If anyone wants me to call for their dance I take it.

Precisely so, same with us.

At the moment the furthest ahead the ceilidh band is booked is July 2012, but if anyone had made us a firm offer for further ahead then that's fine.

Venues get booked up, some publications have got ridiculously long lead times, and people like to get things planned well in advance.

Things are also complicated for us by the fact that we have to work sympathetically with what the morris side is doing, and we're already getting reasonably firm bookings for the side for 2012.

I'd agree, I think it is partly a sign that you take your music seriously. Because if you're taking gigs well in advance, then the other things in life have to fit around the gigs - and although I've never even approached being a professional musician, that's the way it's been for my whole adult life. Anyway it's good for the ego, being wanted well in advance :)

Bottom line - if you offer someone a gig, and they aren't prepared to commit that far ahead ... offer the gig to someone else who *is* prepared to work at the same level of commitment and planning as you! (I originally said 'the same level of professionalism', but took that out as many amateurs are just as 'professional' as the 'professionals').