Hey, I'm Aaron — a full-time solo acoustic musician based in Dorking, Surrey, and I gig in pubs and small venues right across the south-east UK pretty much every week of the year.
If you run a pub, function room or small venue and you need a solo acoustic musician who'll turn up on time, set up without a fuss, read the room properly, and play a set that actually keeps people in the building — I can help.
Why pubs end up rebooking me
Most of my pub gigs are repeat bookings, and the reason usually comes down to the same three things every time.
1. I turn up early. Ninety minutes before the published start time is standard. I'd rather sit in the corner with a coffee for half an hour than be the reason a gig starts late.
2. I read the room. A quiet Sunday afternoon doesn't get the same set as a packed Saturday night. I'm not running through a setlist on autopilot — I'm watching what works in the room I'm actually in.
3. I'm not precious. If you need me to drop the volume during food service, pause for a minute while you sort something at the bar, or play one more song to bridge a gap — no problem, no attitude. We're on the same team.
What you get when you book me
- Two to three hours of live solo acoustic — covers, classics and crowd-pleasers
- Broken into two or three sets with natural breaks
- Full PA brought to the venue, set up, packed down
- Setlist genuinely tailored to your room (a Saturday night gig in a busy town pub is not the same animal as a quiet Sunday lunch)
- Reliable, insured, PAT-tested
- Quiet load-out — the show ends on time, the kit is out the door within half an hour, no eating into your closing
What I sound like
Warm vocals, fingerpicked or strummed guitar, the kind of songs your regulars will actually know. Ed Sheeran, Oasis, Adele, Elvis, The Script, Tracy Chapman, Stereophonics, James Morrison, Paolo Nutini. About 200 songs in the catalogue and a good ear for which one to play next.
Areas I cover for pub gigs
Primarily Surrey, Berkshire, Sussex, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire — anywhere within about 90 minutes of Dorking. I'm regularly in Guildford, Woking, Reigate, Dorking, Cobham, Esher, Kingston, Windsor, Reading, Ascot, Henley, Horsham, Crawley and dozens of villages in between. I'll travel further for the right one-off — just ask.
How I price pub gigs
One-off pub gigs across the UK usually start somewhere from £150–£250 depending on distance, duration, and the night of the week. Recurring bookings — same pub, regular slot — I quote differently and can usually offer a better per-gig rate, because the relationship is worth more to both of us.
If you'd like me in your venue regularly, get in touch and we'll work something out properly.
How to book me
Email: aaronnortonuk@gmail.com
Tell me the venue, the date(s), the kind of slot you're after — one-off, monthly, weekly, summer-only, whatever works — and I'll come back the same day with availability and a price.
A few things people often ask
Do you need any equipment provided? Just a UK plug socket within 10 metres of where you want me set up. That's it.
How loud do you go? Comfortable from quiet background music up to a busy Saturday-night pub. I'll match the room — never the other way round.
Have you got insurance? Yes — full public liability insurance, PAT-tested gear, certificates available on request.
Outdoor gigs? Weather permitting, yes. I need shade for the guitar and shelter from rain. The PA isn't waterproof, sadly.
See you out there ❤️