Looking for an unforgettable experience at your next corporate event? Pipe Down Band delivers a high-energy fusion of traditional Scottish music with rock and dance anthems – perfect for conferences, gala dinners, and networking events across Glasgow, Edinburgh, and beyond.

▶ Watch our showreel on YouTube: Pipe Down Bagpipe band for Contemporary Scottish show

Why PipeDown is the #1 Choice for Corporate Events

1. Unmatched Stage Energy & Versatility

Reel Time Band isn’t just a band—it’s a full sensory experience. Our mobile, kilted performers bring

• Explosive pipe & drum performances – Fast reels, rock riffs, and dance beats
  
• Crowd-thrilling mashups – From Daft Punk to traditional Scottish anthems
  
• Interactive battles – Can Bagpipes Outblast a Guitar or Outgun a Snare Drummer?
• Optional Highland Dancers – Choreographed routines for extra spectacle

2. Tailored for Professional Events

• Scottish Conference Openers/Closers – Grand entrances or high-energy finales
• 5-20 Minute “Wow Factor” Sets – Perfect for breaks or transitions
  
• Full Mobility – Can lead guests between event spaces
  
• Ceilidh Dance Option – Engage guests with 40 mins of guided Scottish dancing

3. Signature Setlist Highlights

Pipe Rock Anthems – Where Faithless meets Daft Punk, Avicii gets remixed, and bagpipes ignite your dance floor like never before.
Scotland Reimagined – Auld Lang Syne and Scotland the Brave Remixed like never before!

Pipedown bagpipe band at EICC conference opening ceremony

——————

Where We’ve Electrified Audiences

• Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC)
  
• SEC Glasgow (Including AC Forum 2025, January)
  
• National Museum of Scotland
  
• Virgin Hotel Edinburgh

Booking Now: 2025/26 Corporate Dates

Why Planners Love Us:

• Pre-event consultation– to plan the right Scottish entertainment for guests
• Flexible formats – From trio to full 6-piece + dancer
• All-in production – Sound, lighting, and performance handled. Audio Visual shows can also be coordinated. 

Availability for:

• Summer 2025/2026 corporate events
• Autumn conference season
  
• Christmas party bookings

The Ultimate Scottish Entertainment Experience

Whether you need:

• A burst-in performance to energise delegates
• A mobile pipe procession between event spaces
• A customised show blending your theme with Scottish flair

PipeDown delivers world-class professionalism with modern Highland spirit and energy.

Take Your Event From Ordinary To Legendary

▶ Contact PipeDown Today

The post Corporate & Conference Events Made Epic: How PipeDown Band Electrifies Audiences appeared first on Reel Time Band.

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Though not uncommon at Reel Time, we had another very busy week recently with 5 Scottish band events in just 3 days. 2 events were for one incentive group, our stage show and rock band Tartanium performed twice, there was ceilidh dancing and a wedding. All of this took place at some great venues for entertainment in Edinburgh and St Andrews.

First up were the Scraggly Cats, accompanied by 3 mini-kilted Highland Dancers, at the Kimpton Hotel in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. The rocking ceilidh band entertained an Incentive group of Americans from Spectra DMC, fresh off of a long haul flight from the states. As they relaxed and unwound from the travel, the Scraggly Cats played background pop covers during dinner, sort of like a live lounge. This was our first of two events with this group. At the second event, we’d be doing a full on ceilidh with them. In preparation for that, we introduced them to Scottish dancing with a brand new service we offer clients: Strictly Come Ceilidh Dancing. The 3 mini-kilted dancers and the band helped teach guests some dances, then couples and group were judged by the professionals – the Highland Dancers – and non-professionals i.e. a panel of senior members of the company. A fun and novel way to get to grips with ceilidh dancing, and not too taxing an evening on the heels of a long day of travel.

At the same time, just a few streets away, the 5 piece Tartanium band entertained a top-secret corporate client at a gala dinner event. The band – bagpipes, drums, guitar, keyboard, and a singer – plus three mini-kilted Highland Dancers, put on their raucous stage show for some after-dinner entertainment at the National Museum of Scotland. They were followed by a Pipeband, who emerged from one of the museum’s galleries and marched in procession through the main hall to surpise the guests with ‘Beat the Retreat.’

