Performance Time - Friday 5th June @ 4pm • Saturday 6th June @ 3pm 

Old blues grows new roots… Tom Richardson, hails from Victoria’s south west coast. His infectious personality and onstage presence combined with furious, bluesy slide guitar, powerful deep voice and foot stomping rhythms, result in a new brand of toe tappin’, bum shakin’ acoustic blues.

Winner of the 2008 ‘Maton’ Best Young Performer at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, 2007 Apollo Bay Music Festival Young Performer of the Year, and the 2004 and 2005 Australian Busking Championships, Tom has performed festivals such as the Port Fairy Folk Festival (VIC), Australian Blues Music Festival (NSW), Queenscliff Music Festivals (VIC), Blues on Broadbeach (QLD), Bridgetown Blues Festival (WA), Peats Ridge Festival (NSW) and Apollo Bay Music Festivals (VIC). After appearing at the 2008 Blues on Broadbeach festival.

Tom has also just been identified as one of the country’s most promising emerging artists, being short listed for the 2009 APRA Professional Development Awards, from a field of over 700 applicants.

At only 21 years of age Tom has already shared the stage with artists such as Carus and the True Believers, The Audrey’s, The Vasco Era, Ash Grunwald, Bomba, Dallas Frasca and her Gentlemen, Rob Sawyer Band and Lloyd Speigel.

Growing up in the coastal town of Warrnambool in Victoria, Tom picked up the guitar at age 10, but it wasn’t until his late teens that he began to teach himself bottleneck and lap steel slide techniques. Tom recently signed to Australia’s premier blues label, Black Market Music, immediately releasing an album and has just returned home from a 9 week tour spaning 5 states as part of the ‘Young Guns of Blues’ showcase. He has also left footprints on an international scale, playing shows throughout Europe and New Zealand.

Having just released his debut album, Evolution, in December 2008, tracks from the album are already receiving rotation and interviews on Triple J’s ‘Roots n All’ program as well as airplay on commercial and community radio stations Australia wide.

“A musician with individual strength and diversity, with a distinct musical personality in both playing and writing. The future holds great things for this talented young man” - John Durr - Founder and Director, Black Market Music

“The biggest and best voice I heard all festival, it shook me through the floor boards at the back of the venue” - Jeff Curran – Musician/Guitarist, Dallas Frasca and her Gentlemen

“Tom’s personality and ability to interact with an audience at such a young age is unlikely anyone I’ve ever seen” - Fiona Read – President, Western Australia Blues Club

“Each of the performers were unique and impressive in their talents but the best was saved for last with a performance from Tom Richardson. He was energetic and fast-paced, providing a fabulous climax to a memorable night”  - Yasmin Paton – Blues Train Reviewer, Geelong Echo Newspaper

"A young performer going places" - Marcia Howard – Musician, Goanna

“The talk of the festival!” - Annie Thornton – Director, Fleurieu Folk Festival