I had the privilege of playing at Cafe 9 in Sheffield last night. What a venue!

The show was just about sold out and it was lovely to play for such an attentive audience, who actually listened. Massive thanks to those of you who paid to come and see me and also to Jonny for having me on.

And a massive thanks to the lovely Steve Jinski who put on an amazing headline show and was such a great bloke.

There will be more solo shows coming up soon, but I’m really going to focus on getting my new album finished as soon as I can. More on that soon.

A reminder that my next show is coming up soon! On Thursday 29th January, I’ll be supporting Steve Jinski at the awesome Cafe 9 in Sheffield. Doors are 7pm and I’ll be taking the stage at 7.30pm.

There are still a few tickets left, so head over to We Got Tickets, to book yourself a place!

Just a quick reminder that I’m heading over to Belper to play at the Queens Head again, this coming Saturday 17th. Hope to see some of you there.

Happy New Year one and all!

I’m hoping to carry on playing solo acoustic shows into 2026. I’m going to be placing the emphasis on quality rather than quantity, when it comes to playing shows. Noisy pub gigs are definitely off the radar this year, as I hope to concentrate on playing venues where people will actually listen.

To that end, I have a couple of shows coming up to start the year in style.

On Saturday 17th January, I’ll be returning to play at The Queens Head in Belper, Derbyshire. I’ll be joining Matt Hill, Sam Law and poet Matt James Jarvis for an evening of original music and poetry. Tickets are £10 and you can reserve a seat by emailing mjones572@hotmail.co.uk

And then on Thursday 29th January, I’m super excited to be making my debut at Cafe 9 in Nether Edge, near Sheffield. I’ll be supporting the mighty Steve Jinski with music starting at 7.30pm. This one will sell out so head over to the wegottickets link, to grab yourself a ticket.

A big thank you to those of you who caught my set last weekend at Mama Liz’s in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Thanks also to Stevie Jones (and Dean) for having me on and making me feel so welcome. It’s always great to get the chance to play my own songs and to meet like minded people.

And whilst I’m thanking people, here is another big thank you to those of you who have supported me over this year, whilst I’ve been playing these solo acoustic shows. It means a lot and has helped build my confidence when playing these new songs on my own.

I’m going to have a little break now, although I will be working on my solo album still. I already have some shows booked in for January 2026, including a show in Sheffield, which I’m very excited about. More details on those will follow soon. In the meantime, enjoy the festive period and, in this age of relentless AI, let’s keep art and artists real.

My beloved 2012 Gibson J45 has had some TLC, ahead of my gig this coming Sunday in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

As usual, I’ve restrung it with a set of Elixr 12-53 Phosphor Bronze strings. I’ve used Elixrs on this guitar for many years. They last really well and the inherent brightness of the tone, really helps tighten up the bass end of the J45.

I’ve also installed a new set of Gotoh 510 tuners. I’ve disliked the original Grover tuners for so long and have finally got around to replacing them. The new Gotoh tuners are SO smooth and much more accurate with zero back lash. I went for the Schaller style button, as I think they suit the Gibson headstock more than the standard 510 button.

The nut on the guitar was recently replaced by the genius that is Rob Hodgson (RH Guitars) That has made a massive difference too, in terms of intonation and sound.

My next show, will be in Stamford Lincolnshire, where I’ll be playing at the Wildfire Sessions on November 30th.

This takes place in a pub called Mama Liz’s and runs from 4-6pm. I’ll be performing alongside the host Stevie Jones and also Jess Orestano. It’s free entry and looks like being a fun afternoon of original songwriters.

This will probably be my final show of the year. I already have shows booked in for early next year, but I’ll be putting all my efforts into finishing my new solo acoustic album.

Thanks to those of you who caught my set in the Derby Market Hall last Saturday. It was great to be part of the Derby Folk Festival again and the Market Hall is a lovely building to play in.

Yes, it was echoey!! Let’s call it natural reverb! But I think most people enjoyed what they heard. I’m certain that some of my songs are still reverberating around the roof of the building. I had some really nice comments after the gig, which makes all the faff that goes along with playing live, worthwhile.

Next show will be in Stamford, Lincolnshire in November. Further details on that to follow.

I’m delighted to be playing at the Derby Folk Festival again this year.

I’ll be hitting the Market Hall Stage at 12.45pm on Saturday 11th October. It’s free entry and a chance to check out the newly refurbished Market Hall.

In other news, I’ve been working hard on a solo acoustic album. More news on that to follow soon.

Thanks to those of you who came out to watch The Nightwires this week. We played one of our semi regular shows at The Flowerpot in Derby. It was great to see Jim again and of course play with Russell. In a gigging scene dominated by covers bands, tribute acts and open mics, who knows when we’ll get to do it again. Originals acts are becoming few and far between these days.

My next solo show I have booked in, will be in Stamford in November. Although I hope to have a Derby show in October. Details on that to follow.