The next night, Tartanium was back on the road for a function at the Eden Club in Pittormie Castle, near St Andrews. Reel Time provided all sorts of entertainment for The Founders Dinner of a Private Members club. The Members had enjoyed golfing during the day on the Old Course, then returned to the Eden Club for dinner, during which Reel Time provided a Guitar and Accordion Duo and Roddy the Piper performed the Haggis Address. Then a 6-piece  Tartanium, adding a fiddle to the previous night’s setup, plus 3 mini-kilted dancers performed their whirlwind show.

On the third day, at the Assembly Rooms on George Street in Edinburgh, the Reel Time Ceilidh Band performed for the same Incentive Group of Americans hosted by Spectra. Having had a taste of ceilidh dancing, they were ready for the full event, this time without the pressure of judges.

And, finally, the Scraggly Cats were in St Andrews for a wedding. The Happy Couple both went to St Andrews University, where they met, and shared a love of ceilidh dancing which they later incorporated into their wedding. They left a lovely review here.

A busy week of Scottish Band Events for our bands, who were shortly back out in force for 5 scottish events in just one night!

If you need help finding the right band or for your Scottish Event or wedding, get in touch!

 

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In Glasgow Ceilidh news this summer, we have been fortunate to secure a great run of events with Merchant Square. At the epicentre of Glasgow’s happening bar and night-life, Merchant Square also has another side to its events: the conference event takeover!

Glasgow Convention Bureau do a great job of attracting large conferences to the city. And by good job, I mean they have been named top conference bureau in the UK 12 years running by the Meeting and Incentive Travel Awards. 

Over the course of each summer, conference organisers are looking to find a venue that can easily accommodate a conference audience of up to 1500 people. 1500 people that descend at once, sit down for dinner, and then watch Scottish culture come alive through music and dancing, as a highlight of the conferences Social Program, which are often at the Scottish Event Campus.

Merchant Square’s range of dining establishments closes for the night to allow for the conference events. Black Box Pro Audio set up a stage, lighting and PA system.

The band who have been asked back time and time again are the rock-and-pop Ceilidh band Scraggly Cats. Their simple ceilidh dancing walk-throughs work well for uninitiated ceilidh clients. This is especially relevant with conference audiences, where the band deals with up to 1500 ceilidh rookies at the same time. 

To vary the entertainment and allow for a mix between Scottish cultural dancing and pure pop and rock, then band then plays a set of pop and rock classics. This is a specially curated mix of tunes that are recognised worldwide!

The 2019 conferences at Merchant Square are:

12th June – Offshore Mechanics & Arctic Engineering (OMAE), 1000 guests

10th July – CAP Partner – Federation of European Microbiologists (FEMS) 2019 Congress of European Microbiologists, 800 guests

18th July – International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe (ISMPMI), 1300 guests

1st Aug – International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC) 2019, 800 guests

4th Sept – European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS) 2019, 1000 guests

8th Oct – The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)’s International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) 2019, 1000 guests

5900 people from 36 countries over 6 nights in Glasgow Ceilidh dancing. Strangers coming together in an embrace of Scottish culture across disciplines, nations, and languages. Resulting in 8 spectacular nights.

Thanks to Black Box Audio for the amazing sound and light for the events, and to Jenni and the Merchant Square Team for putting the conference events on.

 

We had a great time at ceilidh number 5, the EUCAS conference on the 4th September. The attendees were enthusiastic and great fun. Without much ceilidh dancing experience, they got stuck in and danced their lab coats off. Check out some of the fun from that night below:

The post Glasgow’s Merchant Square: 6 Ceilidhs for 5900 People appeared first on Reel Time Band.

