Acoustic singer for hire: pubs, clubs, parties & festivals

Live music for pubs and bars

This is what I do most. A Friday or Saturday night set that keeps people in the room until last orders: singalongs, requests, a few of my own songs, the volume pitched so the bar can still take orders. I arrive early, set up my own PA and lighting, and sort my own sound, so the landlord has nothing to do but open the doors.

Recent and regular rooms include Hog Noggins in Burslem, the Goldenhill Club and the Travellers Rest in Goldenhill, the Masons Arms in Knutton, Moreville Hall in Werrington, Privilege Bar in Uttoxeter and the Joiners Arms and William Chesters in Market Drayton. The gig diary has what is coming up.

• 2 × 45 minutes as standard, or an all-night booking.
• Indoor, beer garden or both; the PA copes with either.
• PAT-tested kit and public liability insurance, paperwork on request.
• Every public gig is posted to my fan list and socials, so you get the promotion too.

Social and working men's clubs

I know the club circuit: concert room, early start, a crowd that wants the songs it knows done properly. Bingo break timings respected, volume kept sensible, and a set that moves from easy listening early on to a dance floor by the end.

Private parties: birthdays, anniversaries, garden parties

A 40th in a function room, a 60th in a marquee, an anniversary in the back garden. You tell me the crowd and the vibe, tick the songs you want on the song picker, and I build the night around it. One special song learned free, whether that is the birthday person's favourite or the one from the wedding thirty years ago.

Private parties need a bit of floor space and a plug. Everything else, including the lights, comes with me.

Festivals, outdoor events and community days

Outdoor stages, town events, beer festivals and summer fairs. Big warm sound from one person and a guitar, no band-sized changeover, and a set that works for a mixed afternoon crowd. If the event has its own PA I will plug in; if not, I bring mine.

Corporate and charity nights

Staff parties, charity fundraisers, awards do's. Background acoustic early, party set late, and the professionalism (insurance, PAT, turning up when I say I will) that these bookings need.

Where I play

Questions landlords and hosts ask

How much do you charge for a pub gig?

It depends on the night, the distance and the length of the booking, so I quote per gig. Regular slots are priced as regular slots. Send the date and I will come back quickly.

Do you need a sound engineer or a stage?

No. I bring and run my own PA and lights. A corner of the room and a socket is enough.

What do you play?

Covers from the 60s to now, 300-plus songs, plus a few originals. Think Oasis, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Lewis Capaldi, the Killers, Ed Sheeran, Johnny Cash and the singalongs in between. The song picker shows a slice of it.

Can we book you for a regular slot?

Yes, and many of my gigs are repeat bookings. Ask about a monthly or fortnightly date.

How far will you travel?

Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and North Staffordshire as standard, Cheshire, Shropshire and Derbyshire regularly, further by arrangement.