Hi everyone,
Well… this was supposed to land in your inbox at 5pm today.
Instead, I’m writing it while driving home from another gig, wondering where the week actually disappeared to. It’s been one of those weeks where every day has blurred into the next in the best possible way.
With teaching now finished for the summer, my routine has completely changed. During the day I’ve been trying to tighten up everything behind the scenes — sorting social media, refining a few projects I’ve been building, catching up on admin (or at least attempting to!) and generally trying to get ahead for once. It’s been productive, but it’s definitely thrown my usual rhythm out.
This week’s gigs
Tuesday took me to Bonnie Rogues in Kingston. It’s always a slightly different evening for me because it’s such a large venue compared to many of the pubs I play. Rather than spending the whole night chatting between songs and taking requests, I get to settle into more of a setlist. Every now and then that’s actually really refreshing — it gives me the chance to revisit songs that I perhaps don’t play as often but still really enjoy performing.
Thursday was The Minnow in Weybridge… and what a night.
I somehow made the questionable decision to wear jeans because the morning had started overcast. By the time I arrived I was wondering what on earth I had been thinking! Since then it’s been shorts every day.
The gig itself was brilliant. Lots of familiar faces, plenty of requests, great conversations and exactly the sort of relaxed summer atmosphere you hope for. Luke Combs, Fleetwood Mac and plenty of singalongs made for a cracking evening.
Talking of catching up… if you’re currently waiting for an email from me, thank you for your patience.
Anyone who knows me knows replying to messages isn’t my greatest strength. I’m very good at disappearing down whatever project I’m working on until it’s finished, which is fantastic for creating things — but not so brilliant for keeping on top of my inbox. I’m making a real effort to improve that over the coming weeks, so if you’ve been waiting to hear back from me, I promise I’m getting there.
Friday started rather differently.
For my 40th birthday earlier this year, a group of family and friends bought Vicky and me a voucher for Sorrel in Dorking, a Michelin-starred restaurant we’d been wanting to try for ages. We finally used it this week and it was absolutely incredible. More importantly, it gave us a rare opportunity to simply sit together, slow down and enjoy each other’s company. With how busy life has become, that’s something I want to make much more time for over the coming months.
Friday evening was then over to The Hare & Hounds.
The weather couldn’t have been better and we spent the whole evening outside. Chloe requested Dream Catch Me by Newton Faulkner, another group got everyone singing along to Dancing On My Own (the Calum Scott version), and the atmosphere from start to finish was just fantastic.
Saturday began with something a little different — a private party.
Those events always make me slightly more nervous beforehand because you never quite know whether your catalogue is going to land with a room full of people you’ve never met. Thankfully, this one couldn’t have gone better. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, the sunshine was glorious, there was plenty of dancing, lots of singing along and even a few guests joining me on the microphone.
From there it was straight to The Bear in Walton.
We decided to start outside acoustically while the sun was still shining before moving indoors later in the evening. It worked perfectly. Sometimes those little decisions make all the difference and the whole night just seemed to flow effortlessly.
A proud dad moment
Sunday morning belonged to my family.
All three of my daughters had been performing in their dance school’s annual shows after weeks of rehearsals, and I managed to get along to watch them perform before heading off to my evening gig.
Seeing the nerves disappear as they stepped onto the stage was genuinely special.
They all did brilliantly — singing, ballet, tap, jazz… a little bit of everything — and I couldn’t have been prouder.
It also made me think about how valuable those environments are for young performers. Growing up, I was incredibly shy. The arts weren’t really my world; I’d much rather have been climbing trees or helping my dad fix the car than standing in front of people performing.
Music gradually found me instead.
I started guitar at eight, sang publicly for the first time at fifteen and simply kept putting one foot in front of the other. Looking back, I think there’s something incredibly powerful about being surrounded by people who are all learning together, all feeling the same nerves and encouraging each other through them. It normalises those feelings and helps build confidence in a way that’s hard to recreate alone.
Whether any of my girls end up following music professionally really doesn’t matter.
What’s important is that they have opportunities to grow, gain confidence and discover what they love.
None of it would be possible without Vicky either.
Because my work often means evenings and weekends away from home, she keeps everything running. School mornings, lunches, homework, dance rehearsals, washing, meals, costumes… she’s the engine room that keeps our family moving. I’m incredibly grateful for everything she does, and I’m not sure I say that often enough.
Sunday evening rounded the week off at Randall’s in Weybridge.
We started quietly while the cricket was finishing, gathering around a few tables with the guitar and taking requests before gradually building the atmosphere throughout the evening.
By the final set everyone was in full voice and having such a great time that we ended up extending things a little. It was the perfect way to finish what’s honestly been one of my favourite weeks of gigs this summer.
Maria also captured some fantastic videos, so keep an eye on my social media over the next few days — I can’t wait to share them.
After Randall’s I finally got home, sat down on the sofa and watched the England game — the perfect way to round off the weekend.
And on that note, Wednesday night this week is a rare one: no gig. The football’s at 5, and when the diary was being booked I couldn’t take the chance of a gig if England lost… so instead I get to pop down the pub and enjoy the game like everyone else. If you’re watching it in a pub nearby, you might just spot me.
This week’s thought
Life has been incredibly busy lately, but this week reminded me that busy isn’t always a bad thing.
Sometimes you look back and realise that every mile driven, every song played, every conversation after a gig and every proud family moment all add up to something you’re incredibly grateful for.
I’m tired… but it’s a good kind of tired.
And I wouldn’t swap it.
See you out there, Aaron