James Boyd | Solo Singer & Guitarist Singer/guitarist for weddings, parties, pubs & events. Big live energy.

I’m fully self-contained and can provide my own PA, microphones, guitar equipment and battery-powered setup, so I can perform in venues without access to mains power.

For indoor bookings, I just need a suitable performance space. Mains power is useful where available, but isn’t essential. For outdoor bookings, I need a reasonably sheltered, dry performance area and suitable protection from rain.

Yes — I provide my own sound system suitable for my solo performances. I don’t provide lighting equipment.

I just need the venue address, performance area, access/parking information, set times and any relevant venue restrictions. For outdoor bookings, please also let me know what shelter is available.

No, I don't provide a DJ service, but I'm happy to play background music from Spotify or a similar service before and between my live sets where suitable.

Yes. I'm fully self-contained for standard solo bookings and can provide my own PA, microphones and performance equipment.

Yes, provided there's a suitable dry, sheltered performance area. My setup is battery-powered, so mains power isn't essential.

A New Year’s Eve wedding that came together in a slightly unusual way. The couple had originally booked me a year ahead, then moved the wedding forward by a whole year. Luckily I was free, so I jumped at it. It was a brilliant night — a great crowd, loads of singing and exactly the sort of lively atmosphere I love playing in. It was also a good reminder that sometimes the best gigs are the ones where you just say, “Yep, I’m in.”

Radiohead are probably my biggest influence, alongside Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age, Coldplay, Keane, and a lot of folk and singer-songwriter stuff. I like music with a strong identity — songs that can suddenly take a left turn and still land exactly where they need to.

Favourite artist: Radiohead. Greatest song of all time: probably “Nude”... no wait, “How to Disappear Completely”... no wait, “No Surprises”... no wait... I’ll get back to you on that one.

I spent around ten years working professionally as a musical theatre actor-musician before making the move into music full-time. Performing night after night taught me a lot about reading a room, adapting to different audiences and being able to deliver when it matters.

I started taking on more pub, party and wedding gigs alongside that work, and eventually made the jump to being a full-time singer/guitarist. Since then I’ve played weddings, private events, pubs, markets and regular street performances, including frequent gigs on London’s Southbank.

These days I’m very comfortable walking into a new room, setting up my own gear and figuring out what the crowd needs — whether that's background acoustic music or a loud, lively singalong.

Weddings are probably my favourite commercially — there’s something satisfying about being trusted with such a big part of someone’s day, and they’re obviously a great gig to play.

But for the sheer enjoyment of it, I love a relaxed pub set where the room can breathe a bit. I like being able to move between quiet songs and louder ones, and letting the atmosphere build naturally rather than having to keep the energy at 100% all night.

I usually need around 30 minutes to set up when I’m providing my own sound. If I’m working alongside a venue sound team, I prefer to have around an hour of margin so there’s plenty of time for soundcheck and any technical setup.

For performance time, around 1.5 hours is the sweet spot for me, although I can tailor the length and format to suit the event. My maximum playing time is 3 hours.

Yep! Just need some shade/cover and a flat surface.

Absolutely — clients can request songs and let me know the kind of music and atmosphere they’re after. I’ll do my best to accommodate specific requests, but I also like to be trusted to read the room and make good decisions about what to play in the moment. The best sets usually have a bit of freedom to respond to the vibe.

Professional, assured and fun. Great vocals, strong musicianship and fresh interpretations of familiar songs without the theatrics.

Yes. If there's a particular song you'd like, let me know in advance and I'll do my best to learn it. I can also work from a general style or playlist rather than sticking rigidly to a setlist.

Yes, depending on the booking. Around 1.5 hours is my usual sweet spot, with a maximum of 3 hours playing time.

Yes. I have a broad repertoire and can move between relaxed acoustic songs and bigger, louder singalongs. I'm happy to take requests, but I also like to read the room and choose what works in the moment.