Hey,
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 suddenly it's Sunday night and you're wondering where the energy came from.
Here's how it all went down.
This Week
Wednesday — Open Mic at Windsor & Eton Brewery, Windsor Forever a highlight of my week. We had Freddy — my youngest ever open mic'er at Windsor & Eton Brewery — get up and perform, supported by Greg and his mum Ruby, who even jumped up for a few numbers. Harry and Jamie smashed it with a couple of acoustic numbers and got the whole room singing along to Sweet Caroline. There was a big group in for a leaving do and a bunch of coworkers in the crowd. All in all, a really good night and a reminder of why I love running these open mics.
Thursday — The Horse & Groom, Chobham If you don't know the Horse & Groom, it's a micro pub — and that's no joke. The place is tiny. But there's nothing better than a big singalong in a small room. The crowd were brilliant and I got to sing a really wide variety of tunes. Everyone was friendly and up for it from the start. One hell of a venue for a gig.
Friday — The Hare & Hounds, Claygate This place has been a staple in my roster for years now and it never fails to deliver. From Cat Stevens to the Kooks, it was campfire vibes from beginning to end. It also hit me for the first time — a group of girls out for a drink and requesting songs were only just born when I first started playing at the Hare & Hounds. Make of that what you will.
Saturday (afternoon) — The Crabtree, Fulham The Crabtree for the Boat Race. Absolute carnage — in the best way. I had the early slot which suits me perfectly with two gigs in a day, but don't confuse early with chilled. The guys at the Crabtree do an incredible job putting on a huge event that takes months of planning. My part is only a small piece of everything that goes on, but it's a real pleasure to be involved. Great to see so much joy with everyone singing along to the classics and getting into the spirit of the day.
Saturday (evening) — The Bear, Walton on Thames Easter holidays are always difficult to predict and the night started off on the quiet side — but honestly, that was great. The people that came down early got to throw some requests over, and we tried some stuff I wouldn't normally attempt. As the night filled out, the requests kept coming — songs I haven't played in the longest time. The Day We Caught the Train by Ocean Colour Scene, Daniel by Elton John — great tracks that wouldn't have crossed my mind otherwise. By the end it was another night full of smiling faces, dancing and singing along. This music thing really is magic.
Sunday (afternoon) — The Cannon, Molesey A brilliant afternoon session to keep the weekend rolling. The sun was out and the crowd were lovely — the perfect way to ease into the final stretch.
Sunday (evening) — The Maypole, Surbiton Straight from the Cannon to the Maypole to close out the week. Seven gigs in five days, and this was the finish line.
On My Mind
It's been a hard week. Five gigs in four days, and by the end of tonight I'll have done seven gigs in five days. There's no escaping the physical strain of fulfilling that volume of work, and the truth is that it's really tiring. Sometimes I'll arrive at a gig and wonder how I'm going to get through the entire night — even though I've been there thousands of times before.
But when I see familiar faces and we all have a good time together, all of that anxiety and fatigue just dissipates. It's the people that make it worth it. Every single time.
I know some of you read these emails not just for the gig dates, but because you find something in the words — motivation, empathy, or just a bit of comfort knowing someone else feels the same way. I want you to know that means everything to me. This isn't just a newsletter. It's a conversation with people who love what I do and care for me as a person, and I'm incredibly proud and privileged that so many of you are so loving and kind. The support I receive week in, week out keeps me going — especially on the tired weeks.
Tuesday was a family day at Legoland with my wife and children — amazing day out. With it being the Easter holidays I've enjoyed some quiet moments at home with the family, including popping down to the Watermill in Dorking for a drink and some downtime. Those moments matter just as much as the gigs.
Coming Up
- Wednesday 8 Apr — Bonnie Rogues, Kingston (7pm)
- Thursday 9 Apr — Bosco, Surbiton (8pm)
- Friday 10 Apr — Dementia Day Centre, Claygate (1:45pm) + The Brewery Inn, Ashtead (9pm)
- Saturday 11 Apr — The Sovereigns, Woking (8:30pm)
- Sunday 12 Apr — Open Mic at WeBrew, Kingston (7pm)
Six gigs across five days, including the day centre session on Friday afternoon and the WeBrew open mic to close out the week. Another full one.
Featured
Work on my new app has been taking serious chunks of my time this week. I'm calling it Poster Poster — it takes an entry from your Google Calendar, applies a premade template, and schedules it to be posted as carousels and stories across your social media platforms. A push notification lets you approve each post before it goes out. Once it's set up, you just keep your diary up to date and tap to approve — that's it.
I've been gigging long enough to know how time-consuming it is to create posters and push them out across every platform. That time could be spent getting back to people, being creative, or just being present. I think a lot of musicians — and businesses too — will feel the same way.
Also — aaronnorton.co.uk has had a serious overhaul. There's now a live gig countdown on the homepage so you can always see when and where I'm playing next, and it updates automatically from my diary. Have a look around and let me know what you think.
See you out there,
Aaron
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