Richard Perso

Aged just 22, and already completing 120 festivals in the small Australian market, this young musician is blazing a hot trail. Not only the number of festivals, but the number of invite backs is testimony to his popularity.
Australian singer/songwriter Richard Perso is a multi-instrumentalist who single-handedly redefines the phrase one-man band. Sitting on a stomp box with a drum pedal under his left foot and a tambourine under his right, Perso strums on one of his many guitars, and hollers like a 1930's bluesman in his low-range bluesy voice.All of Persos guitars have two pick-ups, one of which runs clean acoustic directly to the desk. The second from a P90 under the strings runs into an effects pedal board that he controls with his feet when he is not busy controlling the kick drum or tambourine.Additionally, all of Persos music is created live on stage without any backing tracks. On top of all this intense musical action, his trademark is adding in some notes played on one of his three didgeridoos.

Quickly becoming one of the most popular musical acts at many recent festivals and performances in Australia, Perso who hails from Yackandandah in North-East Victoria has found himself outranking many of the headline performers.Recently at the Mt. Beauty Music Festival, the singer/songwriter was ranked by festival-goers in the top three acts, even outscoring the icons of the Australias hottest blues performers.

  Many blues followers predict the rising star will be the future of blues and folk music. Chris Atwell from Tamar Valley festival said "We opened with Richard as we wanted to start the festival with a bang. What an understatement when Richard exploded onto the stage"
In December 2008, Perso was invited to perform at the Adelaide International Guitar Festival Rolling Stone Live event as one of the four hottest up-and-coming guitarists/performers. The event, hosted by Rolling Stone Magazine and Gibson Guitars, featured world-class rock, roots, and classical guitar acts, so as an up and coming musician, playing in the show was an extremely high honor. Perso was the baby of the team but held up strongly with the rest of the performers.

Perso continues to win awards for his vocal and instrumental talents all across Australia. At the National Folk Festival during Easter 2009, he was awarded the Lis Johnston Memorial Award for Vocal Excellence and in 2008 at the Wagga Wagga Jazz and Blues Festival, he was awarded the Best Young Blues Performer Award two years running.

A rapid rise for this young man. First festival aged 15, Adelaide Guitar at 17, National Folk and Woodford at 18. By 19 he has recorded in New York and toured East Coast USA and Canada. He has been back to New York for his second CD in 2012 and a further Canadian tour invitation is in line for 2013. The trail being blazed is becoming more impressive every year.

To his followers, its amazing that all this talent came from a beaten up old guitar that a lady from church gave to him when he was just 13 years old. Ever since that moment, Perso mainly self-taught and established himself as an avid busker, first starting busking to earn money for a new electric guitar. The following year Perso was introduced to 12 string slide guitar which is now a feature of much of his music.

Soon after he discovered the slide and open tuning, he added several other instruments and effects. Pretty soon, there was no stopping the performers ambition and talent. He quickly added a stomp box, tambourine and in 2008, added his signature didgeridoo to his performances.

Now, Perso is constantly working to perfect his own personal style, a style that has earned him such rave reviews as Amazing vocals and sensational guitar and, simply, he gives me goose bumps.. "I wanted to start the festival with a bang, but he exploded onto stage. What an opening!"

Festival performance in the last couple of years include: