The Publicans Upbeat anglo Irish indie folk band

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Available to book from POA. For an accurate quote please make an enquiry.

About / Biography

The Publicans are purveyors of the finest blend of Irish Folk and English Indie.
Our songs, including covers and originals, are fine-tuned for dancing, drinking and singing along too.
As the great Shane McGowan once said ‘There’s nothing to be gained by a wet thing called a tear‘.


We play pubs, clubs, festivals, weddings, birthdays and wakes. We love a good busk too!


The full band is a 5 piece with mandolin, penny whistle, guitar, bass and drums or cajon.
This lineup is always a chuckle, It has lots of energy and is very upbeat.

Other lineups include:
4-piece without bass or guitar. Pretty much as full-on as the main band.
Trio with mandolin, penny whistle and cajon. Folky with a strong beat
Duo with mandolin and penny whistle. Fun and folky
Duo with mandolin and guitar. Fun, folky and protesty
Solo with mandolin using looper or backing tracks. Folky!

Duo and solo line-ups are great for small venues and limited budgets!

We can tailor our lineup to suit the requirements of any venue and event.

We play country-wide, including Europe and further afield

Reviews (6)

There are currently 6 user ratings for The Publicans

AVERAGE RATING

10 / 101

Location

Based in Kidlington, Oxfordshire

Will travel up to 500 miles
green circle = areas covered (up to 500 miles)
pink circle = free travel (up to 30 miles)
Please note that the circles shown on the map are calculated "as the crow flies". By road distances may vary, so please get in touch for an accurate quote.

Streams of Whiskey (The Pogues)

Fairytale of New York (The Pogues)

Sally Maclennane (The Pogues)

Country Roads (John Denver)

Dirty Old Town (Ewan MacColl)

Little Lion Man (Mumford and Sons)

Irish Rover (Pogues and The Dubliners)

Half the World Away (Oasis)

Don't Look Back in Anger (Oasis)

The Galway Girl (Steve Earl)

The Black Velvet Band (Dubliners)

Whiskey in the Jar (Dubliners)

Technical Info

What are your basic technical requirements?

The full band requires 13 amp power. Trio and 4 piece lines-ups can run from battery if no power is available.


Do you provide sound and lighting equipment?

Yes, we’re completely self-contained. We bring our own PA system to all of our gigs as well as a simple lighting rig.


What information do you require about a venue?

We need to know any directions that will help us find the venue and find the right place to load in our equipment. We’d also need to be informed if there’s a sound limiter in the venue.


Can you provide a Spotify/DJ service before and between your sets?

Yes, we can supply incidental music and a DJ if required. We’re happy to choose the music ourselves or let the client choose the music.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best gig you've ever done and the best venue you've ever played at?

There's an Irish pub called Flan O'briens in Bath which is always our favourite place to play. The landlord is a Star and the crowd is always fantastic. After that weddings and birthdays are the best, everyone is up for good time and the vibe is always great.


Which artists have you been most influenced by, who is your favourite artist and what is the greatest song of all time?

We're greatly influenced by bands such as The Pogues, The Dubliners and the Chieftains. However, The Lightening Seeds, The Smiths, Mumford and Sons also find their place in our sound. Even John Denver has a spot with Country Roads always bringing the house down.


What's your previous experience and how did you start gigging?

We've all been playing in various bands and acts for years but we came together in this form for a St Patrick's Day gig in 2018 and never looked back. We expanded the set and have now played pubs, clubs, weddings, parties and festivals throughout the UK.


What's your favourite type of event to play at?

We love playing at all sorts of events but weddings and birthdays are our favourites! The guests are always happy and it’s easy to get them dancing.


What's the bands guiding principal.

Shane MacGowan said in Streams of Whiskey
'There's nothing ever gained by a wet thing called a tear'
So let's have some fun while we can!

Performance Info

What are your typical setup and performance times?

We have over 3.5 hours of music in the set and it's growing all the time. We don't generally take a break as we like to keep the party going, however, we're more than happy to fit the set to the client's requirements.


Are you happy to perform outside?

Always happy to play outside. But not into direct sunlight if it can be helped.


Do the clients have a say in what you play or is it a set repertoire list only?

We have a fairly extensive repertoire of songs to choose from, and we're happy to discuss the set with the client. We're always happy to learn songs for a booking.


How do previous clients most commonly describe your performances?

A very lovely person said at the end of a wedding set that we bring 'joy'! Also, We get hugged a lot at the end of gigs, which is better than words really.

Recent Clients

The Publicans has performed for these clients:

See venues below

Venues

The Publicans has performed at these venues:

Nailsea Rugby Club

Market Tap (Oxford)

Blue Lagoon (Bristol)

Bristol Rovers pre match entertainment

Flan O'Briens (Bath - Monthly residency)

Port Mahon (Oxford)

Hornets RFC (Weston Super Mare)

Old Badger Inn (Stroud)

The Stable (Bristol)

West of England Irish Festival (Bristol)

The Seven Stars (Bath)

The Birkett Tap (Bristol)

Bath Party in the City

South Glos Food Fest (Spring and Autumn Festivals)

The Bear and Rugged Staff (Bristol)

The Three Brooks (Bristol)

The Black Horse (Taunton)

Oxford Arms (Oxford)

Hillcrest Camp Out (Henley-in-Arden)

Birthday Party (Private Booking)

The Bell Inn (Banbury)

Feast On the Downs (Bristol)

Melton Folk Summer Festival (Melton Mowbray)

Birthday Party (Private Booking)

The Bristol Inn (Clevedon)

The Rising Sun (Bristol)

BunkFest (Wallingford)

Wedding Reception (Greenwich London)

New Inn (Amesbury)

Napton Cidery (Napton)

Birthday Party (Private Booking)

Irchester Bowls Club

Corporate Event (Golden Jubilee River Cruise - Thames, London)

The Boat Inn (Chepstow)

The Trinity Inn (Bath)

The Plough Inn (Wrington)

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