The Soundcheck
Gig diaries, setlist stories, and the honest reality of gigging as a solo acoustic musician. Published alongside my weekly Sunday newsletter — sign up here to get it in your inbox.
- the soundcheck
Love's Gone Sailing, the busking guide hits Etsy, and a tiring (but good tiring) week
Firstly… a quick apology.
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A 15-year-old song, three lovely gigs, and the slow build that's starting to show
Quick apology — this was meant to land in your inbox yesterday. Small tech hiccup at my end (I was trying to send it from a different machine and it…
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Mixing the students, sun-soaked gigs, and a small thing I've been quietly working on
This week has been a really special one.
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Teaching kids, turning 8, and the gig that puts it all in perspective
It's been another amazing week — one of those where you actually stop for a second and realise just how much is going on.
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From Kingston to Brighton — what a week.
It's been one of those weeks where every day felt full. Full of music, full of people, full of moments I won't forget in a hurry. Let me take you through…
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The night a hen party, a stag do and a ruby wedding all walked into The Trooper
An acoustic Saturday at The Windsor Trooper with a hen party, a stag do and a ruby wedding all in the room. How I read three different nights at once.
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Playing a venue for the first time — what you learn in the first twenty minutes
First-time pub gig at The Oxshott Club — what the room, the regulars and the landlady tell you about a venue in the first twenty minutes.
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The five most requested songs at my gigs in 2026 (and what changed since last year)
The five most requested songs at my acoustic gigs in 2026 — what changed since 2025, and why Perfect by Ed Sheeran still won't budge from #1.
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Why I write The Soundcheck every single Sunday — even when I have nothing to say
Why I write The Soundcheck newsletter every single Sunday — three honest reasons, even when there's nothing to say. 326 readers and counting.
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What a solo acoustic wedding singer actually does on the day
What a solo acoustic wedding singer really does on the day — from the first-dance song two weeks out to packing the van after midnight.
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First dance songs that work brilliantly live acoustic — a wedding singer's guide
A working wedding singer's guide to the best first dance songs for live acoustic — the ones that always land, the ones that flop, and how to pick yours.
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50 acoustic cover songs that actually work in a UK pub — a gigging musician's setlist
50 best acoustic cover songs I actually play in UK pubs every week — the real working setlist of a full-time gigging musician, not a generic list.
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Seven gigs. Five days. One hell of a week.
Seven gigs in five days. Two doubles on the weekend. Easter holidays in full swing. It's been one of those weeks where you blink on Wednesday and…
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