As well as the size and volume of the band, you should think about the kind of music you want. Meaning, do you want a really energetic, fervent, wild time? If so, people will be dancing faster, moving around more. So you should make sure your guests are comfortable with a more physical event. If they aren’t, discuss keeping things relatively calm with the band. Dancing can be fun at any speed.

There are also some practical considerations to factor in when choosing your band. 

Do you have enough space? Is the stage big enough for the size of band that you want? Musicians can be pretty nimble, but drum kits and keyboards take up a lot of space. Ideally, you want a minimum stage space of about 5 metres by 5 metres. More, if you have a big band.

Your band almost definitely need a power supply. If you’ve chosen an events venue, you should be fine. If you’re having your ceilidh in a forest, you’ll need to come up with a plan for where the guitar amp plugs in.

Our bands like to be able to set up at least an hour before the event, so you should take that into consideraion. If you have other activities planned for your guests, see what you can do to allow them to continue uninterruped while the band set up. This may require your activities to take place in another location, like another nearby room.

When you’re happy you’ve got the right band for your guests and the right space for them to play in, it’s time to think about your guests.

There are a number of important things to take into account when planning your event to ensure they have the best ceilidh possible.

Guest concern number one: clothing and footwear.

It might be worth dropping a note to your guests before the event with some advice on dress code. Some things are obvious; if you’re dancing, you probably don’t want to be wearing a ball gown that trails on the floor. Your partner, or someone else, will inevitably step on it. Then you’ll fall. You’ll take someone with you. Dominos – everyone in a pile on the floor. 

If you’re dancing, and I mean really dancing, then you’re going to be warm. Make sure not to wear clothes that are too warm. A heavy wool suit could be an issue after a few dances in a warm, crowded room. You want to be comfortable to have the most fun. But you’re almost certainly going to be warm at some point. If you’re struggling with the heat, sit out a dance. Maybe dance every other dance. Get some air. Drink a cool drink.

And, finally, make sure your guests know what footwear NOT to bring. Ladies probably don’t want to be in eight-inch stilettos. Obviously, it can impact the wearer’s balance when spinning. But we should be just as concerned about the innocent bystanders and their poor toes.

Gents should avoid slidey, slippery loafers. Old, worn dress shoes will not do. Grip is important for balance, so the dancer doesn’t harm himself, but also so that the bigger lads don’t land on someone else’s wee mum.

The post Hire A Ceilidh Band – Some Things to Think About appeared first on Reel Time Band.

Modern Ceilidh Band

Our modern ceilidh band, Tartanium, rocked up this Glasgow conference.  The 10 piece band along with the Tartanium dancers, helped hundreds of delegates ceilidh dance. This was the first dance! 

Scottish Show Video

Scottish show by the Tartanium 10 piece band. A modern funky Scottish band perform a Scottish show with contemporary dancers. The show piece combines bagpipes and fiddle with a driving rhythm section, (kit drums, keys, bass and electric guitar,) along with a horn section of sax, trumpet and trombone. The band rocked the Glasgow conference hosted at the SEC and Glasgow Hilton. The audience: 500 guests at a Nursing conference. 

The modern Scottish show can be anywhere between 15-30 minutes. This can be paired with an interactive modern ceilidh segment of up to 60 minutes. The Tartanium dancers mix contemporary choreography and traditional Highland dance steps to provide a spectacle for guests to watch. They can also help with the ceilidh segment, which helps massively!
The band also perform pop and rock covers to keep the dance floor moving all night.
The Tartanium band have also been called in to entertain opening and closing ceremonies for conference audiences. Sometimes accompanied by dancers or a pipe band. High impact modern Scottish performance for all events!
Find out more about the Tartanium Scottish Show

Scraggly Cats: Ceilidh and Covers at EICC Conference

The Scraggly Cats had a cracking gig at the EICC in Edinburgh last year. With 1300 delegates at the conference, the ceilidh was always going to be epic. Have a watch of the video for the end of the Strip the Willow, along with pop covers from the band.
We were lucky to have 6 Highland dancers on the floor to help us manage this massive conference crowd. They did well!
Have a look at more from the ceilidh and covers Scraggly Cats band 

If you are wanting to book the band for your event or conference, please drop us an email or call the events office.

