Dan Hughes

Hello there! I'm Dan, a versatile solo guitarist based in Bristol. With a wealth of experience playing in various genres, such as jazz, folk, pop, blues etc., I am confident that I can provide perfect live music to enhance your special occasion. Having taken up guitar from an early age, I went on to study for a degree in Music at the University of Birmingham, and quickly began to perform at a variety of venues across the city itself. Perhaps the most bizarre of these was the busy Bullring Shopping Centre, where I played the lute, dressed as a Tudor court musician, with Adrian Lester. As the guitarist for the UoB Music Society Jazz Orchestra, I enjoyed opportunities performing at prestigious venues such as the Elgar Concert Hall and The Crossing, whilst playing in independent bands saw me share concert bills with the likes of Biig Piig, General Levy and Overpass. During my year of overseas studies, I cut my teeth performing in the jazz bars of San Francisco. Since graduating in 2024, my personal musical highlights have included playing in an open-air Christmas concert at the Tower of London, having my own music aired on BBC Introducing, and performing in the Sing for Happiness sessions at St George's Bristol as part of a UWE-led research project. Despite having performed in a wide range of ensemble contexts, whether they be acoustic duos, pit bands, chamber groups, or full-scale orchestras, I also feel very at home when performing solo. As my showreel demonstrates, I am adept at using a looper pedal to effectively accompany myself for whatever genre I am playing in, and am equally comfortable performing completely solo with no other backing if this is preferred. With many years of performance experience, I have a wide variety of repertoire that will provide something for everyone to enjoy. Whilst trained in jazz, I can perform music of many different genres including pop, folk, religious, traditional and more. You can find a list of sample repertoire further down the page. If you have any song requests – a special song for a bridal entry for example – or if there is a song you would like that isn’t in my repertoire list, I am more than happy to arrange it for guitar just for you! Be sure to mention this in your enquiry. Although based in Bristol, I have enjoyed performing nationwide, from London to the Lake District, and am always open to discussing travel logistics for further-flung events.