Last night the group I play with did a contradance. Due to a mixup, the cables for the amplifiers didn't arrive until an hour later. So we told them, Hey, in the past we played dances for two years without a sound system- no problem. ( I remember years ago in one building the acoustics were so bad we literally set up in the middle of the floor with the dancers on either side of us, and we were prepared to consider it last night.)

We had two fiddles, a mandolin, a banjo, a bass and a guitar- a good mix. Plus most of us have played together for a number of years and we know our material. There were only about 30 dancers, so the sound was not absorbed by bodies. We have a wide repetoire and are an enthusiastic, energetic band, you might even say, loud.

All in all, the band enjoyed the acoustic sound; we sat close together so we could hear each other. However, the caller (who did have a mike) said that it was hard to call- that evidently because it was much quieter than usual, the dancers laughed and chatted amongst themselves and didn't pay proper attention to the calls. He had to work hard. He, incidentally, is an experienced caller that we like to work with, and he doesn't usually complain about dancers.

For one medley, I had a dancer take my guitar while I sat in the back of the hall to monitor the sound. Frankly, the only instruments I could actually hear were the fiddles and the bass, but the beat was good and the balance was OK. The only down side was that, maybe because it was so quiet, the energy seemed low, and the dancers uninspired.

Does anyone still do dances without a sound system?