The post Modern Ceilidh, Scottish Show Videos appeared first on Reel Time Band.

What is a ceilidh? While some people are very familiar with the idea of a Ceilidh…. others are not so.  Let’s start at the beginning:

Traditionally it is a gathering or social event, and it didn’t necessarily involve any dancing.  These days a Ceilidh is a sociable way to bring people together involving Scottish music and dance.

Children ceilidh, old people ceilidh, people with disabilities ceilidh.  It is an inclusive Scottish past time. It’s fun. It’s good to stimulate your blood flow and coordination.  It makes you more attractive (probably!).

How do you pronounce the word?

For those unfamiliar with a ceilidh, just the thought of asking about a ceilidh can be a little daunting!  How do you pronounce it?  Simply put, it is said, “Kay-lee” or ‘K LEE’. It is a Gaelic word meaning a gathering.  To ceilidh you will need: some coordination, a sense of fun and a bit of energy (various dance intensities for different energy levels)

Why might I choose to have a ceilidh?

A ceilidh is much more than simply enjoying Scotland’s musical heritage.  It is a great way to get people up and dancing.  It is a fantastic way to meet people and interact in an informal way.

What is its role in Scottish culture?

Most people in Scotland know how to ceilidh dance.  We were taught in gym lessons at school.  It is often used to bring together two sides of a family at a wedding to start the party, or as a celebration at a work, Christmas or corporate party.

Where can we listen to ceilidh music? 

Watch our modern ceilidh video of Contemporary Scottish Music Over 160000 other people have! 

Listen to funky ceilidh band audio at our ceilidh soundcloud

Online:  Have a look through our ceilidh band website for pictures, audio and media streams. 

To Download a track for non commercial use.  Watch this space! coming soon!  

Where can I find ceilidh music for commercial use?

If you are working in TV, radio, advertising, and are looking to license or commission a piece of ceilidh music then get in touch.  We have worked with various brands, TV shows and films to help create the Scottish mood.  We even scrubbed up pretty well to feature on ‘This September’ with Charles Dance!

My boyfriend is taking me reeling, what should I do?

Watch some videos, get yourself a reeling partner and let them know that this is your first dance! Also see ‘what shoes’ below.  Please note that reeling and ceilidh dancing although similar, are different.  More on that in our next blog post! 

Can anyone get involved in a ceilidh?

Anyone can ceilidh dance. It’s simple, but fun and energetic.  The key to ceilidh dancing is having a band that has a caller. There are various types of ceilidh band, from traditional ceilidh bands (usually with accordion or fiddle (violin) leading the sound)  to modern bands with bagpipes, synthesizer  and kit drums.  The most important thing for a beginner ceilidh audience is getting a ceilidh caller ( this is the person who explains the different dances to the guests).

There are lots of different ceilidh dances, from Gay Gordon’s to the Dashing White Seargent.  Some are fast, some are slow. Some are for couples (or two friends!!) and some are done as group dances.

The key is getting a balance of dancing, fun, crowd participation and team building.

How many ceilidh dances will we do? 

The answer is different depending on your audience. Some groups will ceilidh dance all night long, under the right ceilidh instruction. Some conference groups, who may have never experienced ceilidh before may like 4 or 5 dances.  There are some bands, such as the Scraggly Cats, who are well versed in mixing the evenings entertainment up between our traditional ceilidh dancing, and Modern pop and rock.  This gives the event organiser the flexibility on the evening to vary between the traditional Scottish element, and guests letting their hair down at a conference or incentive event.

What is the most appropriate ladies Ceilidh footwear? 

Though shalt go to the ceilidh ball. 2 pairs, one for arriving at the ball, the other for dancing.  It can be very fast paced spinning, turns and skipping.  So appropriate pretty flat shoes are a winner.  Also bear in mind you may have had a drink by the dancing stage!

Ceilidh dancers

When there is a large group, whether a conference of 1000 people, an incentive event of 500, or a corporate group visiting Scotland for the first time.  It is often handy to have some professional ceilidh dancers to come in and help keep some order on the dancefloor.

