Oxford NAGS is a four piece ceilidh band based around Oxfordshire and a bit of Hampshire.
They play stonking English tunes for stonking English dance.
Nina Hansell (PolkaWorks, The Bismarcks) has been playing the fiddle and English traditional music for more than 30 years and is deeply committed to traditional dance, through morris, clog and providing music for other dancers. She delights audiences with her passion for playing bouncy English tunes – not only do the audience feel the need to dance, she does too; in fact she can't not.
Sandy Shallis is a melodeon player from Adderbury. She plays for folk and local ceilidh bands including Tinker's Ditch, and her local ladies morris side. With Tim Howes she won Best Folk Duo at the Chipping Norton Music Festival. John Kirkpatrick described their performance as outstanding. Until recently Sandy kept her melodeon-arm muscles in shape by pulling pints in The Bell, Adderbury, referred to by many as "best pub in the world".
Andy Turner plays anglo-concertina with Oxfordshire dance band Geckoes, and with the concert band Magpie Lane. He is a very experienced dance musician, having been playing for ceilidhs, barn dances and morris for over 40 years. Andy gets tunes out of an Anglo concertina that aren't there. He is a lot older than he looks.
Gareth Kiddier (many, many bands, including PolkaWorks, The Bismarcks, English Contra Dance Band and The Watch) sits in the corner and plays the piano, and generally does what he's told.
These listings show public gigs only - we're also available for private events.
Saturday 12th August
Dartmoor Folk Festival
South Zeal, Devon
caller: Jane Thomas
Sunday 31st December
Unicorn Ceilidhs
St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Street, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5AD
caller: Barry Goodman
Friday 20th May
Knees Up Cecil Sharp Ceilidhs
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY
caller: Sheena Masson
21st-23rd August
Whitby Folk Week
Friday 2nd September
Bunkfest
Wallingford Sports Park, Hithercroft, Wallingford OX10 9RB
Friday 9th September
Unicorn Ceilidhs
St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Street, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5AD
caller: Barry Goodman
Saturday 26th November
Oxfordshire World Scout Jamboree Ceilidh
Wallingford School, St George’s Road, Wallingford OX10 8HH
caller: Aidan Hansell
Short excerpts of Oxford NAGS playing live for dancing:
Red Fox Ceilidhs, Leicester, 20th January 2018
Caller: Bob Morgan
James Higgins' No.1 / 15 Welsh Street
Bridport Ceilidhs, 6th January 2018
Caller: Gill Spence
Meltdown Ceilidhs, Haywards Heath, 19th March 2017.
Caller: Aidan Hansell
Miss Ann Fraser Mackenzie / Tommy Jenkins
Truro Folk Dance Club, Haddon Village Hall, 2nd December 2016.
Callers: Frances Oates and Beryl Jukes
For all enquiries please contact Gareth Kiddier on gareth.kiddier[at]gmail.com replacing [at] with @.