Contents:
Prologue
Welcome to the first ever Musician’s Diary! That’s why I’ve imaginatively titled it ‘Musicians Diary ONE’.
The whole idea is that I document various gigs with video and text and try to give people a taste of what being a musician is like behind the scenes as well as offering various bits of advice where I can. It also serves as a way for me to keep my mind busy and mental health in check, I don't like to overthink.
What Sort of Musician?
In my particular musical bubble I play a lot as a singer/lead guitarist and it’s normally cover material. Though I do sometimes gig exclusively as a lead guitarist and provide backing vocals. I'm also a big lover of street performance.
What's This Blog For?
You might end up reading about UK weddings at posh manor houses, cooperate events in shiny glass buildings, birthdays in local pubs or perhaps (hopefully!) the odd weekend away playing in Europe or some other international location. It might also include my busking and street performance adventures. I can’t predict the future of course! But the above is a taste of what might be here based on what I’ve done already.
QUICK SHOUT OUT: Anthem Music Agency for sending this weekend of gigs my way. Find their website here: https://anthemmusicagency.co.uk/
So…
Without further adieu… let 'Musician’s Diary Episode1' commence.
Musicians Diary EP1
Bath to Brighton finishing in Berkhamsted
It was a spontaneous beginning. On the morning of a Brighton cooperate gig at a fancy bar/restaurant called SIX, I had the following conversation with my Girlfriend:
Me:“Ya know what, I think it would be nice if I took a load of videos for Instagram this weekend. I haven’t been in the UK for a while and I’m looking forward to starting gigs here in the UK again”
GF: “Cool idea man! Do it! You’re the best!”
So after that conversation (that I've remembered perfectly) and a couple of failed video attempts, I popped this on Instagram...
And so began an Instagram story for my weekend.
The Journey
Being a musician inevitably involves a lot of travelling and driving is a real help if you’re going to be darting around the UK with loads of equipment, trains aren’t a lot of fun in this regard unless you’re exclusively in London or another big city with great travel infrastructure in which case it can work.
The amount of equipment needed depends on what exactly it is that you do as a musician. For me as a singer/guitarist; I generally take my guitar, an amp, my Boss GT1000 pedal board, a microphone stand, a microphone and a big box of cables and spares. However, sometimes I’ll be transporting a PA system too which means more room is needed and so a big car helps. I drive a Toyota RAV4. Drummers with PA systems, I feel for you.
Bath to Cobham Service Station (2 hours approx)
Soundtrack: Jimmy Eat World: Chase This Light & ‘Pure Guitar’ which is some old, badly recorded guitar cover album I bought years ago from a £1 store. I can see this one becoming a CD tea coaster.
TIREDNESS CAN KILL. TAKE A BREAK! (it’s true, better to stop and get some rest). There’s nothing like a good service station after 2 hours of driving. I derive a special type of comfort from them.
A little wander through the service station car park and into the building...
Service station food. Shout out to El Mexicana for their healthy bites and good coffee!
Nearly There
After bimbling around at the service station, eating my food, coffee, telling the GF I’m still alive and updating Instagram, I went back out to the car for the final leg of the journey. While looking up details of the arrival time, it occurred to me that I was running 30 minutes behind! What?! This can’t be?! I frantically contacted the band leader and told him I was running late before realising I was looking at the arrival time for tomorrow’s gig, disaster averted.
And here we are arriving at SIX in Brighton (which coincidentally is the 6th video in this blog post!)
Setting Up the Stage
It probably takes about an hour or so loading in and setting up. Here's a before and after....
I Have a Confession
This is where Homer Simpson would yell...
'Doh'.
Because this was my first ever Musician’s Diary, I actually forgot to record ANY footage of the band playing... However I can confirm that it all went really well. We were served a beautiful three course meal. There were crab cakes, turkey roast and some chocolate praline pudding. If you live in Brighton and want to treat yourself be sure to check out SIX (https://www.sixbrighton.com/). Lovely little place. One we finished playing, we packed the cars up and I drove to Berkhamsted to stay at my friends house (who was also the drummer that night).
That’s the Friday over. On the Saturday I did record footage of the gig and it went down a storm and was the first time I sang an entire 3 hours. If you wanna see us in action, you can do so in Musician's Diary 2, coming soon.
About The Author
Aaron Carrington is the owner of Carrington Guitar Academy in Bath, UK. Since graduating from The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London Aaron has played in high profile locations such as Buckingham Palace, The Savoy and The London Eye.
He’s been a regular part of the UK wedding and corporate gig scene and has travelled internationally to the Middle East to play in top quality residency bands 6 nights per week. The finesse gained from this level of playing experience is passed on to his guitar students.
Now permanently in Bath, Aaron strives to deliver the highest standards of guitar teaching at Carrington Guitar Academy by offering a personalized lesson plan tailored to each student’s goals. You may also catch Aaron busking regularly on the streets of Bath. If you're interested in guitar lessons get in touch to book a FREE trial lesson!