The band were formed in 1983 with vocalist Tony being one of the original line-up. In that time, Keltus have played to audiences including 40,000 people at the Glasgow Mayfest, 25,000 at the Heineken Big Top with The Pogues, a Chateau in France for a very exclusive birthday party and to 6 people in a kitchen for a family celebration as well as just about every other type of event you can imagine in between!
Some of the more memorable venues Keltus have played include The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham, The Alexandra Palace London, Stowe School Buckingham, Camden Irish Centre London, Kilburn Irish Centre London, Rock City Nottingham, Leicester Tigers Stadium Leicester, The Hammersmith Apollo London, The Banyan Hua Hin, Thailand, Isles of Scilly Folk Festival Scilly and Ghanafest, Malta.
Keltus have recorded 12 albums as well as individual band members appearing on many, many more and are currently working on their next album!
Bookings are undertaken with a flexible line-up from a three-piece band up to a five-piece band plus caller. Instrumentation includes Guitar, Button Accordion, Melodeon, Bodhran, Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo and Vocals depending on the line-up booked. When playing for Ceilidhs and Barn Dances, Keltus always bring along a caller who works wonders at getting people involved in fun, easy traditional dances.
Keltus are available for festivals, folk clubs, pubs and clubs as well as all types of private functions, including weddings!
Repertoire
4-Piece Band:
Additional Musicians
Peter Mckenna
Fantastic band. The whole group were very helpful and the music was first class. I would definitely book them again.
Tara Clare
Absolutely amazing!!!! They made our wedding day so fun and exciting, everyone loved them. Thank you!
Louise Hilliard
Great entertainment.
Linda Adcock
I wanted to take the time to thank you for playing at my 60th birthday party. The band was amazing and everyone loved them. Everybody there was talking about how good you were, and they are still talking about you, even now. You are the main feature of the party which people remember! Of course, your excellent local reputation preceded you and that took some living up to - you did so admirably. I was worried that, with such a diverse group of guests, there would be awkward silences but Tony did a sterling job at getting people up on the dance floor and, once they started, they couldn’t stop. Quite a few of my friends commented that they forgot we were all hitting 60 and were dancing like young 'uns. It says much for your music, though, that the real young 'uns also joined in and it was a treat to see that younger Irish generation (because about 2/3 of the party were Irish) showing off their traditional dance skills to your music. Your song and tune selection was really excellent. Just the right balance, and lovely to have some songs which were favourites (Billy was completely made up with Carrickfergus) and others which were original compositions. Of course, the standard was – well – absolutely professional. It must be great to have such universal appeal. I can honestly say that your music hit the mark with both young and old; English and Irish – and even the small Greek contingent got up and learned a few dance moves! Your CD is being well-played on Corfu and in Athens now! I noticed a good few of the staff from the bar downstairs snuck in for a sneaky look too. You really made the evening for me and do, please, feel free to use this if you need a testimonial. Looking forward to seeing you soon at one of your gigs. With my very best wishes and thanks again.
Hugo & Kim McCorkell
Hi Samantha, sorry about late reply. Just returned from our honeymoon. The band was fantastic. Thank them very much for us! There was a few people at the wedding that had not danced in years but got up when they heard them :)
Liz Coombes
Speechless - and that's not like me. The band were fantastic - they are the best of the best, on a par with The Dubliners. Absolutely made our evening, this will be the first band we look to for all our future events without a doubt. The Caller was great fun, all of them were a compliment to each other. Off the score board. Liz Coombes
Claudine Pendry
Keltus were brilliant; their music suited our whole audience ranging from the 3 and 5 year old to the 85 year old!!! Excellent!! :-)
We give you a bespoke price based on the exact location of your event. The pricing below is based on a central location for your area so you have an idea of what your price will be. The exact price will be given in the booking process after you’ve provided the location details.
Do you provide your own PA?
Yes, for venues up to 250 capacity. Above that, please ask.
Do you provide background music to play during intervals?
Yes, we have music available on an MP3 player or you are welcome to bring along your own on MP3, iPod etc for us to play through our PA system.
What do I get for my money?
Prices quoted are for the three piece band line up. If you'd like to add in more musicians/ caller please let us know and we'll quote you for the different options.