured on BBC Radio 2, they have toured extensively in the UK and Europe to much critical acclaim. Sam also performs with the RSC.
Max Gittings
Pipes, Flutes, Whistles
A stalwart of Ceilidhs, Irish-sessions and folk gigs over the years, Max has a deep love and respect for traditional music. He has a full-time career as teacher and performer, playing at music festivals nationwide with The Destroyers, touring the UK and the world with the RSC, and appearing on numerous recordings, including the Burdock Band. Listen to Max on Scottish SmallPipes.