Hey,
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 it.
This Week
Wednesday — Bonnie Rogues, Kingston What an amazing place. If you haven't been, you need to go. Bonnie Rogues is in Kingston — my old stomping ground — and it was really cool to be doing gigs there again. There's something special about playing in an area that means so much to you. Great crowd, great atmosphere, and a venue that's doing things right.
Thursday — Bosco, Surbiton This one hit me. I had a residency at Bosco about 15 years ago — a long run and I absolutely loved every minute of it. Being back there after all this time was incredible. The place looks unbelievable — they've done an amazing job with the refurb. Walking in felt like coming home, but to a home that's had the most beautiful renovation. I can't wait to be back there soon.
Friday (afternoon) — Dementia Day Centre, Claygate Always a privilege to play these sessions. Really good fun and a reminder of how powerful music is — it reaches people in ways that nothing else can.
Friday (evening) — The Brewery Inn, Ashtead What a night. This was an incredible gig. A lot of people came down to enjoy the evening and by the end, everyone was up dancing. Those are the nights you live for as a musician — when the whole room is on their feet and you're just riding the energy together.
Saturday — The Sovereigns, Woking An absolute blast. These days I host the open mic nights at the Sovereigns at the end of the month, which are great, but it was really nice to do a straight gig where I got to take requests and do what I love to do the most. Just me, a guitar, and whatever the crowd fancies. That's where the magic happens.
Sunday — Open Mic at WeBrew, Kingston WeBrew — formerly known as Woodies — has been taken over and rebranded by Windsor and Eton Brewery, who I've got a great relationship with. I'm excited to be helping get the new venue on the map and bringing people through the doors. Tonight was a good start.
On My Mind
Before I got to WeBrew tonight, I had the most amazing day. My brother-in-law Boz ran the Brighton Marathon and absolutely smashed it. The whole family was out in force to support him — we threw ourselves into the crowds in Brighton and it was brilliant. The atmosphere at a marathon is something else. Watching someone you love push through something that difficult, surrounded by thousands of strangers all cheering each other on — it really does hit you. Incredibly proud of him.
Also had a family day trip out on Saturday before the gig which was lovely. Seeing friends, spending time together — those moments matter just as much as the gigs.
On the gear front — I've got a new guitar pedal. My old one had an entire pint of beer spilt on it (and of course it's the one piece of equipment I didn't have insured). But honestly, it was probably time for an upgrade. The old one was completely digital and designed for electric guitar — it lacked a bit of depth and warmth for what I do. The new pedal is more of an amplifier with an analog front end that plugs directly into my mixing desk. It'll take some getting used to, but it sounded great on its first outing. Sometimes these things happen for a reason.
Coming Up
- Wednesday 15 Apr — Open Mic at Windsor & Eton Brewery, Windsor (7pm)
- Friday 17 Apr — Dementia Day Centre, Claygate (1:45pm) + The Maypole, Surbiton (9pm)
- Saturday 18 Apr — Kew Gardens Hotel, Kew (7pm)
- Sunday 19 Apr — Open Mic at WeBrew, Kingston (7pm)
Teaching starts back up this week too — I'll be at Anstee Bridge tomorrow for guitar lessons. An exciting week ahead.
Featured
A lot of people might have noticed I've been more active on social media lately. That's partly down to being able to automate a lot of posts — things like Tag & Chat Tuesday, which takes pictures that have been taken over the years and posts them up hoping to reignite conversations with people I've known along the way. It's unfortunate in some respects that life gets in the way of staying in touch — but of course at the same time, it's a beautiful thing that everyone is finding their passions, starting families, and being busy living. The downside is that sometimes we lose contact. Sometimes we just need a little nudge in the right direction to spark up a conversation again.
I've also brought back Throwback Thursdays, posting some interesting pictures of me doing interesting things over the years, and I'm getting more reels of performances out there too. I'm excited to share lots more with everybody.
On that note — my new app, Poster Poster, is coming along nicely. With a few minor adjustments, I'm hoping it'll be ready to submit for Apple approval soon. It takes an entry from your calendar, applies a template, and posts it across your social platforms automatically. Fingers crossed it can help a lot of people who know the pain of creating posters and pushing them out everywhere. More on that soon.
See you out there,
Aaron
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