Something to Say: In Memory of Our Friend Dave Speakman

On 12th September, at Kings Lock in Middlewich, we’re holding an all day music festival called Something to Say, in memory of our friend Dave Speakman. I wanted to write this personally, because I think the best way to explain why this event matters is to tell you a bit about who Dave was.

Dave was a guitar teacher at Middlewich High School, Sandbach Girls School and St Ambrose Grammar School, as well as teaching a long list of private students. He was also a professional musician, gigging mostly with the Hot Jazz Biscuits. In 2019 he built his own music studio, which quickly became a hub for local musicians who wanted to record.

When lockdown hit in 2020, once the rules relaxed slightly, we spent a huge amount of time in that studio, just messing about with ideas, and even recorded a few live virtual open mic nights from there during Covid, at a time when nobody could gather anywhere else.

Dave also ran free group guitar lessons for beginners, because he believed everyone deserved the chance to learn, not just those who could afford lessons. A few years ago, we ran an open mic together at the Kings Lock. Dave gave it up when his wife Sarah became ill, so he could spend more time caring for her. We always talked about starting it up again once he was feeling better, and we were still talking about it right up until the days before he died.

We went to many other open mic nights together too, and honestly, Dave is a big part of why I picked up the piano again after years of not playing. He was endlessly encouraging, not just to friends but to everyone, and loved listening to beginners trying to improve. He was a genuine champion of improvers, and never cared how good someone was, only that they were having a go and trying to get better.

Sadly, Dave took his own life after a long battle with his mental health, following the loss of Sarah to cancer two years earlier. He never really recovered from losing her.

For this festival, we’re trying to bring together the people who knew Dave through music. That means musicians he played and recorded with, but just as importantly, his students, the people who came through his free lessons, and anyone who spent time in his studio. This isn’t just about professional musicians. It’s about the people Dave inspired, at every level.

We’ll be raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support, who cared for Sarah, and Mind, in recognition of what Dave went through.

We chose Something to Say as the name of the festival because it’s the title of one of Dave’s songs, and one of my personal favourites. It also carries a strong message about mental health, and about how important it is to talk.

Tickets can be purchased by scanning the QR code on the poster.

If anyone would like to get involved, whether that’s performing, volunteering or helping in any other way, please get in touch through our Facebook page: facebook.com/SomethingToSayMusicFestival