contemporary and historical English country dance music The members of Bangers & Mash at Fezziwig's Warehouse at the Dickens Fair, December 2001 (counter-clockwise): Susan Kramer--flute, recorders, vocals and percussion Stanley Kramer--violin, recorder, string bass David Strong--violin and viola Craig Johnson--piano, accordion (and other keyboards, too, being the author of this site.)

The Band | Upcoming Events | Our CD: "Breakfast at Fezziwig's" | Have us play your event
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Last updated on Sunday, October 28, 2007.
NOTE: We have a new domain! You can now reach this page at http://www.bangersandmash.us.

Bangers and Mash started playing together in 1994, and have been performing music for English country and historical couple dancing ever since. We're regulars at events for PEERS (the Period Events and Entertainment Recreation Society) as well as for BACDS (the Bay Area Country Dance Society).

We've done a number of formal balls, as well as playing for innumerable dance series. For the past three years, we've performed at Fezziwig's Warehouse, the community dance stage of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco. We also play weddings, parties and private dances, of course. Feel free to use the links in the photo caption to contact any of us for more information about the band's availability...

The 14th annual Bal des Vampires features two floors of dancing, and we'll be in the upstairs ballroom playing haunting waltzes, as well as four centuries' worth of dance tunes, ranging from country dances of the 1600s to modern show tunes--for our guests who've been around considerably longer than that! This is the most elegant event that PEERS puts on, but as always, costume is "admired but not required". For more information, see PEERS' website, as well as an indepth look at costuming the event, a feature article published October 28th in the San Francisco Chronicle's Style section (where else?).

Friday, November 23 and weekends
to December 23rd
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair
Cow Palace Exhibition Halls
Geneva and Santos, San Francisco

We are honored to be the band at Fezziwig's Warehouse: the community dance area of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. We will be there for your dancing pleasure every day of the Dickens Fair from the opening at 11am through the traditional singing of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" just before the fair's closing.

The Dickens Fair will be open every Saturday and Sunday from Thanksgiving to Christmas at the Cow Palace (off Geneva Avenue in San Francisco - there's lots of parking, and quite accessible by public transit). This year we're fortunate enough to have a five-weekend run. We enjoy this gig immensely, and titled our first CD "Breakfast at Fezziwig's" to commemorate this delightful engagement.

We'll be playing a potpourri of waltzes, schottishes, mazurkas, polkas, set dances, jigs and reels for the dancing enjoyment of everyone at Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig's holiday party - and you're invited! There will also be dance performances and parlor games at this fine establishment, and elsewhere in the Fair there's the wonderful world of a Victorian holiday celebration. (It's too much to list here: please see the Dickens Fair website for further details.)

Saturday, January 5th, 2008, 8pm
PEERS' Victorian 12th Night Ball
San Mateo Masonic Lodge, Tilton and Ellsworth, San Mateo

The final party of the 2007 Dickens Fair, this old time holiday party and dance is hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig. Come in your Victorian finery, or in modern evening attire. There is a dance lesson an hour before the dance starts, or you can practice early by going to the Dickens Fair itself. As a special treat, there will be a special intermission performance by the Peerless Music Hall. For more information, please see the event webpage on the PEERS site.

Our first CD is a 24-cut collection of our favorite country and couple dances, recorded in real time and at dance length before a live audience. The tunes range from Playford tunes of the 1650s to recently composed waltzes. Named "Breakfast at Fezziwig's" in honor of our friends at the Dickens Fair. It's now available for purchase! For information about the content as well as how to order, check out the Breakfast at Fezziwig's webpage