The Scottish dancers can often offer a showpiece spectacle, which can lead nicely into the guests dancing for themselves.  The dance routines can be traditionally Scottish, with highland fling and sword dance.  Alternatively for a more contemporary Scottish event, there are also dancers performing contemporary choreographed routines in mini kilts, before helping out a conference delegation.

I don’t think my guests will ceilidh dance!

There are some events that guests ceilidh participation is not on the cards! Maybe there is no space at your venue to get everyone dancing. Maybe the demographic of your crowd is such that you don’t feel they will dance (we had a great night with 100 Turkish men!! We didn’t think it would work either!!)

If you want to give the guests a great Scottish show, which mixes things up between traditional Scottish sounds and dancing.  Along with modern rock ceilidh, then have a look at Tartanium.

Next in the ceilidh dancing series: What is the difference between traditional and modern ceilidh bands?  

The post What is a Ceilidh? appeared first on Reel Time Band.

Leiths started proceeding, presenting an excellent buffet dinner.  The event space was left completely open, with no chairs, just a few poseur tables for eating.  This made for a really sociable atmosphere, and encouraged guests onto the dance floor, which was packed all evening.

Conference ceilidh dancers 

The band were accompanied by 8 Highland dancers who were able to lead the way and keep control on the dancefloor.  It was great to see international guests, from literally every corner of the globe, come together and ceilidh dance.  We stuck to the easier dances, with the faster dances proving most popular!

If you are in need of a great ceilidh band who can explain how to dance our Scottish dance to an international crowd, do get in touch for more detail.

The great thing about the Scraggly Cats is that as well as being a fantastic ceilidh band.  They are also able to keep the dance floor full with pop and rock classics.  This gives conference organisers the peace of mind that the cultural element will be fulfilled, at the same time as guests enjoying their favourite hits!

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The Reel Time Ceilidh Band were delighted to be asked to be the Edinburgh University Graduation Ceilidh band. For their graduation Ball, 1000 students descended upon Teviot Row House.  A gorgeous building in the centre of Edinburgh, for the one final blowout of their university career.

The Reel Time Band were in the main debating chamber and whipped the dance floor up into a state of ceilidh craziness.  The tempo for all dances was taken up at the request of the slightly inebriated students.  We certainly didn’t mind!  The ceilidh band were among a great line up of entertainment by Reel Time Events for the evening.  Including ceilidh band, string quartets, a jazz band and DJ.

Graduation ceilidh band 

If you are organising a big blowout and need a super funky ceilidh band to come and entertain your guests, do let us know!

The post Graduation Ceilidh Band appeared first on Reel Time Band.

Starting with a wedding at the mighty Dalmahoy, (a gorgeous hotel and country club near Edinburgh,) with an interesting mix of pop and ceilidh from our Scraggly Cats band.  The grooms daughter sang the first dance along with the band, which started the wedding reception off perfectly.  The guests were crammed onto the dance floor for a rocking ceilidh.  There was a great firework display just before the buffet, followed by pop and rock from through the decades.

Wednesday night saw the band at Edinburgh’s iconic 5 star hotel, the Balmoral.  We played as a 4 piece band, along with our Tartanium dancers.  We performed an accordion and guitar spot during the starter, followed by the folk band during the main course.  The guests were wowed by the Tartanium dancers before we put them through the paces on the ceilidh dance floor.  The highlight for the band was, without a doubt, the baked Alaska that appeared.  5 star!

Conference Ceilidh 

On Thursday night we entertained a conference ceilidh crowd in town for PRION 2017, a degenerative disease research conference.  There were 200 guests from all over the world mad keen to find out how to ceilidh dance, and they danced all night long!

We set up our large PA and lighting rig at the museum.

Whether it be wedding entertainment, Scottish conference dinner entertainment, or looking for a Scottish touch for your conference, then get in touch with one of the Reel Time team to discuss how we can help you to get your ceilidh on!

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