Private parties · big birthdays · anniversaries
Live music and a DJ for your celebration
One act for the whole night — live acoustic early on, then I DJ until the end. No band and a separate DJ to book. Just me.
Check your date →Live music + DJ · gigging for a living since 2006 · own PA & lights · fully insured
I get booked for a lot of big birthdays, anniversaries and parties, and the thing people don't always realise is that they don't need a band for the early part of the night and then a separate DJ for later. I do both. Live acoustic guitar and vocals while everyone arrives, eats and catches up, the singalong songs once a few drinks are in, and then I put the guitar down and DJ the rest of the night so the dancefloor keeps going after the live set finishes.
It's one person to deal with, one PA in the corner, one setup, and a night that flows from background music to a proper party with no awkward handover halfway through.
Planning something for 2027? Get your date in.
I'm a working musician, so my weekends book up a long way ahead. This year I've had to say no to most of the private functions I was asked about, purely because the date was already taken. If you've got a big one coming in 2027 — a milestone birthday, an anniversary, a party you've been meaning to throw — it's worth pinning the date down early. Far better than finding out I'm already playing somewhere else that night.
Ask if your date's free →How the night runs
As everyone arrives
Live acoustic in the background — enough to set the tone, quiet enough that people can still hear each other and catch up over a drink.
When the room warms up
The songs everyone knows. This is usually where it tips from a nice evening into people singing along and not wanting me to stop.
DJ till the end
Guitar down, decks on. I keep the floor going with whatever your crowd's into, take requests on the night, and read the room so it builds rather than empties.
Catherine and Clive's first dance — I played their wedding back in 2018.
A recent one — Clive's 60th
I played Clive's 60th recently. I'd done his and Catherine's wedding back in 2018, so being asked back for the big birthday — guitar early on, then DJing into the night — meant a lot. Getting the birthday person up for a song never gets old either.
What you get
- —Live acoustic sets and a full DJ set — the whole night, not just part of it
- —My own PA, microphones and party lighting. I turn up, set up, and you forget it's there
- —Songs learned for the night — a first dance, the birthday person's favourite, your dancefloor list
- —Public liability and equipment insurance, the cover most venues ask for
- —I read the room as I go, and I keep out of the way — the night's about you, not me
The kind of nights I play
Milestone birthdays
40ths, 50ths, 60ths, 70ths — the most common booking, and the ones that turn into a proper party.
Anniversaries & engagements
A softer live set early on, then the dancefloor later. Plenty of the classics people grew up with.
Corporate & company dos
Drinks receptions, awards nights, Christmas parties. I've played the Chessington hotel for Merlin and done events for DiGiCo.
House & garden parties
A solo setup doesn't need a stage and doesn't take over the room — ideal for a party at home.
What people say
A few words from the venues, couples, and event hosts I've played for across Surrey and the South East.
“Love finding out Aaron is playing in a local pub near me — always such a fantastic night. My son surprised me with a party for my 40th and got Aaron to do the music; we had a fab night dancing and singing to all our favourites.”
“We loved having you there, Aaron — it made the night, and so many people have commented.”
Questions people ask
Do you DJ as well as play live?
Yes — that's the whole idea. I play live acoustic for the early part of the night, then put the guitar down and DJ the rest so the music never stops. One act, one setup, the full night covered.
How far ahead should I book?
As far ahead as you can, especially for a weekend. My dates book up a long way out — I've had to turn down most of this year's party enquiries because the date had already gone. If you're planning something for 2027, get the date in early.
What do you bring?
Everything. Guitar, full PA, microphones, party lighting and the DJ setup. I arrive, set up in a corner, and you don't have to think about any of it.
What kind of parties do you play?
Mostly milestone birthdays — 40ths through to 70ths — plus anniversaries, engagements and corporate dos. Anything where you want live music early and a dancefloor later.
Where do you play?
I'm based in Surrey and play across the county, London and the South East — Berkshire, Sussex and Hampshire too. Further afield is usually fine, just ask.
Can we request songs?
Always. Send me the ones that matter — a first dance, the birthday person's favourite, the songs your crowd will want on the dancefloor — and I'll build the night around them.
Check your date
Tell me your date, roughly where it is and what you've got in mind. It comes straight to me and I'll reply personally with a straight price. No hard sell.
Photographs from Clive's 60th and Catherine & Clive's wedding, used with their kind permission.