Wedding Pianist & Cabaret Artiste I play for weddings & perform cabaret for special birthdays, anniversaries etc.

Easy access to a couple of three pin sockets.

I need to know the address and post code and phone number of the venue.

I provide all sound equipment. Usually two big Yamaha monitor speakers including all the necessary leads.
Of it's a theatre/large hall gig, then I would need to know about their PA system.

With my mini grand piano, I occupy approximately 2.5m x 3.5m.
With just a scissor stand and keyboard: 1m x 2.5m
One parking space required, for my small van - Ford Courier.

Usually, the answer to this question is 'no more than 15 to 20 miles'. That's because the vast majority of my gigs are well within the Lake District National Park, where we live.

Not precisely like an acoustic piano, but when you hear it, you will immediately think, 'That's a piano!'

Difficult to answer, but when I was working as the resident pianist at Lakeside Hotel, on Windermere, I will never forget my encounter with the great Roger Moore (the best ever James Bond, IMHO). He was SO complimentary about my playing and I shall never forget his handshake - so firm and sincere. What a wonderful man!

My cabaret hour, without a doubt! Given the right audience...responsive, on my wavelength and prepared to listen, especially to the very wordy Noël Coward songs I sing for a 60th, 70th, 80th, or even 90th birthday party! These are the age groups that most appreciate the sort of material I love and perform.

My previous experience.....here goes (deep breath): My first professional job as a musician was in my local town's Parish Church where I sang from aged 7 - 10.
Then my parents got me to audition for a place in the Cathedral Choir at Worcester. The great Sir David Willcocks was choirmaster at the time and as soon as I had auditioned...he left! He went to King's College Cambridge, where he made his name.
After five years in the choir and leaving school , I secured a place at the Royal Manchester College of Music, playing cello. I played on a non contract basis with the Hallë Orchestra in Manchester for nearly two years, but a bad accident enforced me to give up my cello, which is when I started working a a gigging pianist.
As a pianist, I've worked in all the best hotels in the Lake District and during the winter when tourists were thin in the ground, worked the cruise liners, either as solo pianist, or part of a jazz trio.
About five years ago - my Cabaret was born!

To be honest, I don't know anyone who does exactly what I do these days! Yes, there plenty of pianists about and plenty of vocalists too, but what I do is unique at least in this part of the country!
I have recorded all the accompaniments to all the songs I sing, which allows me to front the songs far more effectively than playing AND singing. Noël Coward's songs are incredibly wordy and they need close audience engagement to bring them off effectively. The same is true, to a lesser extent, with the Flanders and Swann songs I sing.
My usual format is to play through lunch or dinner and then, when everyone's a bit more relaxed, launch into my welcome intro....just to break the ice between audience and performer.
As well as music, I have many anecdotes about my life in music and they always go down well, as do the singalong songs I'm sometimes asked to do...particularly for corporate events. I provide song sheets if that's what is required.

Set up times: I always like to arrive at the venue at least 1 ½ hours before my booked time, in order to set up.
Performance times: Usually 3 hours max. with a 20 minute break in the middle.

'Happy' is the wrong word - particularly in the rain-soaked Lake District! But if it's warm enough and no rain is forecast, then very often I do play for a wedding ceremony that is in a gazebo, remote from the house or hotel.
But I insist on there being a power supply close by.
The only other problem about being outside was playing for a wedding ceremony last year when the sun was really hot - so hot that my iPad went on strike!
Fortunately, in the hotel where I was playing, a staff member had the good sense to put the iPad in the kitchen fridge.
It had cooled down just enough to work..two minutes before the bride was due to walk down the aisle!

Words like 'wonderful', 'great', 'superb' come to mind. And phrases such as 'Peter you played so well and we loved hearing your versions of our ceremony choices. 'You made our day.'
Or from hotel bookers: 'Such great feedback from our New Year guests, Peter. Can we book you for next year, please?' Or, 'You're on our list if recommended suppliers, Peter.'

Absolutely! That vast majority of my gigs are tailored to suit bride and groom, or whoever books me , such as the man who booked me for a corporate event in early November up in Galloway.
He's very keen on singalongs and we've ended up, between us, choosing all sorts including Scottish, Irish and....Cornish folk songs!

If there is no serviceable piano at the venue, I will bring my own digital piano which I mount on a scissor stand, or if there's room I will use my mini-grand.